Skip to main
Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising

Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising The Richard Blackwell Gallery Past Exhibitions

Explore the Richard Blackwell Gallery past exhibits with their images and lasting impact.

Spring 2023 Nostalgia Mode: Fashion and Sentimentality in the 1970s

Commemorations of the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 spurred a widespread interest in history, which translated into the romanticized and idealized interpretations of American history pervasive in popular culture of the period. This exhibition explored this wave of nostalgia as it appeared in fashionable dress to shine a light on a lesser-known feature of fashion in the 1970s.

Classic upcycling, Bicentennial spirit and new threads comprise Spring 2023 Avenir Museum exhibits
Close up of two mannequins wearing red, white, and blue dresses

Fall 2022 In the Public Trust

Memories sewn into garments: Avenir’s fall exhibits honor history, research, innovation

Spring 2022 Girl Powder

‘Girl Powder,’ Scaasi’s glamour, New Threads make up Avenir’s Spring 2022 exhibits
Girl Powder, a Richard Blackwell Gallery past exhibit

Fall 2021 Where is Every Body? Mannequins and Mounts

Avenir Museum reopens with exhibits on African wax prints, mannequins
Where is Every Body Exhibit
Where is Every Body Exhibit, a Richard Blackwell gallery past exhibit
Where is Every Body Exhibit

Spring 2020 Proud to Wear: CSU 150

Avenir launches CSU apparel exhibitions to commemorate sesquicentennial
Proud to Wear CSU, 4 dress forms in CSU gear with a wall of historic CSU tshirts behind them on display in the Richard Blackwell Gallery
Proud to Wear CSU, a Richard Blackwell Gallery past exhibit
Proud to Wear CSU

Fall 2018 - Spring 2019 Dior’s ‘New Look’ in the Everyday American Closet

Avenir Museum Fall 2018 - Spring 2019 exhibits preview
Dior Exhibit
Dior Exhibit, a Richard Blackwell Gallery past exhibit
Dior Exhibit of 3 flowing dresses on mannequins in the Richard Blackwell Gallery

Spring-Summer 2018 ORANGE: a short history of orange in fashion

Seeing orange: Avenir exhibition explores the color’s fashion history
Orange Exhibit
Orange Exhibit, a Richard Blackwell Gallery past exhibit
Orange Exhibit

Summer-Fall 2017 The Allure of the Moroccan Caftan

Moroccan caftans the focus of new Avenir Museum exhibit
Moroccan Caftans Exhibit
Moroccan Caftans Exhibit a Richard Blackwell Gallery past exhibit
Moroccan Caftans Exhibit

More Past Exhibits

Spring 2017

Garden Party

Fall 2016

Evolution of a Colorado Clothing Designer

Spring 2016

Mr. Blackwell: ‘artist of subtle witchery’