Avenir Museum of Design & Merchandising
- The Avenir Museum, formerly the Historic Costume & Textiles Collection, is dedicated to exploring the aesthetic, social, cultural and physical significance of textiles, dress and interior furnishings.
- The collections are comprised of over 12,000 catalogued 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.
- Because chairs clearly reflect changing times, the Museum has recently begun a collection of historical chairs with an initial grouping of 20, mostly from the 19th and 20th century, including a Victorian lady’s boudoir chair.
- Now located in the University Center for the Arts, the Avenir Museum includes a gallery with an established schedule of exhibits. Workshops and lectures will be held in conjunction with each exhibit.
- Administrative offices of the Avenir Museum are located in the UCA Annex with temperature/humidity controlled storage, a reading/seminar room, dedicated classroom, conservation lab, and curatorial offices.
- The Avenir Foundation recently donated $1.25 million for the continued preservation of the collections. Located in Lakewood, Colorado, the Foundation derives its name from the French word for future and primarily supports educational, arts and cultural activities.
- Square Footage: 1,200.
Museum Hours: Monday – Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
FREE and Open to the Public
Current Exhibition: Mr. Blackwell: A Retrospective. Click here for more information.
