Past Exhibitions

Alumni Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator The history of children's clothing reflects the attitude of adults toward childhood, as, until very recently, children had no voice in the matter. Prior to the late 18th century, children were dressed as miniature adults, in garments which limited their physical freedom and imposed societal restrictions on their behavior. From birth, infants were tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes, which immobilized their limbs.

Higbee Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator The Kent State University Museum is pleased to present a unique combination of historic costumes and paper doll art. This exhibition explores fashion from the 18th and 19th centuries through authentic garments of the time period and the paper doll artistry of Norma Lu Meehan.

Alumni Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator The 1970s was a period of self-expression, experimentation and soul-searching. From humble working class denims to high style disco garments, fashions mirrored the changing attitudes that contributed to the emergence of a plethora of new provocative and powerful styles.

Broadbent, Palmer, and Mull Galleries | Anne Bissonnette, Curator Enter Isabel and Ruben Toledo's world and find two highly talented individuals working in synergy. Muse to her husband's sculpture, painting and illustration, Isabel Toledo conceives of shapes and structures to clothe the human body. Complementarily, Ruben Toledo's surreal view of life brings humor and unconventionality to her industrial world.

Stager Gallery | Jean L. Druesedow, Director Flora & Fashion: Gardens Become Us! features a range of fashions influenced by botannicals and florals including 18th century costume, 19th and 20th century ballgowns, garden party dresses, floral hats, textiles, accessories, and elegant examples of couture from Dior, Balenciaga, Norell, and Chanel, among others.

Alumni Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator Where will you be for the party of the millennium? The event that ushers in more than a change in the calendar but a new era: the inauguration of the first woman president of the United States. Few things are certain but some are inevitable.

Stager Gallery | Dr, Catherine Amidon, Exhibition Curator (University of Nebraska, Lincoln) Different Voices: New Art from Poland is based on the works of twenty women artists whose activity is related to the fiber arts lineage. The exhibition and catalogue highlight the strength of their production, outline underlying themes, explore techniques and challenge the extent to which their participation in this lineage questions their relationship to 'contemporary art.'

Broadbent Gallery | Anne Bissonnette, Curator Revolutionaries of design Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo have fused east and west to establish an aesthetic that goes beyond national identity. Their innovative approaches to fashion have baffled and transformed us for the past three decades. Beneath a surface of metamorphosing modern forms, the intellectual core of their work is solidly informed by the traditional principles of Japanese design.

Mull Gallery | Jean L. Druesedow, Director Introduced on the air in Cleveland, Ohio at WEWS on January 13, 1949, as the "First Lady of Physical Fitness," Paige Palmer starred in her own television program for 25 years and kept women in Northeastern Ohio tuned in as she told them how to stay young looking, thin and glamorous. Decades ahead of her time, Paige Palmer was the first in the nation to bring a regular exercise regimen to her viewers complete with patented exercise equipment and apparel bearing her name.