Donna Gallery Exhibitions

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Donna Gallery Exhibitions

The Donna Gallery is located inside the Danielson Conservation Laboratory in 0017 Morrill Hall. Visitors can visit the Donna gallery from the Peterson Gallery on the lower level Morrill Hall 003 hallway. The gallery objects are mounted inside the conservation laboratory and are visible through four large windows. The gallery features a modular text railing in hallway 003 consisting of weighted bases and posts and easily changeable graphics panels. The gallery features student and faculty curated exhibitions utilizing objects from the permanent collection and also loaned or newly acquired objects depending upon the exhibition topic. Students and faculty have the opportunity to plan, curate, and install all of the exhibitions. If you have an idea, you can pitch your exhibition here!

The cost is free.

Exhibition Currently on View

Luis Estévez: Fashion, Elegance, and Exoticization

Opening April 2022

This retrospective exhibition analyzes Luis Estévez, a bi-sexual Cuban American fashion designer, and his career, spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s. There is heightened attention to use of exoticizing and othering language surrounding Estévez in the media, his candidness, and overall lack of representation in fashion history.

Curated by Joshua Simon, MS student in Apparel Merchandising and Design and the Agatha Huepenbecker Burnet endowed graduate teaching and research assistant at the ISU Textiles and Clothing Museum

Past Exhibition

Denim: Dress and the Evolution of American Identities

January 2022 to April 2022

Since denim’s inception in the late 17th century, the fabric has continued to be an integral part of American dress and identity. Denim has evolved from blue-collar workwear to being donned by cowboys, hippies, rockers, and now almost everyone has a favorite pair of jeans. Today, denim can even be seen in high fashion. Denim has been used for political activism, exemplified by the counterculture movement within the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, young protestors wore denim during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to appear relatable to youth. During the 1980s and 1990s, denim helped Black hip-hop artists feel included in American identity. Many artists did this by donning high end brands such as Fila, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and more whose signature colors allude to the American flag. Denim’s sociocultural meanings and design have continued to evolve in the 21st century. Denim remains popular and symbolic of America, representing core historical moments. In our exhibition, we feature ensembles from the latter part of the 20th century that highlight the ways high-end fashion designers such as Gucci and Halston incorporated denim into their lines. We paired objects together that reflect the ways denim is worn by so many different people in various ways.

Curated by Brindy Arredondo, undergraduate student in Apparel, Merchandising and Design and Angeline Gaylah, undergraduate student in Apparel, Merchandising and Design. Brindy and Angie are curatorial and collections manager student assistants in the ISU Textiles and Clothing Museum.