Birmingham Museum of Art to shine spotlight on Disney costumes in major exhibit
Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume opens Feb. 17 and runs through Aug. 18. (Birmingham Museum of Art)
It was just over a century ago that Walt Disney and his brother Roy formed the company that would grow into the global moviemaking and entertainment blockbuster that still bears their name.
Now the Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA), in a major exhibit, is paying tribute to the clothes and costumes that have played such a monumental role in the creative world of the Walt Disney Company.
“Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume” opens Feb. 17 and runs through Aug. 18. The exhibit is presented by PNC Bank in partnership with the Walt Disney Archives.
“BMA is proud to work with Disney on our first major exhibition in nearly a decade, which will offer Birmingham a rare firsthand look at famous costumes that are a crucial part of Disney’s incomparable storytelling,” said Graham C. Boettcher, the R. Hugh Daniel director of the Birmingham Museum of Art. “We are grateful to our presenting sponsor PNC for making this once-in-a-lifetime show possible for our community.”
BMA is only the third venue to host the extraordinary exhibition, following its debut in Anaheim, California at the 2019 D23 Expo, the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Since then, the exhibit has been on display at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle and the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.
In all, the exhibit presents 70 costumes spanning nearly half a century, highlighting the innovative ways some of Disney’s most iconic characters are brought to life through the artistry and imagination of their costumes.
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors will see an awe-inspiring collection of original works of art, including Captain Jack Sparrow’s pirate garb, Cruella De Vil’s fashionable frock, Cinderella’s glass slipper and the Sanderson Sisters’ wicked wardrobe.
Beyond their obvious beauty is the craftsmanship visitors will discover behind the exquisite ball gowns, majestic capes, intricate uniforms and dazzling tiaras that represent Disney filmmaking at its finest. The collection also offers a captivating glimpse into the creative process that goes into the costumes that are so important to bringing Disney characters to life.
Visitors also will learn about the renowned designers from Hollywood, past and present, who created the costumes, including Academy Award winners Colleen Atwood, Sandy Powell and Tony Walton, Emmy winner Ellen Mirojnick, and Emmy nominees Eduardo Castro and Penny Rose.
The main exhibition gallery is organized into three Disney archetypes: heroes, villains, and the “spaces between” – dedicated to the complex and intriguing antiheroes of Disney storytelling. Alongside the displays, interactive elements allow visitors to fully engage with the enchanting world of Disney costuming.
Within the exhibition, visitors can immerse themselves in the magical “Cinderella’s Workshop” gallery, where they will view a variety of dresses worn by the beloved fairy-tale character in different Disney adaptations. They range from 1997’s Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella to 2014’s Into the Woods, the 2015 live-action reimagining of the animated classic, to the popular ABC television series Once Upon a Time (2011–2018). Throughout the gallery, the evolution of Cinderella’s costume is unpacked in all its splendor.
Exhibit attendees will also marvel at Belle’s ball gown from 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as enchanting costumes for Giselle, Prince Edward and Queen Narissa from Enchanted (2007). Also on display are the striking dresses of the stepsisters from 2015’s Cinderella, and Letha’s unforgettable dress in 1978’s Return from Witch Mountain. Costumes of the Evil Queen and Hook from Once Upon a Time and Mary Poppins’ dress from 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns are also part of the exhibit.
For a glimpse at the upcoming exhibit, click here to view the image gallery. The Alabama Power Foundation is among the exhibit’s supporters.
Tickets for the Disney exhibit are available now. The price is $30 for adults, $25 for veterans and seniors (age 65 and older), and $20 for children ages 4 to 17. Children under 4 are free. For more information, visit the museum’s website. BMA is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the finest collections in the Southeast. More than 27,000 objects displayed and housed within the museum represent a rich panorama of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian and Native American. Highlights include the Museum’s collection of Asian art, Vietnamese ceramics, the Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the late 13th century to the 1750s, plus the museum’s world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.
Learn more about the Birmingham Museum of Art at artsbma.org.
