Past Exhibitions

Higbee Gallery | Anne Bissonnette & Dr. Debbie Henderson, Curators Elegance rarely comes without effort. Throughout the centuries, a great deal of time, energy and resources has been devoted to this quest. Mastered by those with financial means, fashion was once the privilege of the few. For some it was also an obligation: noblemen were required to appear at court and in battle in elaborate finery. To fight was their birthright; to shine, their prerogative.

Palmer and Mull Galleries | Noël Palomo-Lovinski, Guest Curator The artistry of Adrian is displayed in the clean lines, dexterity with fabric and his consummate expression of imagination and humor that exists in every piece of clothing, costume, or creation. Adrian effortlessly combined garment construction skills, an understanding of the feminine image, and a graphic conception of the body to provide allure in wearable clothing. He shaped young Hollywood actresses into movie stars, transforming perceived figure faults into alluring assets.

Broadbent Gallery | Dr. Shirley Teresa Wajda and Dr. Terrence L. Uber, Guest Curators What makes a house a home? For nearly two centuries, American critics and reformers have wrestled with that question. Although Americans at the beginning of the nineteenth century lived in a variety of dwellings, by the eve of the Civil War architects, social reformers and fiction writers were using their pens to forge an ideal of the suburban, single-family dwelling as the right way of living.

Stager Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator This exhibition examines the variety of garments that were appropriate to wear in different surroundings and times of day in the nineteenth century by women who followed fashion and lived a life of leisure. The nineteenth-century witnessed the propagation of periodicals aimed at a wide array of individuals and social classes on both the European and American continents.

East Gallery | Dr. John Milton Lundquist, Guest Curator In Tibet theories about religion, its spiritual power and tenacious hold on the human imagination become reality. Tibet is a repository of some of the most ancient beliefs and rituals. It houses temples such as the magnificent Jokhang in Lhasa, the ethereal national cathedral of Tibetan religion, where one can immerse oneself in an atmosphere that evokes the great temples of antiquity.

Higbee Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator To celebrate The Kent State University Museum's fifteenth anniversary, we have elected to pay homage to an American original who has contributed in making our museum the one-of-a-kind institution it is. Who better to help us rejoice in style than Arnold Scaasi? With his passion for fashion, he has left his indelible, exuberant and glamorous mark on many American celebrations, from private family weddings to public presidential inaugural balls.

Palmer Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator Charles Kleibacker is one of the few American designers to have made a name for himself creating intricate garments in the couture tradition. Instead of mass-produced ready-to-wear, he created a limited number of extremely well-crafted garments that accented body shape and enhanced wearing comfort. Unsatisfied with industrial construction methods, he specialized in hand-sewn assembly techniques that enabled him to produce remarkable designs, many with highly complex bias-cut construction.

Stager Gallery This exhibition features the wearable art works of 55 innovative Korean artists who attempt to show fashion in a new light, not only in its functional and practical aspects but also as an imaginative and contemporary art form. This exciting exhibition is on display in the U.S. at only 3 venues: Parsons School of Design in New York, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and the Kent State University Museum.

Mull Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator Born in lush oases scattered in a barren desert landscape, Central Asia's spectacular ikat fabrics reverberate with beauty, energy and life. Intricate motifs in hazy patterns glow with scintillating colors. Their textile artistry is created through a process of dyeing and weaving called abrdandi or "banded cloud." These chromatic experiments echo the ultimate mirage in arid Central Asia, the reflection of clouds on water.