2 days ago
A historic merger in Denver's art scene: The Kirkland joins the Denver Art Museum
On Sunday, July 27, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art commemorated their official merger with a vibrant Block Party celebration marking a new era of creativity, accessibility, and community engagement.
The free, family-friendly event welcomed visitors with hands-on artmaking, music, food trucks, shopping, and open access to both museums. But beyond the festivities, the day symbolized something much bigger: the full integration of the Kirkland Museum into the DAM campus and programming.
"This has been a really good exchange between the two groups," said Merle Chambers, Co-Founder of The Kirkland. "As a smaller museum, we didn't have everything we needed to make it better. Now we do."
The merger brings with it more than 35,000 objects from the Kirkland's extensive collection, boosting DAM's permanent holdings by roughly 30%. Visitors who purchase a ticket to the Denver Art Museum can now access The Kirkland as well, breaking down cost and accessibility barriers for art lovers of all ages.
That shift is already making an impact. Lauren Potter, who visited from Texas with her young son, said discovering the Kirkland during their summer trip to Denver was an unexpected highlight.
"Where we are in Texas, not only are the arts kind of under attack, but they're almost nonexistent," she said. "It's a really neat thing to bring kids to the museum and have it be a friendly, accessible experience."
The Kirkland now features greater accessibility for families, including improvements to accommodate small children, something it previously lacked.
Potter said she appreciated how the newly integrated space invites kids into the creative world in a hands-on, welcoming way.
"We pretended like we were shopping for our house," she laughed. "It's been so kid-friendly, especially for a kid who loves the arts."
