The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art opened the doors to visitors at its new $22 million Golden Triangle location on Bannock Street Saturday.
"It's really surreal and super exciting to be at this moment and it's been in the works for so long and it's really exciting," said Maya Wright, Kirkland Museum Historian. "I'm kind of at a loss for words about how much we've looked forward to sharing our collection with the public again and how hard we've all worked to make this day come."
The new building is at 1201 Bannock, just a couple minute's walk from the Denver Museum and Clyfford Still Museum. Their old space in Capitol Hill became too small, the museum says in a news release, and they decided to move.
The museum's three collections - international decorative art, Colorado and regional art, and the work of Vance Kirkland - have more room to breathe, and curator Hugh Grant says the larger spaces offer more visibility for the works in each collection.
"We have, we're not sure yet, but probably 5 to 6,000 works on view total from all three collections," said Wright.
Before moving the Golden Triangle, the museum's old Cap Hill space was actually Kirkland's old studio and art school that opened in 2003. Increased attendance and a bigger collection forced the museum out of its old digs in search of a larger space.
The old studio space moved with the museum and has been placed on the north side of the building.
"The prestige Vance Kirkland's studio and art school carries for the reputation of Colorado art makes the building itself an integral part of the visitor experience," Grant says of the studio space.
Funding for the new building was given by the Merle Chambers Fund as an investment into the "vibrant Golden Triangle Creative District and Denver's nationally important art scene," a news release says.
Museum hours are Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m. General admission is $10. Due to the delicateness of the museum items, attendees must be 13 or older. Park parking is available in the lot behind the museum.
