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Cleveland Museum of Art Preview of "Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses"

Blog Date
Author(s)
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
Tags
Cleveland
Museums
Art
FRONT International
Cleveland Museum of Art
Transformer Station
University Circle
Amanda King

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
This is my iPhone video of part of the large-screen video seen upon entering the gallery. I added background music.
Please go to the exhibition to see the full video as it was intended to be viewed-on a large screen!

Through the majestic creations of more than 100 modern and contemporary Italian fashions and accessories in dialogue with Italian fine, decorative, and textile arts from the 1400s to the early 1600s, Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses examines the art historical inspirations that fuel recent creative Italian lexicon, expanding fantasies of the Renaissance, Mannerist, and early Baroque periods.
. . .
This exhibition illustrates how fashion, in all of its change, is a continuous thread that uncovers history’s complexities as it materializes contemporary beauty.>

I appreciated being invited by The Cleveland Museum of Art Director of Communications Jacqueline Bon, to the Thursday, November 6, 2025, preview of Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses, but I did have questions about this new exhibition. I wondered what was meant by the statement that the exhibition would feature "art and fashion interwoven." I knew that I liked Renaissance art, but I was not sure that I would appreciate how this artwork impacted the development of ". . . fresh perspectives throughout the fashion landscape."

Friday, October 3, 2025 - Email invitation to Renaissance to Runway preview from The Cleveland Museum of Art Director of Communications Jacqueline Bon.
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Fortunately, while attending the opening reception for the New Work: FRONT Fellows Show, I was able to talk to the museum's Chief Marketing Officer, Todd Mesek, and learned that the upcoming Renaissance to Runway exhibition would, indeed, be of interest to me!

The Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses exhibition runs from Sunday, November 9, 2025, through Sunday, February 1, 2026. Since the New Work: FRONT Fellows Show is currently being shown at Transformer Station through Saturday, December 27, 2025, I decided to also add information about this special, final, FRONT show. I put together this blog post to share my photos and observations about these two current shows, and to thank The Cleveland Museum of Art for bringing such exciting exhibitions to our community!

 

 

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - Preview of Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - Cleveland Museum of Art Media and Influencer Preview of Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses.
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You’re invited to see art and fashion interwoven at the media preview for Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Centuries apart, still stitched together. Renaissance to Runway examines the art historical inspirations that have fueled recent creative Italian lexicon, expanding fantasies of the Renaissance, Mannerist, and early Baroque periods. From Versace and Valentino to Ferragamo and Capucci, these houses have interpreted Italian early modern–period aesthetics to develop fresh perspectives throughout the fashion landscape.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Schedule of Events:

10:00 a.m. Refreshments served in the Cleveland Museum of Art's North Lobby outside of Gartner Auditorium.

10:30 a.m. Presentation of Renaissance to Runway by Darnell-Jamal Lisby, Associate Curator of Fashion at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Gartner Auditorium.

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Self-guided tour of Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Hall.

REFRESHMENTS AND COMPLIMENTARY PARKING PROVIDED

Jacqueline Bon
Director of Communications
Communications and External Relations
The Cleveland Museum of Art
11150 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1797

 

Here are two PDF files which will open in a new browser window:
November 4, 2025, Press Kit (579 KB)
Marketing Image Captions and Exhibition Description (3.6 MB)

Arriving at the museum, it was great to see several busloads of schoolchildren entering the museum. Another couple and I let the kids go in first, and they commented how it is great that these children might be having their first art museum experience today. What a great way to start the day -- seeing the next generation here to appreciate this FREE art museum in Cleveland.

Going up the stairs to the main lobby, I was shocked to see large crowds in line to be checked in for the exhibition presentation and to enjoy the continental breakfast items provided. I spoke with Dan Hanson of ClevelandPeople.Com, and we both noted that we had never seen such a large crowd in all the years we have been coming to exhibition previews. Neither of us had any of the food because of the crowd in the refreshment area, but instead decided that we needed to go in early to the Gartner Auditorium to get good seats with a clear view of the formal presentation.

