Tag Archives: Chase

Virtual Visits: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art


Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

As Chris mentioned in our last post, we are not Driving for Deco much right now. But it doesn’t mean we can’t “visit” some great museums. Thanks to the internet some of the best Art Deco collections are literally at our fingertips. One of the places at the top of our driving list is the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, in Denver, Colorado.

 

Vintage postcard of Denver Colorado.

VIntage Denver, Colorado postcard. Image from flickr.com.

The Kirkland Museum landed on our radar after being feature on The Antiques Road Show in 2010. Roadshow was there highlighting their very large collection of Ruba Rombic glass.

Vance Kirkland (1904 - 1981)

Vance Kirkland in front of his studio at 1311 Pearl Street, 1941. Photo courtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection, WH1062

In 1929, the University of Denver hired Kirkland to become their founding director of the School of Art. He only held the position for three years before resigning over a dispute with the University not granting credit for art courses toward graduation. Upon leaving the University he leased the Arts and Crafts style building at 1311 Pearl Street and opened the Kirkland School of Art in 1933. Classes he taught there were accredited by the University of Colorado. When he returned to the University of Denver as director of the School of Art in 1946, the Pearl Street building became his studio. Although he retired from academic life in 1969, Kirkland continue to paint up to his death in 1981. Being predeceased by his wife and having no children he will his estate to friend, Hugh A. Grant.

 

Hugh A. Grant

Hugh A. Grant, the Kirkland’s founding director and curator. Image from bonfils-stantonfoundation.org

 

 

 

Under Hugh A. Grant the founding director and curator, the museum started taking shape. Construction began in 1998 on a 8,830 square foot addition to the original studio for exhibition space and visitor amenities. Completed in 2000, the museum opened to the public in 2003.

 

Kirkland's original studio and the first home of the museum.

1311 Pearl Street. Vance Kirkland’s original studio and part of the museum’s first home. Image from kirklandmuseum.org.

 For thirteen years this was the home of the Kirkland Museum. The museum houses three primary collections:

1. International Decorative Arts, featuring objects from most of the major decorative movements between 1875 – 1990.

2. The Colorado / Regional Collection which includes over 7,000 works by 700 local artists.

3. Kirkland Retrospective highlighting his 55 years of paintings.

 

Using a salon-style to display collection items is somewhat unusual for museums. Instead of separating fine art from decorative art they are displayed together, much like in a home. And by placing furniture on the floor allows visitors to experience the pieces in their intended perspective.

 

The Art Deco Collection at the Pearl Street location.

The Art Deco collection as it was displayed at the Pearl Street location. Image from kirklandmuseum.org.

 

It only took less than a decade to realize a larger space would be needed. In 2016 construction began on the present museum. Because Kirkland’s studio was so integral to their identity it also made the move to its present location. At 1201 Bannock Street, in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, the new Kirkland is more than four times the size of the original. The new building opened on March 10, 2018.

 

The new Kirkland Museum.

The Kirkland Museum at 1201 Bannock Street. Photo by Daniel Holton from Facebook.

 

Now that we’ve set the stage, here’s how to “visit” the Kirkland virtually. Start by going to the museum’s home page at kirklandmuseum.org.

 

Kirkland Museum's home page.

Home page at kirklandmuseum.org.

 

There are two ways to view the museum’s items: for in depth details about select pieces, select collections from the header. Then click on “SEARCH COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS” from the drop down menu.

 

Choose search collection highlights.

Choose search collection highlights.

Once the “Collection Search” window pops up, type in “Art Deco” and hit enter.

Collection search window.

The Collection Search window.

 

 

Here are the results. To learn more about any of these items, just click on the photo.

Search collection results.

Results of “Search the Collection”.

 

I really love the black chair by Wolfgang Hoffmann. So to learn more about it, I’m going to click on its photo.

 

Wolfgang Hoffmann lounge chair.

Information about the Wolfgang Hoffmann, Art Deco lounge chair.

