Kruizenga Art Museum

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. 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. == Lead donation ==

The Kruizenga Art Museum is named in recognition of a leadership gift from Richard and Margaret Feldmann Kruizenga. Richard who studied at Hope, went on to a long career with Exxon, Inc., retiring as Vice President of Corporate Planning. Richard served on the Hope College Board of Trustees and on the Investment Committee. Margaret also studied at Hope, she taught at college level and was known for her love of the arts and theater. Margaret and Richard were early and enthusiastic supporters of the Hope Summer Repertory Theatre. Margaret died in April 2013. Richard and Margaret’s support for the museum reflects their longtime love for art, sparked at Hope College, and developed during their travels and throughout their lives together. Margaret Kruizenga, asked for a building that would be "unusual" among the red-brick buildings on campus during the early design process. == Conception ==

Architectural design The Kruizenga Art Museum building is the creation of Hope alumnus Matthew Vander Borgh '84, and president of C Concept Design in the Netherlands. Donald Battjes '68, former Chief of Operations and Facility Planning at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, provided additional input on the building’s design and operational features. At the opening gala, he stated that the interior gives "a raw, natural look" in order for the aesthetically pleasing practicality of displaying artwork to be fulfilled. The building comprises approximately 15,000 square feet of total space. The major public spaces of the museum include two art exhibition galleries, a reception lobby and classroom. In accordance with the wishes of the lead donors, the building was designed to stand out from other buildings on the Hope campus. The distinctive "double lung" shape was partly inspired by the shape of a traditional artist’s palette and is also homage to the Guggenheim Museum in New York, one of the first Modernist museum buildings. The interior of the building features polished concrete floors, segmented walls and open ceilings that complement its modernist exterior and provide a visually dynamic environment for displaying art. == References ==