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Exhibitions

Avenir Museum Galleries are updated with new exhibits each semester to ensure that our visitors always have something new to look forward to.

Spring 2026 Exhibitions

Avenir Museum Gallery

Thanks! It Has Pockets
September 18, 2025 – March 14, 2026 

The enduring echoes of “thanks, it has pockets” suggests this simple application of cloth is a source of agency, autonomy, and joy. Explore the history of pockets from function to fashion through forty-five objects dating from 1790 to the present.

View exhibition text. 

A detail image of a lace blouse with a hidden pocket.

The Richard Blackwell Gallery

The Fashion “Bug”: Insects In and On Our Cloth
Opens January 27, 2026! 

In collaboration with the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity.

From shimmering silk to the deep reds of cochineal dye, insects have always been involved in the act of making textiles, just as humans have been bitten by the fashion bug throughout history. Join us to explore insect impact and inspiration on what we wear.

An image of a Chinese cloud collar that features bands of ribbon on the exterior, and a heavily embroidered interior.

The Lucile E. Hawks Gallery

Anchors Aweigh: Sailors’ Dress and American Women’s Fashion, 1900-Present
Opens January 27, 2026! 

An exploration of the influence of naval heritage on fashion, tracing how maritime silhouettes, symbolism, and style have made their mark on mainstream fashion.

A detail image of a sailor collar on a woman's dress.
Location, Hours, and Maps

Community Textile Exhibition Call Colorado Community Threads: Reflections on Place and People

On view in Fall of 2026.

The Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University invites artists and community members to submit works for our upcoming exhibition celebrating “Colorado Community Threads: Reflections on Place and People”. This exhibition aims to showcase the diverse viewpoints of community members on the central theme through innovative, engaging, and thoughtfully crafted works that explore the potential of textiles to express stories, memories, and ideas of Colorado.

View the full call.

Other Galleries

Gustafson Gallery

The Gustafson Gallery is under the umbrella of the Avenir Museum and is located in the Gifford Building on CSU's main campus.