Kruizenga Art Museum
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MAX Site of the Kruizenga Art Museum, mid-construction | |
| Established | September 1, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Location | 271 Columbia Avenue, Holland, Michigan |
| Director | Charles Mason |
| Public transit access | MAX |
| Website | www |
The Kruizenga Art Museum (KAM) is a 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) college art museum located in Holland, Michigan. Situated within the heart of the Hope College campus; the museum was designed to serve as an educational resource for both the campus community and the other colleges and schools in the area. The museum features two galleries, and a classroom for viewing select pieces not on display in the exhibits. The collection housed in the museum consists of more than 1,000 objects representing a variety of traditions but with a particular emphasis on Asian art.[1] The KAM is the first facility in the college's 150-year history built to display its permanent collection of art.[2] Discussed by Papyrus Magazine, Architect Magazine, Architizer, MLive, and more, the museum has gained recognition for its unique interplay between creative visions and practicality.
The museum’s collection includes approximately 1,000 works of art that have been donated to or purchased by Hope College. Approximately half of the artworks in the collection come from Europe and the Americas, while the other half come from Asia and Africa.[1] Most of the works in the collection date from 1600 to the present and span a broad range of genres and media, from paintings, sculptures and prints to decorative arts and religious objects.[2] Moreover, this blend of diverse artwork reflects Hope's student profile; the first graduating class of Hope College had 6 students, two of whom were Japanese.[3]
While the college has been receiving donations of art, nearly 30 percent of the collection, which includes works by 19th century Dutch artist Hendrik Willem Mesdag and by 20th century Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, are newly acquired pieces. This rapid growth stemmed from a donation by David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton.[2] Donated to the college in the fall of 2013, the gift includes over 500 pieces of art and an extensive 7,000 art-related book collection. With about 80 percent of the art objects in the Kamanksy-Wheaton gift coming from Asia, spanning centuries and representing multiple cultures.[4]