Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Fine arts and decorative art museum in Denver, United States
The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art occupies a 38,500-square-foot building by architect Jim Olson at 1201 Bannock Street, opened in 2018. It holds three collections: international decorative arts from about 1875 to 1990, over 7,000 works by more than 700 Colorado artists, and a retrospective of Vance Kirkland's 1,200 paintings. The original 1910–1911 Arts & Crafts studio and art school building, designed by Maurice Biscoe and Henry Hewitt, was moved eight blocks and is preserved inside the museum.
The original artist studio built in 1911 for painter Vance Kirkland was physically moved and preserved within the new building completed in 2018. This relocation maintained the historical workspace while allowing the institution to expand its mission.
The museum's name honors painter Vance Kirkland, whose three-room studio and art school building is the core of the visit. The Colorado collection holds over 7,000 works by more than 700 artists, including almost 300 women, tracing state art from 1820 to about 1990. Displays follow a salon style, mixing fine and decorative pieces.
The museum occupies a new 38,500-square-foot building at 1201 Bannock Street in the Golden Triangle Creative District, with the 1911 studio moved eight blocks west to sit inside it. The three-room studio is the heart of the visit, so allow time to see it alongside the salon-style galleries. The new building provides about 65% more display space than the old Pearl Street site.
The museum displays artworks in salon style, combining fine and decorative art in shared spaces rather than keeping them separate. This arrangement creates unexpected connections between different artistic categories.
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