 

And here is a lot of great information about this item. Facts about the designer, when the chair dates from, its manufacturer, dimensions to what gallery it is on view in.  And when you are done with this slide, clicking on the “Art Deco” tab on top, will bring up even more great collection pieces.

Kirkland's Art Deco collection highlights.

Highlights of the Kirkland Museums Art Deco Collection.

It’s impossible for a museum to have all of its collection on display. But by going to a museum’s website one can see much more of the collection. I think the Kirkland Museum is an exception to this rule. It seems there’s a lot more of its Art Deco collection on display, than online. I found this out by “walking” through the museum on their virtual tour. To begin “click” on the “Explore our Virtual Exhibition Online!” window. That will take you to the page with the “Take a 360 Degree Virtual Tour!”

 

The start of the Kirkland Museum's virtual visit.

The “entrance” to the virtual tour on the Kirkland Museum’s Home page.

 

 

This works just like Google Street View, so click on the arrows and start to explore.

 

Kirkland Museum admission desk.

The Kirkland’s admission desk.

 

Here are some of the great Art Deco pieces I saw on my tour.

 

Display case of Art Deco, ceramics, metal and glass pieces.

Art Deco glass, ceramics and metal works.

 

This display case features ceramics by Viktor and Paul Schreckengost, Chase metal work including the Pretzel Man by Lurelle Guild and some wonderful glass items.

 

More Art Deco glass and ceramics, including Ruba Rombic.

More Art Deco glass and ceramics.

Here is another case chock full of Art Deco glass and ceramics. Not only do they have Reuben Haley’s Ruba Rombic glassware he designed for Consolidated Glass in 1928, there’s also his Ruba Rombic ceramics he made for Muncie Pottery. Also in the case are pieces in the Tearoom and Pyramid patterns by Indiana Glass. And in the lower right is Norman Bel Geddes’ Manhattan cocktail set (tray, shaker and two cups) for Revere.

 

Salon setting for larger pieces, including furniture and paintings.

Salon setting for furniture , accessories and paintings.

 

A few of the Deco standouts in this Salon Setting are, a teal and gold Skyscraper bookcase by Paul Frankl, circa 1927. There’s the Wolfgang Hoffmann lounge chair, a machine age Pattyn Products Company table lamp, circa 1935 attributed to Walter von Nessen. And a wonderful green leather and aluminum tube chair by Warren McArthur.

 

Another Kirkland Museum Salon Setting, with pieces by Gilbert Rohde, Walter von Nessen and Paul Frankl.

Another setting with a impressive pieces.

 

Aside from a couple of great chairs and a terrific rug, the standout in this grouping the sideboard. This is a piece designed in 1933 by Gilbert Rohde for the Herman Miller Furniture Company. Sitting on top is the Chase Coronet Coffee service, another von Nessen design. And all the way on the right of the case is Paul Fankl’s Modernique or Fifty Dollar clock (because that how much it cost in 1929) made by Telechron.

 

This was just the tip of the iceberg of their collection of over 4,400 pieces. So when it is really safe to travel and gather together once more, consider making the Kirkland Museum a place to visit. You might even see us there.

 

Exterior of the Kirkland Museum.

Exterior of the Kirkland Museum on Bannock Street. Photo by Wes Magyar, from kirklandmuseum.org.

 

Anthony & Chris – The Freakin”tiquen Guys.

 

 

Driving for Deco, Freakin’ ‘tiquen 2017 Part 2, Heading Home

Our next day was a whirlwind of sightseeing before heading back east.

The day started with Mount Rushmore. Essentially, you only pay for parking. The plaza and grounds are a self-directed tour and although crowded, the concourse is designed to handle the mass of people. We never felt closed in. Souvenirs are reasonable priced and Chris picked up a cap for less than $15. There is a museum in the lower level and a theater showing a short film about the design and construction of the monument.

After walking the path around the base of the mountain, it was lunchtime. We expected to be gouged and surprised that the food court offers a good variety of choices at more than reasonable prices. Our pot roast lunch, with  two sides and a drink was less than $7.00 each and delicious. .

