The Denver Art Museum and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art announced a merger Thursday that their leadership says will create a synergy for the neighboring art institutions: the grand programming, outreach and accessibility of DAM paired with the more intimate, Colorado-centered exhibitions for which the Kirkland is known.
“I’m absolutely thrilled because this is a gem of an institution,” said Christoph Heinrich, director of the Denver Art Museum, in an interview. “To bring this into the brand of DAM… but at the same time to keep the spirit and character of that institution is, well, the best of two worlds.”
The Kirkland Museum, located down the street from the Denver Art Museum at 1201 Bannock St., will be renamed the Kirkland Institute of Fine & Decorative Art at the Denver Art Museum. The new institution will contribute its commitment to uplifting Colorado artists and its extensive collection of distinguished Colorado painter and namesake Vance Kirkland, who died in 1981.
“We have a wonderful neighbor in the Denver Art Museum, and we both came to the realization that by combining our strengths we can really amplify the impact on the artistic providings for our members, offering a wider breadth of scholarship and engagement, and it’s exciting,” said Sally Leibbrandt, a member of the Kirkland Museum’s board.
The majority of Kirkland’s estate — and his art — was willed to family friend Hugh Grant, who curated Kirkland’s exhibitions. By the late 1990s, Grant worried Colorado artists were not properly appreciated and got to work orchestrating a museum to show off the work of local artisans.
The Kirkland Museum made its public debut in 2003.
Last fall, Grant retired, and the Kirkland Museum’s leadership began thinking about preserving the institution’s legacy, Leibbrandt said.
Throughout the past six months, Denver Art Museum leadership evaluated Kirkland’s situation, Heinrich said, and the museum’s board voted Wednesday night to merge.
“It’s not that in any way it was necessary right now for the survival of the Kirkland Museum,” Heinrich said. “Nothing is broken.”
The Kirkland has its own endowment, Heinrich said, so funding is taken care of.
“This is really about securing the legacy in perpetuity,” Heinrich said.
The Kirkland’s three-room studio building will remain as a highlight of the museum experience. Heinrich said the Denver Art Museum is committed to keeping the intimate, homey character of the museum, which he likened to the feel of a visitor walking through somebody’s house admiring their collection of decorative arts and crafts.
Visitors can expect changes, though.
For example, Heinrich wants to label the Kirkland’s pieces in Spanish, too, like the Denver Art Museum does. Currently, children under 13 aren’t allowed in the Kirkland Museum due to the fragile nature of some works.
“That is something we have to change,” Heinrich said. “Denver Art Museum is known for its accessibility and for its meaningful programs for little toddlers all the way to the seniors. We cover them all, and that is definitely something we will have to address in the Kirkland Museum.”
Leibbrandt marveled at opportunities for greater programming and scholarship, as well as introducing more people who come through the Denver Art Museum to the next-door neighbor.
“We’re so optimistic about our future together,” Leibbrandt said.
The organizations will merge over the next 12 to 18 months, according to their announcement.
“This merger represents a bold step forward in our collective mission to honor our shared heritage, foster creativity and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the arts,” said Merle Chambers, Kirkland Museum co-founder and board chair, in a news release. “Together, we are charting a course toward a more dynamic cultural future.”
Reciprocal membership benefits will be phased in starting June 1, Heinrich said, so that the nearly 30,000 Denver Art Museum members aren’t all storming the Kirkland Museum at once.
The Denver Art Museum, which traces its lineage to 1893, serves 800,000 visitors a year with facilities spanning more than 350,000 square feet.
The smaller Kirkland Museum is coming off a rocky few years.
In 2018, the museum quite literally moved — the original 107-year-old, 150-ton brick studio was dug up, mounted on wheels and driven to its Golden Triangle location. The studio was grafted onto a 38,500-square-foot building, its $22 million new home.
In 2020, the pandemic forced the museum, along with most cultural delights, to temporarily shut its doors. Then a burst water valve during a 2021 polar vortex caused extensive damage to the building — largely sparing most of the art — that left doors closed for months as repairs and restoration took place.
“As we celebrate the 21st anniversary of Kirkland Museum and reflect on our thriving presence in this new building for the past six years, I believe it’s the opportune moment to gracefully pass the torch of leadership,” Grant, the Kirkland’s founding director, said in a news release. “Kirkland Museum stands in excellent shape, a testament to the dedication and passion of our incredible team. Now, it’s time to entrust fresh minds and innovative perspectives with the task of charting a new path for the next vibrant chapter in our journey.”
