Mid-Atlantic Region (Region II)

Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,
Washington D.C.

The Region II Events Calendar lists exhibitions of costume, and costume-related exhibitions, the dates and places of the National and Regional Symposia, lectures, and workshops. Where available, a telephone number has been included. Please use these numbers to obtain additional information. Dates of exhibitions may change. Where available, dates for the exhibitions are included. If no beginning date is given, the exhibition is already open.

CSA-sponsored programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region: Mid-Atlantic Region "Events, Workshops and Symposia" page.

Allentown Art Museum
31 North Fifth Street
610-432-4333
http://www.allentownartmuseum.org

"In Stitches: Quilts from the Allentown Art Museum Collection"
Kress Gallery
Through September 5, 2010

This summer the museum will feature the 34 quilt treasures from the museum's textile collection that were enthusiastically received by the public in a major quilt exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, earlier this year. These quilts represent nearly two centuries of the rich design tradition that is found in American quilts. They carry within their stitches the stories of ordinary women who, without any special training, used their needlework skills to turn functional bedcovers into beautiful and intricate works of decorative art that warmed and protected family members at night and gave color and charm to homes by day.

"In Stitches" includes graceful examples of quilts used only for show, such as elegant white on white bedcovers in a style favored in the early 19th century Neo-classical period, appliqué quilts and a variety of highly embellished Crazy quilts to functional, yet decorative, daily pieces. This latter type includes a special group of six quilts made in rural Pennsylvania farming communities that represent traditional Pennsylvania German aesthetics in both color and style. The exhibition also includes several delightful redwork examples (a term derived from the red cotton thread used to create the charming embroidery on these works) and two unusual early 19th-century embroidered blankets

American Folk Art Museum
45 W. 53rd St.
New York, NY
212-265-1040
http://www.folkartmuseum.org

"9/11 National Tribute Quilt"
Ongoing

On continuous view at the Lincoln Square branch, 2 Lincoln Square (Columbus Avenue at 66th Street). For more information, please call 212. 595. 9533 or visit:
http://www.folkartmuseum.org/default.asp?id=1809

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"Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands"
Through September 10, 2010

Female artistic expression in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries followed prescribed time-honored conventions. Most of the graceful works presented in this exhibition, all of which are in the museum's collection, were created within the strictures of postrevolutionary Republican Motherhood and the Cult of Domesticity. The majority were made during years spent in the cultivation of skills that prepared a young woman to shoulder the many roles required of her in adulthood as a wife and a mother. Others demonstrate that women continued to nourish their creative selves by plying those skills throughout their lives. Yet these paintings, drawings, samplers, quilts, rugs, and other works were artful from conception to execution, were displayed in parlors and best rooms, and conferred status and taste upon both heads of household: male and female.

American Museum of Natural History
New York, NY
212-769-5100
http://www.amnh.org/

"Spider Silk Woven Textile"
Ongoing

A spectacular and extremely rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk thread produced by more than one million spiders in Madagascar, goes on display Wednesday, September 23 in the Museum's Grand Gallery. This magnificent contemporary textile, measuring 11 feet by 4 feet, took four years to make using a painstaking technique developed more than 100 years ago.

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"Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World"
Through August 15, 2010

This intriguing exhibition brings to life one of the greatest trading routes in human history, showcasing the goods, cultures, and technologies from four representative cities: Xi'an, China's Tang Dynasty capital; Turfan, a verdant oasis and trading outpost; Samarkand, home of prosperous merchants who thrived on the caravan trade; and Baghdad, a fertile hub of commerce and scholarship that became the intellectual center of the era.

Baltimore Museum of Art
Baltimore, MD
410-396-6300
http://www.artbma.org/

"Textiles Recycled/Reimagined"
Through September 5, 2010

This intimate exhibition presents a dozen unique objects made either wholly or in part from reused and/or repurposed materials. Examples include a Japanese Buddhist priest's robe composed of expensive fabrics donated by wealthy acolytes, a quilt made of scraps of ordinary commercial fabrics sewn by an African-American woman, and handcrafted mats from the Grenfell missions of Labrador made of silk or rayon jersey from worn out stockings and undergarments. Also featured is a contemporary American quilted wall hanging made from vintage handkerchiefs, and a silk fabric made with feathers from restaurant-harvested fowls.

