Kruizenga Art Museum facts for kids
Site of the Kruizenga Art Museum, mid-construction
|
|
| Established | September 1, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Location | 271 Columbia Avenue, Holland, Michigan |
| Public transit access |  MAX |
The Kruizenga Art Museum (KAM) is a college art museum in Holland, Michigan. It's about 15,000 square feet in size. The museum is located right on the campus of Hope College. It was built to help students and other schools learn about art.
The museum has two main rooms, called galleries, where art is shown. There is also a classroom where you can see special art pieces. The museum's collection has over 1,000 art objects. These pieces come from many different cultures, but there is a special focus on art from Asia. The KAM is the first building at Hope College made just to show its art collection.
What Art Can You See?
The museum has about 1,000 artworks. These pieces were either given to Hope College or bought by them. About half of the art is from Europe and the Americas. The other half comes from Asia and Africa. Most of the art was made from the 1600s until today.
You can see many different types of art here. There are paintings, sculptures, and prints. You'll also find decorative arts and religious objects. This mix of art shows how diverse Hope College students are. For example, the first graduating class had two Japanese students.
The college has received many art donations over the years. Nearly 30 percent of the collection is new art. This includes works by famous artists like Hendrik Willem Mesdag from the Netherlands. It also has art by the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí. The collection grew quickly thanks to a gift from David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton. In 2013, they gave over 500 art pieces. They also donated 7,000 art-related books. About 80 percent of their art gift is from Asia. These pieces span many centuries and cultures.
Who Helped Build the Museum?
The Kruizenga Art Museum is named after Richard and Margaret Feldmann Kruizenga. They gave a very important gift to help build it. Richard studied at Hope College. He later had a long career at Exxon, Inc. He was the Vice President of Corporate Planning when he retired. Richard also served on the Hope College Board of Trustees.
Margaret also studied at Hope College. She taught at the college level. She was known for her love of art and theater. Margaret and Richard were big supporters of the Hope Summer Repertory Theatre. Margaret passed away in 2013. Their support for the museum shows their lifelong love for art. This love started at Hope College and grew during their travels. Margaret Kruizenga wanted the building to be "unusual." She wanted it to stand out from the other red-brick buildings on campus.
How Was the Museum Designed?
The Kruizenga Art Museum building was designed by Matthew Vander Borgh. He is a Hope College graduate from 1984. He is also the president of C Concept Design in the Netherlands. Donald Battjes, another Hope College graduate, also helped with the design. He used to work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He helped make sure the building worked well for displaying art. He said the inside has a "raw, natural look." This helps the art look its best.
The museum building is about 15,000 square feet in total. The main public areas include two art exhibition galleries. There is also a lobby for visitors and a classroom.
The building was designed to be different from other buildings at Hope College. It has a unique "double lung" shape. This shape was partly inspired by an artist's palette. It also honors the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. The Guggenheim is a famous Modernist museum. The front of the museum has a glass wall. The sides have large, black granite panels. These panels sweep around in a cool saw-tooth pattern. This design is an "eye-catcher." It's both practical and very unique. Inside, the museum has polished concrete floors. The walls are segmented, and the ceilings are open. This modern look helps create a dynamic space for showing art.
