The Kent State University Museum has two new exhibits featured this year, one showcasing clothing worn by Katharine Hepburn and another the work of quilt artist Nancy Crow.
The Hepburn Style: Katharine and Her Designers, curated by professor and collections manager/museum registrar Joanne Fenn, features the costumes and everyday wear of Hepburn. With some items on display for the first time, this new glimpse into Hepburn’s style will be in the museum until May 25.
This is not the first time Hepburn’s work has been displayed since her personal collection was donated to the museum, but Fenn said she wanted this exhibit to bring a different perspective.
“Jean Druesedow, who was two directors ago, brought in the collection and did all the research on it,” Fenn said. “She did a fantastic exhibition on Hepburn, I don’t want to repeat what she’s done. So, I thought I’ll look at it through the lens of three different designers Hepburn worked with.”
Three designers Hepburn worked with throughout her career were Adrian, Irene and Valentina, whose works are seen in the exhibit. With the help of these designers, personal style fused with professional costume designs to create famous Hollywood looks.
Surrounded by all pink walls, Hepburn’s personal clothes and on-screen costumes are on display for museum-goers to take in. Throughout her time as an actress, Hepburn advocated for costumes she knew complimented her well.
The donation from the Hepburn Estate made this exhibit and past Hepburn exhibits possible, which senior exhibition designer and preparator Jim Williams said is important in learning more about the fashion industry.
“We like to use [Hepburn’s collection] because it’s interesting,” Williams said. “It shows off the Hollywood connection to fashion.”
Williams said the museum staff is focused on providing students an opportunity to experience fashion’s impact and cultural significance over time.
“We want students to come in and take advantage of it,” Williams said. “For the size of staff that we have, it’s an excellent museum, as teams go. We all enjoy it.”
Above the Hepburn exhibit on the second floor of the museum, quilt artist Nancy Crow’s works are on display until Dec. 15.
After featuring one of Crow’s quilts in an Ohio quilt exhibition, Fenn stayed in touch with Crow, visiting her studio and keeping up with her work on sustainability.
The next time Fenn had an opportunity to place a new exhibit, she knew she needed to approach Crow.
Having made over 300 quilts, Crow’s works in the exhibit offer a glimpse into her craft and explore how her experiences are reflected in it.
Focusing on calling attention to nature and sustainability, Crow creates designs that reflect this. The exhibition is separated into four different components of Crow’s work: roofs, railroads, roads and housing developments.
One side of the exhibit highlights Crow’s monoprint designs, standing out from other featured quilts. This process differs from those of the other displayed works.
“It’s like a printing process, but she does it on fabric,” Fenn said. “She gets this dye, and she works the dye in until she sees what she likes.”
After this process, Crow goes in with batting and quilting lines, enhancing the quilt’s texture. Fenn said this attention to detail is what makes her work so unique.
“I mean, she’s an amazing artist,” Fenn said. “I just really love what she does.”
While general admission to the Kent State University Museum is $5, anyone with a current KSU ID has free admission on Sundays. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Kayla Gleason is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
