/ Kruizenga Art Museum

Collections

Bring the world to 鶹Ƶ: a teaching collection to engage curiosity and develop global perspectives.

As a teaching museum, the Kruizenga Art Museum focuses on building a collection of works of art that offer potential for instruction and learning in a variety of academic disciplines. Many of the artworks in the museum collection reflect diverse ways of thinking about and living in the world. Some works in the collection are by well-known artists, but the collection is not, nor is it intended to be, a collection of art historical masterpieces.

  • A gallery room with several framed artworks hanging on a white wall. The artworks include various styles and mediums, and there is a descriptive text panel on the far left. The floor is polished concrete, reflecting the artworks and the room's lighting.Artworks on display in the fall 2020 exhibition "Black Lives Matter, Black Culture Matters"
  • A museum display featuring various works of art, including a colorful textile garment on the right and several small sculptures and artifacts in glass cases on pedestals to the left. The room has white walls and a polished concrete floor.Artworks on display in the spring 2020 exhibition "Resilience, Resistence and Revival"
  • A white-walled gallery room in the Kruizenga Art Museum at 鶹Ƶ, featuring various framed artworks on the walls. In the center of the room, there is a pedestal with a glass case displaying a circular sculpture.Artworks on display in the fall 2019 exhibition "Deities and Devotion"
  • A life-sized camel sculpture adorned with colorful, intricate textiles stands in an art museum gallery. The walls behind it are decorated with various woven textiles showcasing different patterns and designs.Artworks on display in the spring 2019 exhibition "Once Were Nomads"
  • An art gallery with four colorful paintings on the wall and a wooden architectural model displayed in a glass case in the center. The paintings depict vibrant scenes with multiple figures and intricate details.Artworks on display in the fall 2018 exhibition "Living Tradition"
  • A modern art gallery interior at the Kruizenga Art Museum, featuring various framed artworks on white walls. A red couch is positioned towards the back left, with a variety of artworks displayed, including prints and photographs. The space is well-lit with overhead lighting.Artworks on display in the spring 2018 exhibition "Culture, Commerce and Criticism"
  • A gallery space at the Kruizenga Art Museum featuring various artworks on the walls, including paintings and framed pieces. The walls are white, and the floor is polished concrete. A large abstract painting is prominently displayed on a freestanding wall, and a red seating area is visible in the background. The space is well-lit with overhead lighting highlighting the artworks.Artworks on display in the fall 2016 exhibition "After the Rupture"

The KAM’s founding collection included approximately 1,000 works of art that were donated to, or purchased by, 鶹Ƶ between 1965 and 2015. Thanks to the generosity of our patrons, the collection continues to grow and today includes over 8,000 works of art. The collection spans a broad geographical range from North America and Europe to Asia and Africa. Most of the artworks date from 1600 to the present and include examples of many different genres, media, subjects and styles.  To learn more about the museum’s major collecting areas, see the table below.

Africa

The KAM’s African collection ranges from traditional craft and ceremonial objects to contemporary artworks by internationally recognized artists such as Lamidi Fakeye, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ablade Glover, Marcia Kure, Zerihun Yetmgeta, Qes Adamu Tesfaw and William Kentridge. The African collection is especially strong in 20th- and 21st-century artworks from Ethiopia and Nigeria, and is currently building its holdings of South African art as well.

Asia

More than one third of the KAM’s collection is comprised of art from Asia. The museum’s Asian holdings are particularly strong in Japanese art and Mongolian Buddhist art from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Asian collection also includes significant collections of textiles from Baluchistan, Mithila folk paintings from India and contemporary Chinese art.

Europe

The KAM’s European art holdings are anchored by a print collection that includes a broad range of works from Old Masters like Albrecht Durer and Rembrandt van Rijn to modern artists like Kathe Kollwitz and Francoise Gilot. Within the European print collection there is an important sub-collection of mezzotints representing a wide range of artists, dates and subjects. Apart from prints, the museum’s European collection also includes paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and religious objects from a variety of countries and historical periods.

North America

The KAM’s North American collection consists primarily of 20th and 21st-century artworks from the United States, Mexico and Canada. The U.S. collection includes artworks representing a wide range of genres and art historical movements. In recent years, the museum has focused especially on collecting works by female and non-white artists. The core of the museum’s Mexican collection features paintings, prints and sculptures created between the 1960s and 1980s by artists of the so-called “Rupture Generation.” The museum’s Canadian holdings consist mainly of prints dating from the 1980s and 90s by more than a dozen different artists.