A bit of a drive through, and just outside the park, is the Crazy Horse Monument.

Chris was here as a child and it hadn’t been started yet. This is not part of the National Park Service and is funded through private donations. The entrance fee is per person (three or more is a flat fee) and there is a charge to take their char-a-bunk to the base of the mountain. If you are interested to learn about Native American culture, they have an extensive museum. It is a work in progress and when complete, the grounds are destined to include a college campus open to anyone but offering a free education to Native Americans.

Tours to the work site at the top are available during the week.

There are actually two antique stores between Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Of course, we stopped at each. Interesting but no purchases made.

Heading east, we made a quick stop at Wall Drug. (For those familiar with Pedro’s South of the Border on the east coast, Wall Drug is the equivalent tourist destination. Lots of souvenir shops and eateries.)

Soon we headed out to the Badlands of South Dakota. Not knowing what to expect, Anthony thought we’d drive straight through the nineteen or so miles along the northern ridge, take a few pictures and be on our way.

There is a fee to enter and the park clearly states that you can go off the designated path but are not responsible for injury or death. “Beware Rattlesnakes!” signs are posted at several points throughout the park. The roads are very well maintained, wide enough for campers to easily pass and designed with plenty of pull overs / pull offs to safely get out of the car and take in the sights. For the adventurous, camp grounds are available and there is a bison reserve further south in the heart of the park.

Over four hours later, we exited with hundreds of beautiful photos and great memories of a natural wonder.

The Badlands of South Dakota.

Yellow mounds in the Badlands.

Sunset in the Badlands.

Leaving the Badlands at sunset. It took us over four hours to drive the 19 miles through the national park.

In all, a beautiful, hot, sunny, hot, long, hot, day. Our goal was to stay overnight at Al’s Oasis, a series of stores, restaurants, hotels and antique mall (Old West Trading Post) right off the highway. As all the hotels were booked, we ended up at the very nice and comfortable AmericInn a few towns over.

Bright and early, we hit the Old West Trading Post. We entered with low expectations of western gear and country goods. While they did carry those items, the majority was a vast mix of items of different eras and styles. They also had quite a bit of deco items and more than reasonable prices. We were tempted to buy more than we did. It is also much larger than it appears. Definitely a place to stop if you’re in the area.

Old West Trading Post Purchases

Another day of driving and we ended up at Antiques Minnesota, Burnsville, Minnesota. Purpose built as an antique mall in the late ‘80’s it is well designed with a good mix of merchandise with over 350 dealers. There were several items of interest and we purchased a repousse deco trinket box. The ladies on the counter were very friendly and told us about antique stores in Stillwater.

Chris at Antiques Minnesota, Inc.

Chris ready to do some hunting at Antiques Minnesota, Inc., just outside of Minneapolis.

Art Deco trinket box.

Metal Art Deco trinket box.

Following the advice from the staff at Antiques Minnesota, we drove to the Midtown Antique Mall in Stillwater. A large three-story building located in the heart of the city, it is well stocked and offers a plethora of merchandise at fair prices. We picked up two Fortune Magazines to add to Anthony’s growing collection and a lady’s travel case.

Stillwater, Minnesota and the Midtown Antique Mall.

The wonderful Midtown Antique Mall in Stillwater, Minnesota.

A traveling case.

A vintage traveling case.

In true Driving For Deco style an impromptu stop brought us to the Hixton Antique Mall, Hixton, Wisconsin. As it was late, the store was already closed but seemed to have promise. As there are four other malls close by, we decided to stay the night.

The next morning we arrived just as the mall opened. The layout is a bit odd as it is a converted school. There are some “hidden” rooms, nooks and crannies that begged to be explored. It is easy to get turned around here and we needed to do some back tracking to be sure we covered everything.  Many items at fair prices, Chris picked up a cute deco terrier statue, a Kensington casserole, and a deco-style polar bear statue. There were several other items we contemplated but ultimately passed on them. In all, a great find and well worth the stop.

Hixton Antique Mall.

