Teaching Collection Avenir Museum Origins
The Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising has its origins in the early 1950s as a small faculty teaching resource in the former Department of Home Economics.
The museum has undergone significant changes over the years. In 2016, the existing 8,000 square feet were completely renovated, and 10,000 square feet were added. The project was made possible by a lead gift from the Avenir Foundation and significant funding from other benefactors.
The museum now contains three galleries, a classroom and seminar space, a library, a conservation laboratory, and expanded collection storage and management areas.
Learn more about us and the people behind the Avenir Museum!
People of the Avenir
About the Collection
The collections are comprised of some 20,000 artifacts including 19th and 20th-century garments and accessories, flat textiles, and non-Western dress with special interests in Central Asia, India, China, and Japan. Special collections include designer dresses from Calvin Klein, Arnold Scaasi, James Galanos, Carolina Herrera, and Mr. Blackwell, self-proclaimed arbiter of fashion and author of the annual Worst-Dressed List. Located in the University Center for the Arts complex, the Avenir Museum public spaces presently includes three galleries with an established schedule of exhibits. Lectures are held in conjunction with each exhibit. Significantly expanded exhibition galleries and collections care areas, in a state-of-the-art, LEED-certified building adjacent to the UCA opened in 2016.
