Those who kicked their heels with joy after catching The Frick Pittsburgh summer exhibition, “Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe”, had lots of soul. The exhibit, the first in a series of fashion-focused exhibitions planned by The Frick, was a kick-ass success: More than 24,000 people walked and/or leaped their way through the show’s 12-week run. Killer Heels was such a killer that it attracted more visitors than any other exhibition presented by the Frick in the past decade.
The Frick leveraged the popularity of the exhibition to benefit women in need by partnering with the Pittsburgh chapter of Dress for Success, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. No heels were seen: More than 150 pairs of gently worn women’s shoes were donated by Frick visitors during a shoe drive held at The Frick Art Museum on August 13. The donated shoes will allow women to enter an interview, job training program or a new job with confidence.
The Frick is currently preparing for the next installment in its series of fashion exhibitions. “Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear”, a traveling exhibition organized by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, will dress up the Frick from October 21, 2017 through January 14, 2018. The Frick is the exclusive North American venue for this show, which takes a serious look at an alluring subject- the fascinating world of underwear design from the 18th century to the present day. Undressed illustrates how undergarments reflect society’s changing ideas about the body, morality and sex, and the intimate relationship between underwear and fashion and its role in molding the body to an always changing fashionable ideal.
Coos Frick Director Robin Nicholson: “Regarding the popularity of fashion-related museum programming, the Frick is pleased to have found its niche in the Pittsburgh museum community as a presenter of world-class fashion-focused exhibitions. Fashion’s dramatic rise in popularity and influence in recent years is undeniable-and the resounding success of our presentation of Killer Heels is encouraging evidence that regional audiences have a taste for this subject matter. We look forward to continuing our efforts to appeal to contemporary interests while educating audiences about the Frick’s own collection, which includes a significant body of fashionable textiles and accessories.”
Underwear promises to be quite the draw(er). In the spring of 2016, the museum was awarded a $1 million grant by the Richard King Mellon Foundation to support the presentation of a series of fashion-focused exhibitions over a three-year period. No word if BVDs were part of the deal.
Learn more about the Frick Pittsburgh by visiting TheFrickPittsburgh.org.