The Denise Heinly Art Center celebrates the art of costume design with a selection of hand-made garments from Chattanooga State’s theatre department. Liza Blair, the curator of the exhibit entitled Dressing the Part: 20 Years of Costume Design at Chattanooga State, explained that the work shown is largely from talented students Brenda Schwab, their Costume Design instructor.
“Brenda and I met a couple of times and picked out select pieces that we wanted to have in this show.”
Interview with Brenda Schwab by April Shaw.
Liza specified there were so many costumes to chose from to display in the Costume Design exhibit. The pair chose costumes which show off the diversity of Brenda’s designs over the years.
“Some of the pieces in here represent shows that were done a long time ago. We still wanted to have them in here just to showcase… what’s been on the stage here at Chattanooga State.” Both Liza and Brenda found it important to display a range of wardrobe including some of Brenda’s earliest work at Chattanooga State. This way, visitors of the gallery can see the evolution of costume design on campus.
Grand Opening of the Denise Heinly Art Center
“If there’s anyone that has any kind of interest in design or costuming, theater… it’s going to hit all those marks and it’s just a good [exhibit] to come and see.” Whether visitors have an interest in the arts, fashion, or are just passing by, Blair believes everyone should see the exhibit while they have a chance.
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