Press Release The Andy Warhol Museum Announces Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede, Opening May 2014

Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede

May 18 – August 24, 2014

The Andy Warhol Museum announces its latest exhibition, Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede, opening to the public on May 18, 2014 to kick off The Warhol’s 20th anniversary celebration.

The exhibition, Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede, examines the interconnected lives and creative practices of Andy Warhol and Halston – two American icons who had a profound impact on the development of 20th century art and fashion. The exhibition has been organized by The Warhol and Halston’s niece, Lesley Frowick, and integrates Halston’s garments, including dresses, hats, and other accessories, along with Warhol’s photography, videos and paintings.

Not only did Halston collect Warhol’s artwork, which he displayed in his 63rd Street Manhattan townhouse and Montauk retreat rented from Warhol, but Halston was also portrayed in several of Warhol’s artworks. In 1979, Warhol dedicated a chapter of his book, Andy Warhol’s Exposures, to Halston, describing him as the “first All-American fashion designer.”

The exhibition will include approximately 40 of Halston’s creations including an iconic pillbox hat designed for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1961, and his signature Ultrasuede shirtdress, juxtaposed with Warhol’s paintings, photographs, and videos. It will also feature archival material and ephemera from the archives of The Warhol and the personal collection of Lesley Frowick relating to the two artists’ practices.

Eric Shiner, director of The Warhol states, “We are thrilled to celebrate Halston during our 20th anniversary. Thanks to PNC, which has partnered with The Warhol since 2004, we have been able to share world-class exhibitions from Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years to Deborah Kass: Before and Happily Ever After to Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede, in and outside of Pittsburgh. Halston was by far and away one of Andy’s dearest friends. His fashion sense was impeccable and his designs quite literally defined an age of American glamour. We are so excited to host this groundbreaking exhibition and to bring the best of the fashion world to Pittsburgh.”

Lesley Frowick states, “What a privilege it was to have seen Andy and my uncle together; Andy’s birthday weekend at Montauk, nights out on the town; quiet dinners at home. This exhibition is an endearing insider’s homage to friendship, Pop art and fashion. My uncle left an indelible mark on fashion history and gave me the best seat in the house to watch the show. I will always remember what a determined, generous, funny, and expansive person he was. He put forth his best effort to make the world, and especially the people of his inner circle, as beautiful and comfortable as he could.”

“Whether it is photography, film, painting or fashion, art has the power to positively impact each of our communities. For this reason, we are pleased to continue our collaboration with The Warhol, to help strengthen our community in Pittsburgh and to serve as a catalyst for exporting the cultural vitality of The Warhol to other regions in which we serve,” added Donna Peterman, PNC chief communications officer.

This exhibition is presented by PNC Financial Services

Additional support provided by Halston Heritage Eckert Seamans.

Exhibition Publication

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog of the same name. Published by Abrams, the book is illustrated with images of Halston’s clothing and accessories and Warhol’s art, ephemera, and scores of documentary photographs. It features contributions from Diane von Furstenberg, Pat Cleveland, Valerie Steele (Director, MFIT), Lesley Frowick (photographer and writer), Geralyn Huxley (Curator of Film and Video, The Andy Warhol Museum), Corinne LaBalme (journalist and former Halston employee), Chris Royer (former Halston model and independent consultant), Eric C. Shiner (Director, The Andy Warhol Museum), Patrick Moore (Deputy Director, The Andy Warhol Museum), Nicholas Chambers (Milton Fine Curator of Art, The Andy Warhol Museum), Abigail Franzen-Sheehan (Director of Publications, The Andy Warhol Museum), Matt Wrbican (Chief Archivist, The Andy Warhol Museum), and Signe Watson (Research Intern, The Andy Warhol Museum). For more information please visit http://www.abramsbooks.com/Books/Halston_and_Warhol-9781419710957.html

About the Book

Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede

By The Andy Warhol Museum
Abrams / May 6, 2014 / U.S. $50.00 / Can. $57.50
ISBN 978-1-4197-1095-7
Hardcover with jacket / 240 pages / 91⁄2 x 12″ / 200 color illustrations

Exhibition Related Programming

20th Anniversary Community Day
Sunday, May 18, 2014
12 a.m. – 5 p.m.
In celebration of the kickoff of The Warhol’s 20th anniversary and American Art Museum Day, the museum will be open free to the public. Sponsored by The Benter Foundation.

Special activities include…
Midnight – 2 a.m. Notorious NYC DJ’s AndrewAndrew
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Hands-on art making and studio programs exploring Warhol’s artistic practices

3p.m. – Author talk and book signing: Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up with Bob Colacello

Tickets FREE; visit www.warhol.org or call 412-237-8300 for details.

In Discussion: Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede, with Vincent Freemont and Geralyn Huxley
Friday, June 13, 2014
7 p.m.

Warhol theater

Join us for a discussion with Geralyn Huxley, curator of film & video, and Vincent Fremont, former Vice-President of Andy Warhol Enterprises and the Executive Manager of the Andy Warhol studio. Fremont worked with Warhol for nearly 20 years and produced and developed video, television, and film projects, including Fashion, Andy Warhol’s TV, and Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes. The discussion will focus on the fashion components of Warhol’s business enterprise and various media projects, highlighted by video clips from the museum’s collection.

FREE with Museum admission; visit www.warhol.org or call 412-237-8300

In Discussion: Halston & Warhol: Silver and Suede, with Lesley Frowick and Nicholas Chambers
Friday, August 1, 2014
7 p.m.

Warhol theater

Join us for a discussion with Milton Fine Curator of Art, Nicholas Chambers, and Lesley Frowick, Halston’s niece and co-curator of Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede. Frowick brings the unique perspective of working closely with her uncle and his frenetic, high fashion milieu in the 1980s. Currently Frowick is a free-lance photographer, completing a biography on the life of Halston to be published by Rizzoli Fall 2014, and working in the National Geographic Creative division at NatGeo. This program is presented in connection with the exhibition, Halston and Warhol: Silver and Suede on view May 18 – August, 24 2014 at The Warhol. FREE with Museum admission; visit www.warhol.org or call 412.237.8300