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The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art has one of the most comprehensive 20th-century decorative arts collections on view and displays a nationally important collection of works from 1880 to 1980. Housed in a 1911 Arts and Crafts brick studio, it is the oldest commericial art building in Denver. Opened to the public in 2003, the museum shows a retrospective of Colorado's distinguished painter Vance Kirkland, who painted and taught there. Kirkland’s paintings and drawings form the basis of the collection. Noteworthy is the permanent exhibition of decorative arts – including Modern, Art Deco and Arts and Crafts furniture, ceramics and glass that reflect Vance Kirkland’s tastes and interests in modern design. Such combinations provide visitors a picture of 20th-century modernistic art and design as it might have been seen through the eyes of Vance Kirkland. Through the curatorial efforts of the director and the staff of Kirkland Museum, a major survey of Colorado art history is showcased, with nearly 200 Colorado artists represented by more than 700 works spanning from 1875 to 1980. Works by Colorado artists are featured in rotating exhibitions and the scope of Colorado art is now more widely recognized. Chambers Family Fund provides ongoing general support to the museum and its mission to increase public appreciation and awareness of its remarkable collection. The museum loans works of art to other museums and cultural organizations for traveling exhibitions throughout Colorado and hosts tours for the general public and education outreach for a wide audience. By identifying, researching, acquiring, preserving, and in some cases rediscovering artists, the museum’s collection is one of the most comprehensive sources for appreciating the growth of the modern movement in America. |
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