Brooklyn Museum of Art
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238
http://www.brooklynart.org/

"American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection"
Through August 1, 2010

To mark the new relationship between the Brooklyn Museum and the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum presents an exhibition of some of the most renowned objects from its costume collection. American High Style consists of approximately eighty-five dressed mannequins and a selection of hats, shoes, sketches, and other fashion-related material that will reintroduce the collection, long in storage, to the public. The exhibition is organized in groups representing the most important strengths of the collection. Works by the first generation of American women designers such as Bonnie Cashin, Elizabeth Hawes, and Claire McCardell are featured, as well as material created by Charles James, Norman Norell, Gilbert Adrian, and other important American designers. Also included are works by French designers who had an important influence on American women and fashion, such as Charles Frederick Worth, Elsa Schiaparelli, Jeanne Lanvin, Jean Paquin, Madeleine Vionnet, and Christian Dior. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will celebrate the arrival of the Brooklyn Museum costume collection at the Met with a related exhibition.

The Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, NY
212-535-7710
http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/ department.asp?dep=8&mark=2#a

"American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity"
Through August 15, 2010

American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity, is the first Costume Institute exhibition drawn exclusively from the newly established Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Met. It will explore developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940, and how they have affected the way American women are seen today. Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition will reveal how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation. "Gibson Girls," "Bohemians," and "Screen Sirens" among others, helped lay the foundation for today's American woman.

Drexel University
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Leonard S. Pearlstein Gallery
33rd& Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-895-2390
http://www.drexel.edu/westphal/

Visit the Drexel Digital Museum Project Historic Costume Collection: http://digimuse.cis.drexel.edu/home.html

The Fabric Workshop and Museum
1315 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-568 1111
Fax 568 8211
http://www.fabricworkshopandmuseum.org

The Fenimore Art Museum
Cooperstown, NY
1-888-547-1450
http://www.fenimoreartmuseum.org

"Empire Waists, Bustles & Lace: A Century of New York Fashion"
Through December 31, 2010

The 19th century saw significant changes in how Americans defined themselves through fashion, and how that fashion was derived. Global events, a civil war, the mechanization of the garment industry, and the subsequent creation of manufactured clothing all had impact and influence on clothing styles. Citizens of New York State, even in what were once considered frontier areas, were active participants in the politically informed. ever-changing world of fashion.

Improvements to transportation, such as the opening of the canal system and development of railroads, expanded access to a variety of fabrics and patterns across New York State. Periodicals such as Godey's Lady's Book permitted citizens of rural central New York to keep current with the fashions of Paris, London, and New York City.

The American dream of upward mobility was facilitated by the growth of the clothing industry. Through mechanization and the creation of ready to wear clothing, along with the increased popularity of the sewing machine, working and middle class citizens were able to mimic the dress of their upper class neighbors. This democratization of fashion inspired the fashionable elite to seek unique ways to differentiate themselves from the masses.

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"Food For Thought - Empire Waists, Bustles & Lace: A Century of New York Fashion"
August 18, 2010, 12:00pm-2:00pm

New Yorkers all across the state actively participated in the ever-changing world of fashion in the 19th century. Chris Rossi, Associate Curator of Exhibitions, will lead a tour of some of the wonderful clothing in this exhibit of New York Fashion.

Fee: $15 members/$20 non-members.

The Hermitage
335 North Franklin Turnpike
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423
http://www.thehermitage.org

"Closet Archaeology"
Through September 26, 2010

The exhibit features the contemporary textile art of Diane Savona, who uses deconstructed historical garments and found objects to reconstruct new forms that are incorporated into visual collages. "By incorporating clothing, tools, and personal possessions into my artwork, I seek to connect my work to the people in the wider community, both past and present," says Savona, who is guest curator for the exhibit. "The Hermitage Collection presents a unique opportunity to piece together elements of past eras and contemporary art."

