The Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art in Denver, CO is now hosting a virtual art exhibit where visitors can view pieces and installations from the comfort of their own home.
This virtual exhibition is called “Creating in Place.” It began this summer and features local artists such as T.S. Bergur, a ceramics artist, and Catherine Carilli, an abstract painter. The museum even features the famous American painter, Joseph Hutchinson, whose collections are displayed in countries such as Germany and Italy.
Before opening the exhibit, the Kirkland Museum reached out to the artists whose pieces would be put on display. They asked creators how they were working through shelter-in-place orders in the spring. Their responses describe how local artists use crafty techniques to create art while at home. In one of these responses, a man uses materials found in his house to make a three-stringed instrument.
On Kirkland Museum’s website, visitors can access a 360-degree tour of the museum, which includes the art on display. Using an interactive street map—not unlike Google Earth—one “walks” through the museum by clicking the arrows and “looks” at paintings using the “zoom” button.
It is not necessary to begin at the front desk as one usually would in-person. Viewers can begin at the exhibition of their choice and hop to different rooms in no particular order. If the viewer wants a slower viewing of the museum, they can press “play” and watch as the camera slowly pans over the art in the room.
The exhibitions include a sculpture gallery, a watercolor room, a modern and postmodern gallery and countless other attractions. There is even a “video room” where a television displaying the image of a cityscape is mounted on a brick wall. The television is surrounded by modern paintings and posters. Two mannequins sport dresses inspired by art pieces, such as Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans.” All the rooms are laid out in a “salon-style,” in which both paintings and decorative art are displayed in the same room. This is a style used in many other well-known museums, such as the Boston Gardner Museum.
The mixture of colorful paintings, fantastic ceramic art and bright furniture decorating the walls and the ornate tables make for a wonderful and fun viewing.
This new style of exhibition where viewers are able to walk through the museum from the comfort of their living room sofa is a creative way for artists to display their work. Being able to sit, eat and drink while viewing fine and modern art produces a laid-back experience, but it does not diminish the impact of the art on visitors.
