White Wall Review: Gender Bending at the MFA
465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Hours The MFA is open 7 days a week. Monday–Tuesday 10 am–5 pm Wednesday–Friday 10 am–10 pm Saturday–Sunday 10 am–5 pm Admission Members Free Adults $25 Seniors (65+) $23 Children 6 and under Free Youths 7–17* Free / $10* Students (18+)** $23** *Youths 7–17 admitted free weekends, weekdays after 3 pm, and Boston public school holidays; otherwise admission for youths is $10. **Participants in the University Membership program receive free admission. NH and ME resident students also receive free admission. Included in the price of admission: All-day access to galleries and special exhibitions One free repeat visit within 10 days (applies to full-price Adult, Senior, and Student tickets only) Free Gallery Activities and Tours
Massachusetts residents who present Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards at a ticket desk may receive up to four $3 tickets good for adult, senior, or student admission. Youths aged 17 and under are always free. EBT Card to Culture is a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Department of Transitional Assistance. See the full list of participants.
Junior Artists Every Saturday, 10:30 am–12:30 pm New program starting September 9! Enjoy a weekly free drop-in creative morning for families with children ages 5 to 8. Look closely at art, make art, and have fun! Free with Museum admission. Family Art Cart Discover the MFA with fun (and educational!) activities designed for children ages 4 and up to do with adults in the galleries FREE with Museum admission. FREE with Museum admission. School Vacation Weeks Enjoy free drop-in activities during public school vacation weeks, including storytelling, musical performances, family tours, and art activities. Art Connections Cards Family Activity Explore the MFA with your children! Search for objects and images—from cats and flowers to mythical creatures to arms and armor—to learn interesting facts and get ideas for art-making activities. Each activity focuses on a specific theme, linking intriguing objects from many cultures. Download these self-guided activity sheets or pick up a copy at the Sharf Visitor Center when you visit the Museum. Recommended for all ages. FREE with Museum admission.
Gender Bending Fashion
Member Preview
March 16–20, 2019
March 21–August 25, 2019
Multiple Locations
A century of style that dares to break the rules
From the runways to the streets, designers and wearers today are upending traditional ideas about men’s and women’s clothing. But those trends in American and European fashion are not new. This exhibition looks across a century of haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion that has challenged rigid, binary definitions of dress. It features more than 60 boundary-pushing designs, presenting the work of groundbreaking contemporary designers—including Rad Hourani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Palomo, and Rei Kawakubo—in the context of historical trends like the garçonne look of the 1920s and the peacock revolution of the 1960s.
“Gender Bending Fashion” examines a rich history of fashion disrupting, blurring, and redefining conventions and expectations around the relationship between gender and dress. At the same time, the garments on view can speak more broadly to societal shifts across the past century—including changing gender roles, increasing visibility of LGBTQIA+ communities, and the rise of social media as a powerful tool for self-expression. Throughout the exhibition, individual narratives emerge, touching on issues of gender identity and expression, sexuality, race, class, pop culture, activism, social justice, and more. “Gender Bending Fashion” features a digital album in two formats—a large-scale video and an interactive touchscreen—that highlights ten individuals from the Boston area whose perspectives reflect and expand on many of these themes.
Featuring pieces worn by actors, musicians, and influencers, including Marlene Dietrich, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and Young Thug, the multimedia presentation also incorporates paintings, photographs, music, and video. The works in the exhibition are drawn from the MFA’s collection as well as loans from museums, archives, private collections, and fashion houses.