Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is a two-story museum in the heart of Denver’s arts and cultural district, the Golden Triangle. The building highlights the artistry and craft of the internationally renowned decorative art collection housed within. The museum is named for renowned Colorado artist Vance Kirkland, whose historic studio building is incorporated into the design.
Photo: Alex Fradkin
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Denver, Colorado
Kirkland Museum’s collection comprises over 30,000 works, including the nation’s largest repository of Colorado art. The new museum has 65% more gallery space than the previous building. The elevations are calm and the layout straightforward, but a key element of the design is a rich and vibrant façade inspired by the lively mix of art and craft in the collection. Luminous terracotta bars in an array of yellow hues, punctuated with rectangular glass “baguettes” backed in gold, enliven the building’s public face. A series of vitrines on the exterior of the building showcase select museum objects, extending the galleries to neighboring sidewalks and streets. The building itself becomes a sparkling jewel box that expresses the vibrant examples of artistry and design housed within.
My hope is that the building itself will be considered a ‘piece’ in Kirkland Museum’s collection.Jim Olson, FAIA
Design Principal
Chicken Point Cabin
Northern Idaho
Hong Kong Villa
Shek-O, China
Team
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Crystal Coleman
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Bryan Berkas
Misun Chung Gerrick
Motomi Kudo-King
Publications
2020
Gallaher, Rachel. “Jim Olson.” Gray Magazine, Dec. 2020/Jan. 2021. Print.
2019
“Best in Travel 2020 Top Cities.” Lonely Planet, 22 Oct. 2019. Web.
Krasny, Jill. “Material Values Terracotta.” 1843 The Economist. Feb./Mar. 2019, 25. Print.
Krasny, Jill. “Why designers are potty about terracotta.” 1843 The Economist. 31 Jan. 2019. Web.
“Top 10 Cities.” Lonely Planet, Fall 2019, 76-81. Print.
2018
“Architecture Gold Rush.” Metropolis, April 2018, 42, 217. Print.
“ArtScene: 0405 – Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art.” Denver 8 TV, 6 June 2018. Web.
Davidson, Joanne. “Golden Gala Celebrates New Kirkland Museum.” Denver Post, 15 April 2018, 2E. Print.
Dugdale, Julie. “The Local Art Museum to See Now.” 5280 Home, Aug./Sept. 2018, 68-72. Print.
Fischer, Mary. “Advancing the Arts.” 5280 Magazine, March 2018, 31. Print.
Fischer, Mary. “Three Denver Museums Are Getting A Reno.” 5280 Magazine, 23 Feb. 2018. Web.
Grant, Hugh. “The New Kirkand Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.” American Art Review, 1 April 2018, 66-77. Print.
Heyman, Stephen. “Arresting Developments.” Elle Décor, 1 Mar. 2018. Print.
Iovine, Julie V. “A Quirky New Design Museum.” The Wall Street Journal, 13 Mar. 2018. Print.
Iovine, Julie V. ” DJ A Quirky New Design Museum — WSJ.” Dow Jones Newswires, 13 March 2018. Print.
“Kirkland Museum: A New Home.” Rocky Mountain PBS, 9 March 2018. Web.
“Kirkland Museum.” ENR Mountain States, 22 Oct. 2018, 1, 35. Print.
“Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.” ARCHITECT, 12 Mar. 2018, Web.
“Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.” Architizer, 29 Mar. 2018. Web.
“Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.” The Architect’s Newspaper, May 2018. Print.
Paglia, Michael. “Kirklandia.” Westword, 14 March 2018. Print.
Perry-Smith, Eleanor. “Matter of Time.” Modern in Denver, April 2018, 10, 20, 64-79. Print.
“The Kirkland Museum.” Modern in Denver, 7 May 2018. Web.
Wenzel, John. “A change of art.” The Denver Post, 2 March 2018, 1A, 5A. Print.
2017
Montes, Geoffrey. “9 of the Most Beautiful Buildings Opening in 2018.” Galerie, 22 Dec. 2017. Web.
Paglia, Michael. “Rising Up.” Westword, Apr. 13-19, 2017, 24. Print.