 

Welcome Presentation

Once inside, Dan Hanson and I met moCa (Museum of Contemporary Art) Cleveland Special Events & Development Programming Manager Courtney Green, who invited us to an upcoming special event at moCa Cleveland. (I have often written about and enjoyed my visits to moCa.) We were then joined by Theresa May and Emanuel Wallace. See articles below, written by Dan Hanson, Emanuel Wallace, and others, in the "What Others Say" section of this blog post.

The following is one of two official Cleveland Museum of Art videos shown at the start of the presentation ceremony. It features Associate Curator of Fashion Darnell-Jamal Lisby, since he was the person that conceived of the Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses exhibition:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.

Cleveland Museum of Art Chief Marketing Officer Todd Mesek welcomed everyone, and then told the history of this largest fashion exhibition in the history of the museum. The majority of the program featured Associate Curator of Fashion Darnell-Jamal Lisby discussing the artwork and fashions of Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses. (This is the second of his exhibitions I have seen -- read my Korean Couture blog post.)

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the artwork in the slides!!

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the artwork in the slides!!

 

Yale University Press: Renaissance to Runway The Enduring Italian Houses by Darnell-Jamal Lisby

During his presentation, Darnell-Jamal Lisby told the audience about the exhibition catalogue that he created. Renaissance to Runway The Enduring Italian Houses is available at Yale University Press.

Renaissance to Runway The Enduring Italian Houses exhibition catalogue by Darnell-Jamal Lisby.
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Gallery Tour

I hope you enjoy these photos and videos that I took as I explored this engaging exhibition:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the artwork in the slides!!

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the artwork in the slides!!

 

 

There was a special "All-Member Preview" for art museum members on November 7th and 8th, before the full exhibition opened to the public on the lower level of the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Exhibition Hall. With Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses running through Sunday, February 1, 2026, there are only three months to let family and friends know about this exclusively presented Cleveland art show.

I plan to return to visit this exhibition again with my family.

 

 

What Others Say

Here are some other articles and videos that I have seen about Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses:

 

 

Thursday, October 2, 2025 - New Work: FRONT Fellows Show Opening Reception
Cleveland Museum of Art’s Transformer Station

The Cleveland Museum of Art and FRONT International Present New Work: Amanda D. King, Charmaine Spencer, Erykah Townsend, Antwoine Washington at Transformer Station
. . . The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and FRONT International are proud to announce New Work: Amanda D. King, Charmaine Spencer, Erykah Townsend, Antwoine Washington, the highly anticipated capstone exhibition of the FRONT 2022 Art Futures Fellows. The exhibition is on view at the CMA’s Transformer Station from October 2, 2025, through December 27, 2025.
. . .
“We are thrilled to present New Work, an exhibition that truly highlights the talent and dedication of our 2022 Art Futures Fellows,” said Fred Bidwell, executive director of FRONT International. “I am grateful to the FRONT board of directors and to the George Gund Foundation and the Cleveland Foundation for providing us with the encouragement and financial support to complete this transformational fellowship as we had originally conceived it. This capstone presentation not only celebrates individual growth of artists but also underscores the impact of providing the depth of support for artistic voices in our community that has the potential to change careers. We are grateful to Transformer Station and the Cleveland Museum of Art for hosting this important exhibition.”
. . . Exhibition Details:

What: New Work: Amanda D. King, Charmaine Spencer, Erykah Townsend, Antwoine Washington

When: October 2–December 27, 2025

Hours: 3:00–6:00 p.m., Thursday through Saturday

Where: Transformer Station, 1460 W 29th St., Cleveland, OH 44113

Admission: Free

Opening Reception: October 2, 2025, 5:00–8:00 p.m. FREE

Even though the focus of this blog post is the Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses, I didn't really get excited about it until I talked to Cleveland Museum of Art Chief Marketing Officer Todd Mesek. I was fortunate to speak with him at the Thursday, October 2, 2025, FRONT Fellows exhibition opening reception at Transformer Station. Therefore, I decided to add this New Work: FRONT Fellows Show section to this blog post.

