March 22 - August 4, 2024
Christian Siriano: People Are People
People Are People honors famed American designer Christian Siriano’s electrifying contributions to fashion. Drawn from his extensive archive, the exhibition features bold creations from Siriano’s decade-plus career that celebrate self-expression for every body at every age. Since launching his fashion house in New York in 2008, Siriano has become beloved for statement-making looks, combining beautiful craftsmanship with a unique point of view that has endeared him to the fashion industry, celebrities, and the public alike. From glamorous gowns to gender-defying showstoppers, Siriano’s creations have been the focus of unforgettable Fashion Weeks and red-carpet moments, and worn by the world’s biggest stars, top models, pop icons, legendary divas, LGBTQIA2+ heroes, first ladies, and more. Garments worn by Michelle Obama, Janelle Monae, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Billy Porter, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and many others will be featured.
Christian Siriano: People Are People is organized by the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.
The exhibition is complemented by the interactive gallery, Atelier to Runway, where visitors can explore fashion design from sketching to draping and strut their own creations or ready-to-wear looks on the runway.
Sponsored by
All exhibitions at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art are underwritten by the MBMA Exhibition Fund.
Major annual support is provided by Maggie and Milton Lovell, with generous annual funding from Anonymous, Gloria and Kenneth Boyland, Holly and Paul T. Combs, Deborah and Bob Craddock,Michael and Maria Douglass, Eleanor and William Halliday, Debi and Galen Havner, Buzzy Hussey and Hal Brunt, Jay and Kristen Keegan, Dr. James Patterson, Dr. Rushton Patterson, Carl and Valerie Person, and Bill Townsend.
This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Exhibition Programs
Super Saturday - Fashion
Join us for Super Saturday on April 13, from 10a - 12p and explore fashion as an art form at your art museum, we will have free admission and art making for all ages!
Free with Registration
Sensational Scarves with Paul Thomas
Join local designer Paul Thomas for a sensationally creative workshop to design your own scarf.
$20 Members | $30 General Admission
Gallery Talk: Samilia Colar
Join us for a dynamic gallery talk in the exhibition 'Christian Siriano: People Are People', led by local designer Samilia Colar.
$15 Members | $20 General Admission
Super Saturday - Design and Decorate
Explore fashion as an art form with your family at Memphis' art museum!
Free with Registration
The Courage to Create: Brandice Daniel in Conversation with Carmeon Hamilton
Brandice Daniel, founder and CEO of Harlem Fashion Row and trustee of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, will be in conversation with local design icon Carmeon Hamilton in conjunction with 'Christian Siriano: People are People.'
$15 Members & Students | $20 General Admission
'Marnie' 60th Anniversary Screening
Sixty years after its release, Hitchcock's campy whirlwind 1964 thriller Marnie still captivates audiences with its denouement of the title character, Baltimore’s best-dressed, most intellectual kleptomaniac.
Members $10 | General Admission $15
Art & A Movie: 'Hairspray'
Christian Siriano isn't the sole LGBTQ icon forged by the art and culture of Baltimore. The city is also home to one of the most audaciously subversive figures of the 20th century: director, actor, and author John Waters, whose name has been synonymous with Charm City since 1946.
$10 Members | $15 General Admission
'Christian Siriano: People Are People' Inspired Pattern Making Workshop with Jayla Slater
Join us for a hands-on fashion workshop and explore fashion as a designer, led by teaching artist Jayla Slater!
$20 Members | $30 General Admission
Vine and Thread: Champagne Tasting and Toast to Christian Siriano: People Are People
Delight your tastebuds and your eyes with champagne and sparkles for the final weekend of Christian Siriano: People are People!
$150 General Admission
Artist
Curators
Artist
Dr. Patricia Lee Daigle
Patricia Lee Daigle is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. She previously served as Director of The Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art at the University of Memphis and Curatorial Assistant in Contemporary Art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Daigle received her Ph.D. in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
Dr. Patricia Lee Daigle
Patricia Lee Daigle is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. She previously served as Director of The Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art at the University of Memphis and Curatorial Assistant in Contemporary Art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Daigle received her Ph.D. in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Rafael Gomes
Rafael Gomes is the director of SCAD fashion exhibitions for the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before joining SCAD, he was an archivist and exhibition coordinator at Vivienne Westwood, where he oversaw the coordination and styling of global fashion shoots, videos, and fashion shows. Gomes also designed, planned, and executed large-scale exhibitions at numerous world-renowned museums and galleries, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Palace of Versailles, the SCAD Museum of Art.
Originating Curator
Rafael Gomes
Rafael Gomes is the director of SCAD fashion exhibitions for the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before joining SCAD, he was an archivist and exhibition coordinator at Vivienne Westwood, where he oversaw the coordination and styling of global fashion shoots, videos, and fashion shows. Gomes also designed, planned, and executed large-scale exhibitions at numerous world-renowned museums and galleries, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Palace of Versailles, the SCAD Museum of Art.
Program Recordings
Resources
The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack
Listen to a soundtrack of Memphis music that exemplifies Black Love, Power, and Joy. The 901 Black American Portraits Soundtrack celebrates the vibrant legacy and future of Black musicians in the city of Memphis. This playlist was curated by Jared “Jay B” Boyd, a Memphis-based multimedia artist, journalist, DJ, and on-air personality.
MCA Exhibition Questionnaire
Help us generate the fullest picture possible of the MCA experience.
Submitting a questionnaire, which includes a request for an image of an artwork, is essential to be considered for part of the exhibition.
Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?
The American art theorist Linda Nochlin (1931-2017) posed this question as the title of a pioneering article in 1971. This essay was considered one of the first major works of Feminist art history, it has become a set text for those who study art internationally, and it is influential in many other fields.