Photos: Brady Harvey/EMP Museum
WOW is not only the acronym for the exhibit, it is the best word to describe the magnificent creations on display at the Experience Music Project's World of WearableArt™ exhibit. These artistic masterpieces are presented as a showcase of work from the international design competition that is one part art and one part fashion. Each piece is an original work brought to life by an artist, designer, costume-maker, or artisan from all corners of the earth. The exhibit demonstrates the endless possibilities when imagination and craftsmanship come together.
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While an exhibit of wearable art may not the first thing that comes to mind when planning an outing with your kids, it may just be the missing link that will connect your kid’s mind with a world of endless possibilities. In an age where toys come in boxed sets telling you how and what to build, where to color and which color to use, this exhibit of wearable art throws out all the rules. You can make anything, and you can use any material to do it. A pink sparkly dress made of out fiberglass? –Yep, you can do it. An entire ensemble: bodysuit, hat, shoes and even a ring made entirely out of zip ties? Of course that’s a fabulous idea, and the result is amazing. There’s thinking outside the box and then there’s thinking as if the box doesn’t even exist. A grand dose of creativity without rules on display may just be the best way to help your child set their imagination free.
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The breadth of variety of wearable art is as wide as the world of the artists who created it. The exhibit is designed so that you can see both the front and back of each piece which is important or you might miss a dragon or exotic bird or two. The public is allowed to get up close and inspect the amazing details rendered so beautifully by the artisans. Many of the pieces include a small side display of the types of materials used to create the piece that you are allowed to touch. For tactile kids, this is a great feature and a great conversation starter – how you would like to wear a dress made out of wood? How heavy do you think that coat made of coins is?
In addition to the thirty-two garments on display, there is a video that shows the garments in a fashion show setting. Seeing the garments on actual models and in movement takes the whole experience to another level. Some garments become even more magical and entrancing as they are brought to life by movement. The video is short, probably less than ten minutes, but totally worth your time. Admission to the EMP includes the Wearable Art Exhibit, but you should plan plenty of time to explore the other areas of the EMP. There is a craft room set up on the second floor to allow kids to try their hand at making a costume and paper doll. The area was pretty trashed when we were there at the end of the day, but a hands-on activity is always a good spot for a break from exhibits. The sound lab on the third floor is another great option for kids to get some energy out and get their hand busy making music and exploring instruments.
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As a parent of a child who has used washcloths, rubber bands, tissue paper, tape, and various paraphernalia to create fashions for her dolls, I knew this exhibit would be right up her alley. With her keen eye for detail, she carefully studied each piece and read about the construction. All that information and inspiration is now stored away in her head, surely to surface in some project on my dining room table in the near future. Children instinctively know that Viking helmets look great with pink tutus, and that in fashion, you don't have to ask "why," but rather, "why not." The World of Wearable Art exhibit speaks to the child in all of us.
Experience Music Project, 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, 98109
Daily 10am – 7pm (through Sept. 5th)
$25 adult, $16 youth, ages 4 and younger are free. Online tix save $3 per adult. Memberships and military discounts available
206-770-2702; empmuseum.org
Kelly Rogers Flynt is a freelance writer based out of Lake Forest Park and the parent of two children, ages twelve and fifteen.