The James A. Michener Art Museum
138 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
215 340 9800
http://www.michenermuseum.org/

"Icons of Costume: Hollywood's Golden Era and Beyond"
Through September 25, 2010

Icons of Costume: Hollywood's Golden Era and Beyond features the fashions and accessories worn by luminous film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Warren Beatty, Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Kelly, Loretta Young, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others. More than 50 costumes and objects present the still-influential designs of celebrated fashion designers, from the 1940s through the 1990s, including Edith Head, Adrian, Walter Plunkett, Orry-Kelly, Bob Mackie and others of legendary renown. Drawn, in part, from numerous films that were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume, six of them took the Oscar home. Also included are rare publicity stills, lobby cards, jewelry, and film props, as well as an exciting interactive component that lets visitors experience the sights and sounds of the movie studio as well as be a star in their own film scene. Rounding out the exhibition is an hour-long video of 35 memorable clips from films with a distinct Bucks County connection, such as Casablanca, Lassie Come Home, On the Waterfront, West Side Story, The Buddy Holly Story, and A Star is Born.

According to the exhibition's curator, Erika Jaeger-Smith, "These costumes are remarkable survivals, and their impact on today's fashions is immediately recognizable. The unique aspect of this exhibition is its concentration on the early years in Hollywood."

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"Michele Berkowitz: Contemporary Costumes" Through August 8, 2010

"Fashion magazines create an image to which people feel they must conform but perhaps cannot," designer Michelle Berkowitz says. "Who would not rather be beautifully unique?"

Philadelphia native Michelle Annette Berkowitz studied at Drexel University and Moore College of Art and Design, followed by years of researching historical garments in the collections of museums such as the National Gallery of Art. Using antique fabrics and trim as well as period sewing techniques when appropriate, her gowns sometimes have modular components, like crinolines, underskirts, jackets and wraps that can be interchanged to create multiple and unique costumes. Berkowitz's design explorations also include millinery, beaded jewelry and sterling silver, and she has created a collection of original designs and restored antique apparel. Especially well-known in the region for evening gowns, her costume designs have appeared in various publications including Philadelphia Magazine and The New York Times. Her influences include the father of haute couture, Charles Frederick Worth; noted Philadelphia milliner, Alzie Jackson, whose hats were exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1993; and the renowned designer Judith Leiber.

Organized by the Michener Art Museum's associate curator of exhibitions, Erika Jaeger-Smith, this exhibit of select contemporary costumes presents a counterpart to the concurrent exhibition Icons of Costume.

Morris Museum
6 Normandy Heights Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: 973.971.3700
http://www.morrismuseum.org/exhibitions/upcoming.html

"Icons of Costume: Hollywood's Golden Era"
October 3 - December 5, 2010

Film lovers and 'fashionistas' will delight in seeing this exhibition, featuring fashions and accessories worn by luminous film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, Warren Beatty, Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Kelly, Loretta Young, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others.

More than 50 costumes and objects present the still-influential designs of celebrated fashion designers, from the 1940s through the 1990s, including Edith Head, Adrian, Walter Plunkett, Orry-Kelly, Bob Mackie and others of legendary renown. The exhibition highlights several films that were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume, of which five took home the Oscar. Also included are rare publicity stills, lobby cards, jewelry, and film props.

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
27th at 7th Ave NYC
New York, NY.
212 217 7642
http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

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"Eco-Fashion: Going Green" Through November 13, 2010

Eco-fashion is one of the most compelling topics in fashion today. Although the roots of eco-consciousness are often linked to the environmentalist movement and hippie styles of the 1960s, fashion's environmental and ethical accountability prior to the mid-twentieth century is rarely considered. Eco-Fashion: Going Green explores fashion's complex and multi-faceted relationship with the environment, discussing both bad and good ecological practices of the past 250 years.

Presented chronologically and featuring more than 100 garments, accessories, and textiles, the exhibition uses contemporary methods for "going green" as a framework to study the past. Each object on display touches upon one or more of six major themes, including: the re-purposing and recycling of materials, material origins, textile dyeing and production, quality of craftsmanship, labor practices, and the treatment of animals.

