Kent, OH – Following its temporary closure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the ºÚÁÏÍø Museum (KSU Museum) is now open and will operate under new safety protocols and feature an adjusted schedule of exhibitions.
Under the new safety protocols, visitors to the KSU Museum are required to reserve a ticket, with a specific entry time, online in advance of their visit online at /museum/hours-visitor-information or by phone at 330-672-3450. Visitors will be required to follow ºÚÁÏÍø’s safety regulations which require the wearing of a face covering and appropriate physical distancing.
The KSU Museum will feature:
- New additions to the Fashion Timeline, an exhibit that spans the 1760s to the 2000s.
- The new exhibition Fortuna: Designs by Vincent Quevedo, on view through March 7, 2021. The exhibition features recent quilt portraits, theatrical costumes and Ready-to-Wear garments by Quevedo, a faculty member in the ºÚÁÏÍø School of Fashion.
- The continuing exhibition, Wearing Justice: Perspectives from the Fashion School Faculty and Students, features innovative responses to today’s social justice issues and will be on view through November 15, 2020.
- The continuing exhibition, Culture/CounterCulture: Fashions of the 1960s and ‘70s will be on view through Jan. 3, 2021.
Due to the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the KSU Museum has rescheduled its much-anticipated TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair exhibition until 2021. Curated by ºÚÁÏÍø faculty members Dr. Tameka N. Ellington and Dr. Joseph L. Underwood, TEXTURES will now open on Sept. 10, 2021 and remain on display through Aug. 14, 2022.
This timely exhibition brings together the artwork of contemporary artists and historic artifacts, including advertising and hair products, to focus on African American and African Diaspora peoples throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Centered in the disciplines of art history, fashion, and social sciences, the 200 objects are organized around the themes of Community and Memory, Hair Politics, and Black Joy. Among the 50 contemporary artists in the exhibition are April Bey, Sonya Clark, Andrew Esiebo, Zanele Muholi, Devan Shimoyama, Mary Sibande, Lorna Simpson, Ibrahima Thiam, Glenford Nunez, James Van Der Zee and Kehinde Wiley. Artifacts and products are borrowed from the Fowler Museum at UCLA, the archives of Madame CJ Walker at the Indiana Historical Society, and the private collection of Dr. Willie Morrow, inventor, barber and historian.
TEXTURES is made possible in part by a $35,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the generosity of sponsors Proctor and Gamble, Bank of America, and L’Oreal Paris.
The accompanying 200-page catalogue is being published by Hirmer Verlag and will be available this fall. A virtual launch party will be planned for early October.
ºÚÁÏÍø the ºÚÁÏÍø Museum
The ºÚÁÏÍø Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of East Main Street and South Lincoln Street in Kent, Ohio. It features more than 28,000 pieces in its collection, amassed from many generous donors.
This Fall, the museum is open to the public on Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for children ages 5 to 17. The museum is free for children age 5 and under and for those with a ºÚÁÏÍø ID. Sunday admission is free for all ages. Parking is free for all museum attendees. Patrons should use the allotted museum spaces in the Rockwell Hall parking lot. For more information, please call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.
Guidelines for Visiting the ºÚÁÏÍø Museum
To slow transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) and consistent with recommendations from state health authorities to limit large gatherings and practice physical distancing, all visitors to the ºÚÁÏÍø Museum will be required to adhere to ºÚÁÏÍø’s Flashes Safe Seven Principles which include the wearing of a face covering and the observation of physical distancing. Visitors must purchase a ticket with a specific entry time in advance of visiting the KSU Museum. Tickets can be purchased online at /museum/hours-visitor-information or by phone at 330-672-3450. Payment is by credit card only. No cash will be accepted. No coat or bag check will be available. The ºÚÁÏÍø Museum Store is open with limited capacity of visitors at one time.
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Media Contacts:
Brittani Peterson, bpeter12@kent.edu, 330-672-2714
Joni Koneval, jkoneval@kent.edu, 330-672-0116
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595