Decker Library hosts exhibitions that typically rotate on a monthly basis. Decker staff curate exhibitions of items in our special collections and archives as well as items available for circulation.

MICA students, staff, and faculty can submit a proposal to curate library displays and exhibits. Use this form to submit a proposal. Questions? Contact Access Services at circ@mica.edu.

CURRENT EXHIBITION

Tracing the Threads: Lineages of Fashion, Innovation, and Appropriation
Curated by Abel Reyes and Tannaz Motevalli

No design is neutral. Objects are imbued with the societal contexts of their creators, and it is critical to understand a creator’s perspective when looking at their work. It is also irresponsible to disconnect the creator’s own identities that contributed to the making of a work in relation to the greater world of art and design production. Doing so can erase histories, original intentions, or the way objects are perceived by society.

This exhibition presents a conversation between contemporary fashion designers and the specific material culture and history they reference in their work, whether intentional or not. The dialogue is dictated by how their respective identities and wider societal factors interact, creating moments of reverence and respect, opportunities to redefine a status quo, or instances of cultural appropriation.