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A collaboration between Kent State University’s School of Fashion, School of Theatre and Dance and Focus Features will bring the final Downton Abbey movie to Kent for an early screening and period fashion show.The movie, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” will have a preview showing on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Kent Plaza Cinema, a week before it opens in theaters nationwide.
The Kent State University Museum presents its fall exhibition, “A Meeting of Cultures: Fashioning North Africa,” from Sept. 5, 2025, through May 10, 2026. Displayed in the museum’s Broadbent Gallery, the exhibition features works by 25 contemporary North African designers and artists.
Named in honor of regional architect Thomas Schroth, whose global perspective framed creativity as a “window onto human experience,” the series has featured acclaimed guests including Tony Award winner Stephen Schwartz, the Grammy-winning Emerson String Quartet, minimalist icon Richard Tuttle, and fashion visionaries Ruben and Isabel Toledo.
Over the decades, Kent State’s Porthouse Theatre on the grounds of Blossom Music Center has produced more than 3,000 performances, entertaining nearly 400,000 patrons.
Acclaimed New York fashion designer Christian Siriano told Kent State University School of Fashion students to practice their craft with dedication, accept criticism and learn from it, but to remember that they will never please everyone.