THE ART OF DESIGN Exhibition Features Costume Designs at Muhlenberg College, Now thru 3/17

The costume design process will be on display in The Art of Design, a Muhlenberg College gallery exhibit featuring six acclaimed costume designers.

"It all started as a way to showcase the artistry and process behind what you see on stage," says Constance Case, one of the featured costume designers and a lecturer in costume design and stage makeup. "This year, we had six accomplished designers, including three Muhlenberg alumni, and I wanted to give the public a chance to see their work."

Presented in the Galleria of the Baker Center for the Arts, The Art of Design will feature professional designers who are designing for Muhlenberg Theatre and Dance's current Mainstage season. It will run today, Feb. 25 - March 17, with an opening reception on Feb. 26 from 5 to 6 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The exhibit will showcase the entire process, from research, sketches and renderings to finished costumes and production photos, including Tony Award-nominated costumes from the recent Broadway revival of "Hair." The show will feature a wide variety of genres and artistic styles.

"The work spans from college designs, to dance, to Broadway," says Lex Gurst, another designer whose work will be featured in the exhibit. "None of us have worked on the same shows, none of us have the same style. It spans decade of work as well as different genres and perspectives."

Featured designers include Case, Gurst, Liz Covey, Michael McDonald, Megan Prima and Annie Simon.

Covey has designed for almost every major regional theater in the country, as well as nine Muhlenberg productions. She has also co-authored two books on theatrical costume and has served on the faculty at Barnard College/Columbia University, Marymount Manhattan College, and Bennington College.

McDonald has designed over 30 productions for Muhlenberg since he was a student at the College. He was recently nominated for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Hewes Award for his work on the 2009 Broadway revival of "Hair."