Have you ever wondered what chess has to do with fashion, beauty, and outer space? Join us for a free, in-depth look at our new fall exhibitions, Michael Drummond: Being Played, A Beautiful Game, and Ground Control: A Journey Through Chess and Space. Curators Shannon Bailey and Emily Allred will lead the tour and be available to answer questions. Enjoy a complimentary boxed lunch with our staff or take it back to the office, following the tour.
Michael Drummond: Being Played weaves a narrative about the effects of the fast fashion industry on climate change through the lens of chess-inspired creations by Saint Louis-based garment designer Michael Drummond. The exhibit showcases new designs using a variety of naturally-occurring and man-made materials, including laser-cut synthetics, clothing spun from steel, handcrafted shoes and digitally-printed accessories.
A Beautiful Game both showcases artifacts from the World Chess Hall of Fame collection—chess-inspired beauty products, photographs, posters, and advertisements—and illustrates how the sophistication and brilliance of the game have been celebrated and revered in chess and popular culture. The exhibition also highlights new, interactive artwork by chess champion and author Jennifer Shahade as well as Pinned! fashion designer Audra Danielle Noyes.
Ground Control: A Journey Through Chess and Space explores space-themed chess sets and significant chess events from the year 1969, in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Highlights of this exhibition include Star Wars, Star Trek, and other pop-culture-themed chess sets from the World Chess Hall of Fame’s permanent collection as well as a signed chessboard that was flown on the final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Free admission. Complimentary lunch provided.