The old Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art held a special place to me. It felt like my grandparents’ house, both because there was a house within it (Vance Kirkland’s school and studio) which was from their era, but also because there were items reminiscent of their house – the glassware with aqua fishes on them; the black, tufted couch; and the little tea set dishes I played with as a child. There was also the general sense of too much stuff in a small space that used to feel homey but now, in my adult aesthetic, felt cramped. It was, then, with mixed feelings that I heard the Kirkland Museum was going dark for a year before building their new location in the Golden Triangle Creative District. Would the cool stuff still be there? And would it be a little more roomy? Yes and yes.
The new location features three collections: decorative art from around 1875-1990; a retrospective of Colorado painter Vance Kirkland, and the work of other Colorado and regional artists. Everything is shown together in salon style. There is approximately 65% more display space with around 6,000 works to show, compared to 4,000 that were on view before. Despite the additional pieces, the new museum feels open, with just the right amount of coziness, lacking claustrophobic tendencies.
After being greeted at either entry door and paying your fee or showing your membership card at the front desk, turn around to see the dramatic central corridor, framed with tiers dividing each section. At the end, staring right at you, is one of Kirkland’s boldest pieces, full of red, reflecting in the sheen of the floor. Along each side are different rooms from different chronological, artistic periods, depicting art from Colorado artists, furnishings and decorative items from all over, grouped in styles. It’s an education to walk through, taking in the whole of the place, seeing how styles progressed through time, how they were adapted in furniture, rugs, lamps, dinnerware, sculpture, painting and more, collectively. It’s fascinating! Time flows in a u-shape, so start at the right, go all the way down and then across and back up again so that the most recent exhibits are right across from the oldest, where you started.
Don’t miss the very end of the hallway though because that’s where the indoor/outdoor sculpture garden is, the temporary exhibit space and Kirkland’s famous studio and school, moved here, ever-so-carefully and slowly, through Denver’s streets in November of 2016. It was a sight! I particularly enjoyed the venetian blinds Kirkland painted with tropical scenes, the bar cart ready to serve up cocktails after (or during) a hard day in the studio and the famous studio itself. I could practically feel Kirkland’s presence there.
Don’t leave the museum without checking out three things: 1. The guest lounge with big corner windows displaying many items in the collection which only benefit from sunlight shining through them, 2. the gift shop with some fun items and 3. the room right behind the front desk which shows Kirkland’s transformation of style from early in his career to near the end of his life. His style changed dramatically and this is the ideal way to see that.
The Kirkland Museum is not all about Vance Kirkland. It’s about him and his collections. He loved other artists, including Colorado artists and celebrated them. This isn’t the Vance Kirkland museum but it is the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. Spending a few hours there feeds childhood memories, examines aesthetic movements and says a lot about creativity and inspiration. You’ll find that many things old are new again.
The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is located at 1201 Bannock Street in Denver. There is a paid parking lot immediately west of the building or there is street parking.
Comments are closed.