Past Exhibitions

Blum and Stager Galleries | Dr. Shirley Teresa Wajda, Guest Curator The Kokoon Arts Club of Cleveland, Ohio, was founded in 1911 by a small group of commercial artists employed at the Otis Lithograph Company. Meeting first at night in a vacant tailor's shop, the Club's founding members pledged themselves to explore the "New Art." This they did, with gusto and paint.

Alumni Gallery | Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Curator In 2010, Michael Kors' label will enter its thirtieth year in the fashion industry. Worthy of praise for longevity alone, his namesake company, established when he was only 22, now comprises clothing for women and men, accessories, fragrances and beauty products and is firmly established in America, Europe and Asia.

Higbee Gallery | Noël Palomo-Lovinski, Guest Curator Public confession has become increasingly popular in our society as an outlet for individuals to expunge guilt, share personal tragedy, or express secret desires. Confessional outlets range from nationally televised talk shows and confessional websites, to personal communications and intimate journal writing.

Tarter/Miller Gallery | Dr. James Measell, Guest Curator The glass collection of Jabe Tarter and Paul Miller holds wonderful evidence of the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the glass makers of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This exhibition, curated by James Measell, historian at the Fenton Art Glass Company, focuses on pieces from the second quarter of the twentieth century, a period known as "between the wars," a period spanning both luxurious excess and deep depression.

Broadbent Gallery | Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Curator In 1770, Charles-Germain de Saint-Aubin published L'Art du Brodeur, a treatise on embroidery, where he defined the practice as "the art of adding the representation of such motifs as one chooses—flat or in relief, in gold, silver, or color—to the surface of a finished piece of cloth." Far from being reserved for women, embroidery was the trade of his grandfather who left the farm to settle in Paris where his son was eventually bestowed with the title of Embroiderer to the King.

Blum Gallery | Jean L. Druesedow, Director The Kent State University Museum is fortunate to have in its collection exceptional examples of the formal sashes, the obi, worn with traditional Japanese kimono on special occasions. Of the many ways to tie these sashes, two are demonstrated in this exhibition: the otaiko, or drum, and the fukura-suzume, or swallow. It is the fukura-suzume that is worn with the furisode, the swinging sleeve kimono worn by young unmarried women.

Palmer and Mull Galleries | Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Curator  

Alumni Gallery | Elizabeth St-George, Guest Curator Early eighteenth century silk design is marked by the evolution of textile motifs towards greater naturalism. While floral ornamentation had consistently appeared in Medieval and Renaissance silk decoration, these forms were heavily stylized. Semi-naturalistic flowers begin to appear about 1700, after which a tendency towards more naturalistic forms accelerated until the middle of the century.

Stager Gallery | Jean L. Druesedow, Director James Galanos always made ready-to-wear, but he made it to the standard of the haute couture, the highest quality of dressmaking. In the history of the American fashion industry, no one has matched the accomplishments of his 46 year career.