The re-purposing of textiles is often considered the most responsible mode of eco-fashion. In the nineteenth century, dresses were sometimes reworked to correspond to changing silhouettes-a testament to the lasting value of textiles. Today, numerous designers engage in methods of "upcycling," creating fashionable, new garments from worn materials.

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"Japan Fashion Now"
September 17 2010 through January 8, 2011

Japan Fashion Now will be the first exhibition to explore how Japanese fashion has evolved in recent years. Japanese fashion today embraces not only the cerebral, avant-garde looks associated with the first wave of Japanese design in the 1980s, but also a range of subcultural and youth-oriented styles, such as the Elegant Gothic Lolita style and the Cosplay phenomenon. In addition, Japanese fashion often has a strong component of realism and an obsessive interest in perfecting classic styles.Contemporary Japanese fashion is globally significant precisely because it mixes elements of realism, such as high-tech fabrics or creating a perfect pair of jeans, with both the avant-garde and pop cultural elements, especially those associated with electronic media, such as manga (animated cartoons) and video games.

National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
202-357-2700
http://americanhistory.si.edu

"First Ladies at the Smithsonian"
Ongoing

Showcasing premier objects from the nearly century-old First Ladies Collection, this exhibition is divided into three main sections: the evolution of the First Ladies Collection, the tradition of the inaugural gown, and a first lady's contribution to the presidency and American society. On display are 14 dresses including those worn by Laura Bush, Grace Coolidge, Jackie Kennedy, and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Helen Taft. The exhibition also features portraits, White House china, personal possessions and related objects from the Smithsonian's unique collection of first ladies' materials.

New Jersey State Museum
205 West State Street
Trenton, NJ
609 292-646
http://www.newarkmuseum.org

"In Someone Else's Shoes: A Collection of Native American Footwear from the State Museum"
Through August 1, 2010

In this exhibit you will take a walk in someone else's shoes at the New Jersey State Museum. Moccasins had their own style and shape to fit with the natural environment they were used in. Learn about the connection between Native Americans and their clothing and the changes in style and materials. In this exhibit, which showcases a portion of our moccasin collection, you will hear stories about some the people directly tied to these shoes.

"Threaded Adornment: Four Centuries of English Embroidery"
July 10, 2010 - Spring 2011

Embroidery has been used to embellish costumes and textiles for more than 3,000 years. Some of the finest embroideries were produced in England from 900 to 1500. Opulent examples known as opus anglicanum (Latin for "English work") were made for ecclesiastical and secular use. Esteemed for their finely executed stitches and luxurious materials, they are considered the pinnacle of European embroidery and were sought after by Europe's religious leaders and royalty.
After opus anglicanum, England continued to produce superb embroideries, often used as subtle displays of wealth and status. By the sixteenth century, embroidery was considered essential to a well-to-do girl's education; not only did it help refine needlework skills, but, as evidenced by the embroidered letters, phrases, and verses found on samplers, it also taught literacy. Affluent ladies enjoyed embroidering in their free time, and the activity, as well as the large number of works they produced, affirmed their leisured existence. The successful completion of embroideries demonstrated that a young woman was "accomplished" and properly prepared for her domestic and social duties.

English embroideries also reflected contemporary social and aesthetic developments. Religious reformation is reflected in sixteenth-century domestic objects and textiles that feature adaptations of religious designs, and seen in the subdued ecclesiastical embroideries of the nineteenth century. Similarly, the influence of Eastern culture on Western design is apparent in embroidered household textiles from the eighteenth century, while the motifs found on some nineteenth-century embroideries highlight the triumph of industrialization.

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"Roberto Capucci: Art into Fashion"
March 19, 2011 through June 5, 2011

Italian fashion designer and artist Roberto Capucci (born 1930) is revered by contemporary designers for his innovative silhouettes and masterful use of form, color, and materials. This exhibition-featuring some ninety works, fascinating archival material and film clips, and images of Capucci's designs captured by leading fashion photographers-will be the first retrospective of his work in the United States.

