Past Exhibitions

The Kent State University Museum is honored to host the first museum exhibition in the United States dedicated to the work of the brand Sukeina founded by Omar Salam. While his family’s origins go back to Senegal in West Africa, Salam lived around Europe before coming to New York City to study at Parsons School of Design for a degree in fashion. He originally planned to study film but realized that he would be more effective telling the intricate, vibrant stories he sought to tell through fashion.

When you think about today’s technological advances, knitting may not be the first activity that comes to mind. However, this ancient craft is at the forefront of exciting research and innovation across many industries including automotive, medical, architecture, interior design and, of course, fashion. The KSU School of Fashion’s KnitLAB is also part of these advances by training the next generation of researchers in what will become a new industry.

The Kent State University Museum is proud to announce a special exhibition of over 100 photographs entitled, “Posing Beauty in African American Culture.” The images spanning the 20th and 21st centuries explore the ways in which African and African American beauty has been represented in historical and contemporary contexts through a diverse range of media including photography, video, fashion and advertising.

Clothes are an expression of who we are. This exhibition tells the personal story of James Mulholland through a selection from his wardrobe. It is a reflection on how clothes are incorporated into a life. Influences on his style range from film references, favorite designers' collections, a love of fine craftmanship and playful reinterpretation of classic menswear. The items on display span decades and showcase the evolution of how he dressed.

Visitors will enjoy three exhibitions that highlight outstanding objects from the

The exhibition The Print Club of Cleveland: Selected Presentation Prints includes 15 works in a variety of media by an impressive coterie of international artists, cultivated by a visionary organization. Founded in 1919 through the dedication of 16 collectors with a passion for prints, the Print Club of Cleveland reflects the prestige of the institution of which it is an affiliate, the Cleveland Museum of Art. Innovative in its inception, the club continues to enrich the museum’s world-class print collection and promote interest in the history of printmaking.

Featuring Jules Acree '12 Deanna First '12 Keama Garrett '15 Joshua Hupper '04 Miyako Nakamura '05 Anne Skoch '17 Made possible with the generous support of Dr. Linda L. McDonald and the Ohio Arts Council.  

Award winning artist and beloved professor, Janice Lessman-Moss is renowned for her intricate weavings. The Kent State University Museum exhibition, Dancing with the Distance showcases more than thirty of her works. The weavings, which span a period of twenty years, display the evolution of her craft and were created on a variety of different looms from hand looms to digital jacquards and power looms. Her mastery of technology extends not just to the use of high-powered looms for weaving but also to the design of the patterns.

TEXTURES  synthesizes research in history, fashion, art, and visual culture to reassess the “hair story” of peoples of African descent. Long a fraught topic for African Americans and others in the diaspora, Black hair is here addressed by artists, barbers, and activists in both its historical perceptions and its ramifications for self and society today.