History
The original historic school/studio (1910–1911), which is preserved as part of the larger Kirkland Museum, is the oldest commercial art building in Denver and the second oldest in Colorado (after the Van Briggle Memorial Pottery in Colorado Springs of 1908). The building was designed in a distinctive Arts & Crafts style by architects Maurice Biscoe and Henry Hewitt. The building at 1311 Pearl Street was commissioned by Henry Read (1851–1935), one of thirteen founders of the Artists' Club, which later became the Denver Art Museum. This building served as Read's Students' School of Art, and, until 1922, a meeting place for the fledgling Denver Art Museum. In January 1929, Vance Kirkland became the founding Director of the current School of Art at the University of Denver. In 1932 he resigned from the University of Denver when they would not grant credit for art courses toward graduation, and leased Read's Pearl Street property. He ran the Kirkland School of Art until 1946, with classes accredited by the University of Colorado (1933–1946), when he returned as Director of the Art School at the University of Denver, retiring in 1969. Kirkland had, by that time purchased the 1311 Pearl Street building and used it as his personal studio until his death in 1981. After his death, Vance Kirkland willed his estate to longtime family friend Hugh Grant. In 1998, under the direction of Grant, construction began on an adjoining facility, adding 7,933 sq. ft. to the original 3011 sq. ft. Completed in 2002, the addition allows for expanded exhibition space and visitor amenities, while maintaining the integrity of the original studio. The museum opened to the public in April 2003 under Founding Director and Curator Hugh Grant. The original exterior wall and similar roof tiles of the 1910-1911 building can be viewed from the main exhibition room of this new addition, and the studio work room has been maintained virtually as Kirkland left it. This is indicative of the museum's commitment to preserving the original architectural integrity of the building. The addition faithfully reflects the Arts & Crafts style of the old studio building.
Read more about this topic: Kirkland Museum Of Fine & Decorative Art
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