Shippensburg University Fashion Archives
Shippensburg, PA.
717-477-1239
http://webspace.ship.edu/fasharch/

"Nineteenth Century Costume Treasures of the Fashion Archives
Through December 8, 2010

The exhibit will illustrate the evolution of fashion from 1800 to 1900 and the dramatic changes in silhouette that evolved from decade to decade. The collection features a number of important pieces, most of which have not been previously displayed. The director, Dr. Karin J. Bohleke, gives some tantalizing examples: "Visitors to the gallery will enjoy the wide variety of garments on display: the collection houses what may be the only surviving cotton work dress of the American Federal period and an extremely rare man's sky blue jean cloth frock coat from the 1830s. Its cotton lining has bright teal-blue polka dots. We have a pristine silk-satin dress from 1815-1820 from Mercersburg, PA, and a wonderful warp-printed 1850s transformation bodice that could be either a day dress or an evening or dinner party dress. The skirt, which was partially disassembled, will be restored to its original appearance. The Fashion Archives also owns the only early 1860s dress I have personally handled that has no shoulder seam." She further adds, "Anyone with an appreciation for the fashions of the nineteenth century will enjoy the beauty of the entire exhibit; anyone with a particular affection for a certain time period will be find that style represented. From Empire waistlines to leg-o'mutton sleeves of the 1890s, it will all be on display." A full-color exhibit catalog complete with detail photos, full-length views and technical notes regarding garment construction will be available for purchase as of the exhibit opening.

The Textile Museum
Washington, DC
202-667-0441
http://www.textilemuseum.org

"Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain"
Through September 12, 2010

The art of textile design changed radically after World War II as Britain was transformed from a country devastated by war into an optimistic consumer society. Three women designers were pivotal in this artistic revolution: Lucienne Day (1917- 2010), Jacqueline Groag (1903-1985) and Marian Mahler (1911-1983). Incorporating dramatic saturated colors and bold motifs inspired by artists like Alexander Calder and Joan Miró, these young designers transformed the market by inspiring elegant yet affordable product lines that brought the world of contemporary art into everyone's homes.

Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain showcases the work of these groundbreaking women designers, highlighting the work of Lucienne Day, through the display of textiles together with preliminary drawings and collages, ceramics and period furniture, all drawn from the Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown, III Collection of British Textiles.

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"Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles" February 4 - July 10, 2011

Throughout the world, textiles historically held such high intrinsic value that threadbare fabrics were seldom completely discarded. This exhibition will highlight the ways people in various cultures ingeniously have repurposed worn but precious fabrics to create beautiful new textile forms. Examples include a rare sutra cover made from a 15th-century Chinese rank badge, a vest fashioned from a Pacific Northwest coast Chilkat blanket, and a large patchwork hanging from Central Asia stitched together from small scraps of silk ikat and other fabrics. Also featured are a pictorial kantha from India embroidered with threads recycled from old saris, a coat from 19th-century Japan painstakenly woven from rags, and other recycled textiles.

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"Textile Storage and Mounting" workshop
July 29 and 30, 2010

Anyone from the seasoned collector to the fiber artist needs to know how to properly store and mount their treasures. Attend this special two-day workshop led by Esther Méthé, The TM's chief conservator, and Anne Ennes, conservator of collections, and learn the techniques and standards used by the experts. Fee (includes materials): $150/members; $170/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register.

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"Digital Textile Design and Printing" workshop
August 7 and 8, 2010

This introductory workshop is led by Hitoshi Ujiie, associate professor at the Philadelphia University School of Engineering and Textiles. The course is focused on designing and developing printed textile patterns, including file preparation and color techniques. Participants will learn how to create continuous and repeated surface designs, explore the basic digital inkjet printing process and walk away with their own printed samples. Fee: $150/members; $170/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register. Fee includes fabrics and textile printer use, drawing pads and pens. Course requirements: Adobe Photoshop (CS4 preferred), laptop, digital image files and external hard drive or memory stick. For questions about requirements, call Hitoshi Ujiie at (215) 951-2682.

The Ukrainian Museum
203 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-228-0110
http://www.brama.com/ukrainian_museum/exhibit.html

"Ukrainian Wedding Textiles and Traditions"
Opens Fall 2010

Winterthur Museum and Garden
Winterthur, DE 19735
302-888-4923
http://www.winterthur.org/