HOLLYWOOD COSTUMES, HIP-HOP JEWELRY AND FABERGÉ EGGS ARE JUST A FEW OF THE STARS OF THIS SEASON’S MOST NOTEWORTHY DISPLAYS
By Rhonda Reinhart
Across the country – and across the pond – this summer’s museum exhibitions offer something for everyone. There’s fashion and fine silver, antique tapestries and contemporary weavings. There are also pop culture artifacts of almost every variety, from music to movies to baseball. Even better, these wide-ranging displays can be found from coast to coast and many points in between. So there might be one in your own backyard. But if not, consider this roundup a list of 10 good reasons to book some summer travel.
Costume worn by Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont in the Paramount Pictures production of ‘Rear Window,’ 1954. Designed by Edith Head. Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design: Larry McQueen.
Edith Head personality still. Courtesy of The Paramount Pictures Archive.
Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
For more than 50 years, costume designer Edith Head worked behind the scenes on some of Hollywood’s most memorable motion pictures, creating costumes for stars such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Kim Novak. This month, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art turns the spotlight on the award-winning designer, devoting its entire third floor to costumes, sketches and screening areas showcasing Head’s life and work. With more than 400 films – and eight Academy Awards – to her credit, Head helped define the style of classic Hollywood. This exhibition presents more than 70 costumes from the height of her career, including designs for Rear Window, Funny Face and The Ten Commandments. June 22-September 29; okcmoa.com.
Tea Set, Tiffany & Co. (1837–present), 1866–67. Silver, silver gilt, ivory. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of the Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1973 (1973-94-9a-c).
Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
In the late 19th century, the talented silversmith and designer Edward C. Moore helped lead Tiffany & Co. to creative and commercial success. He was also a prolific collector. Over the decades, Moore built an extensive assemblage of decorative arts, including Greek and Roman glass, Japanese textiles, Spanish vases and Islamic metalwork, all of which served as inspiration for him and the artisans who worked under him. This exhibition brings together more than 180 pieces from Moore’s personal collection. It also features 70 Tiffany & Co. silver objects created under his direction, including elaborate tea sets, trays, pitchers, candlesticks and even custom-decorated Smith & Wesson revolvers. June 9-October 20; metmuseum.org.
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Slick Rick, Crown and Eye Patch, Alvaro Keding/© AMNH
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Tyler, the Creator, Bellhop Necklace, Alvaro Keding/© AMNH
Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry
American Museum of Natural History, New York City
New York City’s celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary continues with a flashy display dedicated to statement-making jewels that have adorned the necks, wrists and fingers of some of the genre’s most notable names. Slick Rick’s gem-encrusted crown and eye patch, Jam Master Jay’s 14k gold Adidas pendant, Bad Bunny’s glittering grill set and Nicki Minaj’s iconic Barbie pendant (complete with 54.47 carats of diamonds) are just a few of the highlights of this summer’s sparkliest exhibition. Each piece of custom-made bling is as bold and bright as the superstar who first slipped it on. As might be expected, a hip-hop playlist runs throughout the exhibit. Listen for Jay-Z, Tupac, Erykah Badu, Public Enemy and more. Through January 5, 2025; amnh.org.
Kelch Rocaille Egg and Folding Heart Picture Frame Surprise. Courtesy Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Everyday Fabergé: A Celebration of Masterful Craftsmanship and Innovation
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Goldsmith to the Russian Imperial Court, legendary artist and jeweler Carl Fabergé was known for his artistry, innovation and unparalleled ability to transform even the most mundane objects into works of art. Today, art lovers still marvel at his creations, and collectors still clamor for all things Fabergé. Although the artist’s exceptional Imperial works garnered the most attention, his everyday items brought luxury to countless desks, vanities and tabletops the world over. In Everyday Fabergé, the Houston Museum of Natural Science presents a collection of Fabergé’s most awe-inspiring accessories, from enamel and gold clocks to cigarette cases, photo frames and binoculars. Other highlights include a dazzling aquamarine-studded tiara and a 1902 rocaille egg with a heart-shaped picture frame inside. The egg was a gift from Russian nobleman Alexander Kelch to his wife, Barbara Kelch-Bazanova. Permanent exhibit; hmns.org.
Batman costume worn by George Clooney in ‘Batman & Robin,’ 1997. Courtesy Museum of Pop Culture.