Hixton Antique Mall. Hixton, Wisconsin

Deco terrier

Art Deco ceramic terrier picked up at the Hixton Antique Mall, Hixton, Wisconsin.

A few blocks away was Village Peddler. Not a lot of what we collect but we did pick up a couple of Harlequin saucers.

Still a few more blocks away and we arrived at Cobblestone Cottage. A strange mix of new decorator items in a well-appointed entrance and then a bare-bones warehouse style mall to the side. The only purchase was some delicious fudge to curb our appetite.

Down the road a bit and we arrived at Millers Antiques and Auction Company. It seemed geared more toward mid-century, and automotive collectibles.  We were tempted by an unusual etched glass accent lamp and a beautiful deco glass frame with a picture of Clark Gable but there were no bargains here. We left empty-handed.

Across the street was another store that just opened.  A former dinner club, they have wine tasting available for shoppers.  We don’t know if that is such a good mix. Please don’t drink and antique!

Back on the road we made it to original destination, Antique Mall of Tomah. A bright, clean, well laid out store with a variety of merchandise and fair prices. The staff was professional but unlike Antiques Minnesota, they lacked in a sense of humor. Anthony picked up a Eveready electric candle and Chris picked up a small lacquered deco box.

 

 

Another day down and long hours of driving, we were ready to pack it in for the night. Bright and early we were off again to visit an old friend.

Midland Arts & Antiques is a multi-level mall housed in an old factory and with little ventilation. Many of the dealers have thoughtfully provided fans to keep things comfortable. Prices are all over the place but we always manage to pick up a few things. This time, we walked away with two  Westinghouse leftover containers, a Kent sugar bowl and a colorful deco cardboard candy box.

Midland Antique Mall

Midland Art and Antique Mall in Indianapolis. Image from Google.

A not-so-easy drive across Indianapolis brought us to the Main Attraction Antique Mall. Medium sized with a friendly staff,  it is bright and attractively laid out with reasonably priced items. Unfortunately, there was nothing of interest for us and we walked away empty-handed.

Main Attraction Antique Mall

Main Attraction Antique Mall, Indianapolis, Indiana. Image from Facebook.

Another old friend, Exit 76 Antique Mall, was our next stop. This is a large mall and although we discussed many items we walked out with just a Harlequin saucer.  While checking out, the salesman asked where Chris was from. Ends up that the salesman once lived in the same area in New Jersey. It’s a small world.

Exit 76 Antique Mall

Exit 76 Antique Mall, Edinburgh, Indiana.

Next stop, Webbs, or rather, what was once Webbs. This store is under new management and now called Centerville Antique Mall. Large and on the rustic side, with lots of glassware and “smalls” at reasonable prices. Anthony purchased a couple of vintage Vanity Fair magazines and a deco painted humidor.

Off to Dayton, Ohio and the Antiques Village.  Our haul? Two bound volumes of 1948 Fortune Magazine (each with three magazines) for the price less than one would normally sell and a hard-to-find Kensington humidor. This is another large mall so be sure to have your walking shoes on. It was about this time our energy started to wane.

Antiques Village, Dayton.

Antiques Village in Dayton, Ohio. Image from Yelp.

Kensington Aluminum Humidor

Mid-1930s aluminum humidor designed by Lurelle Guild for Kensington. Image from 1st Dibs.

Our next adventure, the Ohio Valley Antique Mall just north of Cincinnati. This store has some of the best hours for shopping convenience, 9-9. We did well here taking home a 1937 Philco Bullet radio, Silex Lido coffeepot, one 1932 bound Fortune volume (six issue),  two 1940 bound Fortune volumes (three issues each) and two 1942 bound Fortune volume (three issues each).

Ohio Valley Antique Mall

Ohio Valley Antique Mall, just north of Cincinnati.

Though our plan was to hit The Heart of Ohio Antique Mall the next day, we decided to call it quits and head home. This was great trip filled with many memories of sightseeing and antiques as we went driving for deco.

Packing the car and heading home.

Calling it quits! Chris packing a very full car after being on the road for 12 days.

 

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)