b. 1904 d. 1981
Site Affiliation: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Vance Kirkland (1904–1981) was among the most important Colorado of the 20th century. In addition to his 55-year career as an innovative and successful painter, he was a remarkable educator and collector, advocating for modern art. Kirkland came to Denver in January, 1929, as the Founding Director of the School of Art at the University of Denver (DU) at Chappell House. He left DU in 1932 to establish the Kirkland School of Art (1932–1946) in what became his studio & art school building, now part of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. After Kirkland returned to DU in 1946, he retained the building as his painting studio until his death in 1981. Kirkland is remarkable for his proficiency as a watercolor surrealist and as an abstract painter in oil. He developed unique resist techniques and is best known for his vibrant dot paintings.
Primary Medium: Painting (watercolor, oil)
Primary Stylistic Term: Modernism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Abstraction, Dots
HAHS Affiliations: Vance Kirkland collected Russel Wright‘s American Modern ceramics, though he did not know the Wrights. Kirkland Museum displays designs by Eero and Eliel Saarinen and by Russel and Mary Wright.
Fun Fact: Vance Kirkland invented a resist technique of oil paint suspended in water, which he mixed up and then poured out onto a flat canvas. Later he used this technique as the underlayer for his compelling cosmic dot paintings.
Recommended Publications: Kirkland Museum: A Visual Journey; Vance Kirkland Retrospective (Russian Catalog); Stemmle Museum Vance Kirkland Catalog