Massive: The Power of Pop Culture
Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle
“Pop culture shapes how we see the world, driving the ways we express and define ourselves and forging new communities through the power of shared enthusiasm. So why don’t more institutions take it seriously?” That’s the question posed by Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture. Their answer? A vibrant new exhibition exploring pop culture’s impact on our daily lives and a serious celebration of our favorite music, movies and more. In the museum’s 2,400-square-foot exhibition hall, you’ll find Dorothy Gale’s dress from The Wizard of Oz sharing space with George Clooney’s Batman suit from Batman & Robin and a Darth Vader costume from The Empire Strikes Back. There’s also a bevy of Barbies and a K-pop-inspired interactive display. Long-term exhibit; mopop.org.
‘A Weaving,’ 2012, James Bassler. Christa C. Mayer Thurman Textile Endowment. © James Bassler.
Threaded Visions: Contemporary Weavings from the Collection
Art Institute of Chicago
Making fabric by interlacing threads using a loom might be an ancient practice, but the art form still thrives today, as evidenced by the contemporary weavings in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Threaded Visions exhibition. The works on view, created from 1983 through today, were woven by 13 artists from five countries. Some of the weavers have had decades-long careers, including Olga de Amaral of Colombia, American James Bassler and Japanese designer Junichi Arai, while others have come to prominence just recently. One of the newest artists represented in the exhibition is 28-year-old Qualeasha Wood, whose social media-inspired Clout Chasin’ is the most of-the-moment weaving in the bunch. But, as the museum notes, despite the featured artists’ diversity, there’s a common thread throughout their work: “appreciation for the limitless possibilities of weaving to communicate ideas about human experience.” Through August 26; artic.edu.
Photo by Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The Souls of the Game: The Voices of Black Baseball
National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York
The title of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s latest exhibition pays tribute to W.E.B. Du Bois’ classic 1903 book The Souls of Black Folk. But it’s the exhibit’s subtitle, The Voices of Black Baseball, that gets to the heart of the exhibit. In addition to photographs, important documents and historically significant artifacts – such as Hank Aaron’s 1953 Sally League ring, Buck Leonard’s circa 1946 Homestead Grays jersey and the helmet Tony “Mr. Padre” Gwynn wore during the 1995 season when he won his sixth batting title – the exhibition features first-person accounts from the men and women whose Black baseball experiences helped shape them and their communities. Permanent exhibit; baseballhall.org.
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Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for the Victoria & Albert Museum
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
The V&A has been on a roll with fashion-centric exhibitions, most recently paying homage to French couturière Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Now the museum is honoring supermodel Naomi Campbell with an exhibition teeming with haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles from Campbell’s own closet, as well as loans from designer archives and fashion photography by the likes of Campbell Addy, Nick Knight and Steven Meisel. Approximately 100 looks and accessories from the model’s 40-year career will be on view, including a pink Valentino number she donned for the 2019 Met Gala, a 1989 car-inspired corset by Thierry Mugler and the leopard-print Alaïa bodysuit Herb Ritts famously captured for Interview magazine in 1991. The exhibition even includes the oh-so-tall Vivienne Westwood platforms Campbell was wearing when she took her legendary catwalk tumble in 1993. June 22-April 6, 2025; vam.ac.uk.
Willem and Jan Dermoyen, after Bernard van Orley, ‘The Invasion of the French Camp and the Flight of the Ladies and Servants,’ c. 1528–31. Wool, silk, gold and silver thread. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples.
Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
Like other monumental tapestries of the time, the seven massive compositions featured in the Kimbell Art Museum’s Art and War in the Renaissance have a story to tell. In this case, the tapestries commemorate Holy Roman Emperor Charles V’s decisive 1525 victory over French King Francis I during the 16th-century Italian Wars. The elaborate images, designed by court artist Bernard van Orley and woven in Brussels by Willem and Jan Dermoyen, feature military leaders, horsemen and armed foot soldiers doing battle against backdrops of beautiful landscapes. With the tapestries’ exquisite detail and vast scale – each measures approximately 27 feet by 14 feet – viewers can’t help but become immersed in the combat scenes playing out before them. June 16-September 15; kimbellart.org.
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Photo by Josh White, JWPictures/©Academy Museum Foundation
Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the largest museum in America dedicated to the art of filmmaking. So it’s only fitting that the institution’s first permanent exhibition focus on Hollywood’s earliest days. Opened on May 19, Hollywoodland tells the origin tale of cinema in early 1900s Los Angeles. Through vintage photographs and multimedia displays, the immersive exhibition traces the evolution of the movie studio system and explores how an industry built primarily by Jewish immigrants transformed L.A. into the international capital of moviemaking. Museumgoers can also view a Ben Mankiewicz-narrated documentary highlighting the personal narratives of Hollywood’s predominantly Jewish founders. Permanent exhibit; academymuseum.org.
RHONDA REINHART is editor of Intelligent Collector.