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photo of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Photo: Alex Fradkin

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

Denver, Colorado

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

Denver, Colorado

  • Design Principal

    Jim Olson

  • Principal

    Kirsten Ring Murray

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.

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

Team

Publications

2020

Gallaher, Rachel. “Jim Olson.” Gray Magazine, Dec. 2020/Jan. 2021. Print.

2018

Allen, Lila. “Olson Kundig Designs New Golden Home for Denver’s Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art.” Metropolis, 29 Mar. 2018. Web.

“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.

Bruder, Sarah. “You Need to See the Latest Addition to Denver’s Creative District.” AFAR online, 28 Feb. 2018. Web.

“Cultural/Worship: Best Project and Judges’ Special Recognition: Kirkland Museum.” ENR/Engineering News-Record, 16 Oct. 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.

Iovine, Julie V. “The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art Review: A Quirky New Design Museum.” The Wall Street Journal Online, 12 Mar. 2018. Web.

Keller, Hadley. “Industry Leader Larry Kravet Dies, Denver Welcomes New Museum, and More News This Week.” Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2018. Web. 

“Kirkland Museum: A New Home.” Rocky Mountain PBS, 9 March 2018. Web.

“Kirkland Museum Celebrates Its Grand Opening With Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony.” The Denver Post, 10 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.

Martin, Olivia. “Jim Olson’s Gleaming, Golden Kirkland Museum Opens in Denver.” The Architect’s Newspaper, 9 March 2018. Web.

Paglia, Michael. “Kirklandia.” Westword, 14 March 2018. Print.

Perry-Smith, Eleanor. “Matter of Time.” Modern in Denver, April 2018, 10, 20, 64-79. Print.

Ratliff, Laura. “Here’s Why Denver Is Now One of the Best U.S. Cities for Art and Design.” Architectural Digest, 18 May 2018. Web.

Smith, Colleen. “In Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, the Kirkland Museum’s recently transplanted historic studio and decorative arts collection shine.” Art & Object, 23 April 2018. Web.

Stoughton, John. “Olson Kundig creates dynamic terracotta pattern at Kirkland Museum in Denver.” Architect’s Newspaper, 6 July 2018. Web.

“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.