I decided to add my following photos from the New Work: FRONT Fellows Show Opening Reception for the following reasons that are important to me:

I recommend viewing videos in full screen mode.
Please feel free to pause the video to look more closely at the artwork in the slides!!

I have written five past blog posts about Transformer Station, and this is the second blog post since the Cleveland Musem of Art took ownership of Transformer Station. The history of this community space's evolution from its origins to its present form is fascinating.

The Cleveland Museum of Art Takes Ownership of Transformer Station, Opens Immersive Art Experience in Ohio City’s Hingetown Neighborhood, Announces City Stages Concert Series
. . . The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) announces it will assume ownership, management, and daily operations of Transformer Station starting in July. Founded in 2011 by philanthropists and art collectors Fred and Laura Bidwell, Transformer Station opened in 2013 and has hosted special exhibitions, programs, and events in partnership with the CMA over the past decade.
. . .
“We are excited to see the next chapter of Transformer Station unfold under the artistic and operational leadership of the Cleveland Museum of Art,” said Fred Bidwell. “In 10 short years, this venture has exceeded our expectations as a platform for artists and reaching new audiences.”

The Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Foundation promised the facility and property as a gift to the CMA shortly after it was founded in 2011. This gift was originally intended to take place in December 2026, but given the ongoing and successful working relationship, the transfer was expedited to take place this year.

“It has been our privilege and pleasure to share works from our collection and commission exhibitions that have empowered the ideas of scores of artists and provided an essential platform for the growth of their practice,” said Laura Bidwell. “We know that the Cleveland Museum of Art will continue to make Transformer Station a place where artists and art lovers can share innovative ideas and celebrate creativity long into the future."

In this next chapter, Transformer Station will serve as a near west side satellite location for CMA exhibitions and programs, offering distinctive and engaging contemporary art installations, musical and other performances, and a range of programs. The CMA’s goal for Transformer Station is to reach an even larger, younger, and more diverse audience, doubling down on its mission to provide transformative experiences through art, for the benefit of all the people, forever.

 

Related Blog Posts

I always like to include in my blog posts a list of related posts that may be of interest to my readers:

 

"During the Renaissance and beyond, every artist wanted to be Michelangelo" - I love this quote that was taken from a Cleveland Art magazine article about the Michelangelo: Mind of the Master exhibition. Here are my two blog posts I wrote about this 2019 Michelangelo exhibition:

 

The first time I met Assistant Curator of Fashion Darnell-Jamal Lisby was when he and Curator of Korean Art Sooa Im McCormick led a tour of Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution:

 

You can find more related past blog posts under the following categories:

  • "Cleveland Museum of Art" - Starting in 2012, I have written 63 blog posts about Cleveland's art museum.

  • "FRONT International" - I wrote 15 blog posts that show the exciting venues I visited that hosted FRONT artists. I also want to thank Fred and Laura Bidwell for opening up their home for the events in support of FRONT that I attended there.

  • "Transformer Station"- Five past blog posts.

  • "Amanda King" - Since Amanda King has been mentioned in six blog posts as I was writing this blog post, I created a blog category for her artwork.

  • "University Circle" - 85 blog posts. In addition to the Cleveland Museum of Art, there are other great museums and events that take place in Cleveland's cultural circle.

  • "moCa" (Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland) - 13 past blog posts.

  • "Art" - There are 104 blog posts that, of course, would overlap with the other art-related categories listed above.

 

 

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - Thank you, Cleveland Museum of Art, for inviting me to this media preview.
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Disclosure: I received an invitation to attend the Thursday, November 6, 2025, Media & Influencer Preview of Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses, which included admission to the exhibition, a presentation by Associate Curator of Fashion Darnell-Jamal Lisby, and refreshments. Since my wife and I are members of the Cleveland Museum of Art, we were already entitled to free tickets to Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses.

The invitation to attend came as a result of my wife/co-blogger, Julie's, and my support of the Cleveland Museum of Art with our many sosAssociates.com blog posts about the museum. I enjoyed the preview, and wrote this blog post to share my experience at the Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses exhibition. I plan to use my membership benefit to return to see the exhibition again with Julie. Julie and I will use the member guest ticket discount to also bring my mother and son.