Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Over the past decade since The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s blockbuster, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, there has been a tremendous rise in both large- and small-scale exhibitions focused on fashion around the globe. While this exhibitionary phenomenon opens opportunities to broaden audiences beyond elite fashion house runways and to raise questions about ethical and environmental practices in the fashion world past and present, there are many considerations during the curation and interpretation process. After reviewing current theory and research examining fashion exhibitions in art museums, we will present findings from an analysis of exhibitions from 2016-2019 in an effort to understand themes and goals through critical and feminist pedagogical lenses. Overarching exhibition themes include aesthetics and identities, fashion’s influence on art and artists, art and art history’s influence on fashion, fashion as art, global influences on high fashion and mass-produced fashion, and sustainable practices. In trying to understand what this means for future exhibition and interpretation practices in art museums of all sizes, we propose a framework for positioning interpretation goals during the curation process that lead to empowering visitors to critically reflect on how fashion represents intersections of identity, place, power, and sustainability that move beyond appreciation to action.

Presenters

Ann Rowson Love
Associate Professor, Museum Education and Visitor-Centered Curation, and Liaison to The Ringling, Department of Art Education, Florida State University, United States

Tyler Law