Denver Art Museum Acquires Nearby Decorative Art Museum to Expand Collection
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is set to house one of the largest collections of decorative art in the US after merging with the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. The addition of 35,000 objects from the Kirkland collection will expand the DAM’s permanent collection by 30%. The collection, endowed with $28 million by philanthropist Merle Chambers, covers a range of design movements from Arts & Crafts to Postmodern.
The Kirkland Museum, named after artist Vance Kirkland, holds a special place in Colorado’s art history. Kirkland, known for his unique dot paintings, established the Kirkland School of Art in 1932. The museum, founded by his friend Hugh Grant in 2003, was housed in Kirkland’s old studio until it moved to a new location in 2016.
The merger between the Kirkland Museum and the DAM signals a strategic alliance to ensure the collection’s continued accessibility and visibility. Unlike other mergers driven by financial challenges, this partnership aims to enhance both institutions’ offerings. With the Kirkland set to become the Kirkland Institute at the Denver Art Museum, visitors can expect a more accessible and bilingual museum experience in the coming years.
As the DAM’s decorative art collection expands, some deaccessioning will be necessary to optimize the quality of the combined collections. Chambers and Grant support this move to focus on quality over quantity to create the finest collection possible.
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Elara Voss, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master’s in Fine Art. She specializes in contemporary sculpture and installation art, exploring themes of nature and human interaction. Elara’s works have been featured in several group exhibitions across Europe, and she is currently working on her first solo show.