Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Keep the Valentine’s Day festivities going by joining us for this intimate presentation in which independent curator Souleo will spotlight two of his loves: fashion designer Patrick Kelly and creative artist Beau McCall (craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/button-man). During this talk, Souleo will explore the similarities and differences between these two creatives, who both used clothing buttons to imbue their works with joy, and share how each inspires his sense of personal style and curatorial projects that amplify Black voices in fashion.
About the Speakers:
Souleo curates entertaining and informative events, exhibitions, and cultural programs. Souleo has collaborated with noteworthy institutions and brands, including the New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Museum of Arts and Design, Columbia University, Barnard College, Newark Museum of Art, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, and AARP. Souleo's work has been widely covered in outlets including the Associated Press, NY Times, The New Yorker, NBC, and more. For more information: http://www.souleouniverse.com\ @souleouniverse
Beau McCall—enthusiastically proclaimed by American Craft magazine as “The Button Man”—creates wearable and visual art by applying clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. His artworks, offering commentary on topics such as pop culture and social justice are held in public collections such as the Museum of Art and Design (New York), Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), The Museum at FIT (New York), Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York), Amistad Research Center (New Orleans), The Museum of Modern Art Library (New York), Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art (New York), Stonewall National Museum & Archives (Fort Lauderdale), and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Library (San Francisco). For more information: https://beaumccall.com\ @beau_mccall
About the Exhibition:
This exhibition celebrates the career and legacy of Black fashion designer Patrick Kelly (1954–1990). First presented by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2014, the exhibition presents seventy-nine fully accessorized ensembles, dating from 1984 to 1990, from the Philadelphia Museum’s archive of Kelly’s work, to new acquisitions from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s costume collection. Kelly drew upon his childhood in the United States South, his African American heritage, his experiences in the club and gay cultural scenes in New York and Paris, and muses from fashion, art, and Black history to create light-hearted yet sophisticated designs that pushed racial and cultural boundaries. The exhibition situates Kelly and his work in the broader context of art and fashion history by exploring the inspirations behind his designs, his significant collection of racist memorabilia (whose images he wrested to tell his own story), and footage from his exuberant and groundbreaking fashion shows.
Learn more about the exhibition: deyoung.famsf.org/exhibitions/patrick-kelly
Subscribe to our channel: https://dey.ng/our-channel
Don’t miss our upcoming programs! Sign up for our newsletter: https://dey.ng/newsletter
Keep the Valentine’s Day festivities going by joining us for this intimate presentation in which independent curator Souleo will spotlight two of his loves: fashion designer Patrick Kelly and creative artist Beau McCall (craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/button-man). During this talk, Souleo will explore the similarities and differences between these two creatives, who both used clothing buttons to imbue their works with joy, and share how each inspires his sense of personal style and curatorial projects that amplify Black voices in fashion.
About the Speakers:
Souleo curates entertaining and informative events, exhibitions, and cultural programs. Souleo has collaborated with noteworthy institutions and brands, including the New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Museum of Arts and Design, Columbia University, Barnard College, Newark Museum of Art, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, and AARP. Souleo's work has been widely covered in outlets including the Associated Press, NY Times, The New Yorker, NBC, and more. For more information: http://www.souleouniverse.com\ @souleouniverse
Beau McCall—enthusiastically proclaimed by American Craft magazine as “The Button Man”—creates wearable and visual art by applying clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. His artworks, offering commentary on topics such as pop culture and social justice are held in public collections such as the Museum of Art and Design (New York), Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), The Museum at FIT (New York), Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York), Amistad Research Center (New Orleans), The Museum of Modern Art Library (New York), Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art (New York), Stonewall National Museum & Archives (Fort Lauderdale), and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Library (San Francisco). For more information: https://beaumccall.com\ @beau_mccall
About the Exhibition:
This exhibition celebrates the career and legacy of Black fashion designer Patrick Kelly (1954–1990). First presented by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2014, the exhibition presents seventy-nine fully accessorized ensembles, dating from 1984 to 1990, from the Philadelphia Museum’s archive of Kelly’s work, to new acquisitions from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s costume collection. Kelly drew upon his childhood in the United States South, his African American heritage, his experiences in the club and gay cultural scenes in New York and Paris, and muses from fashion, art, and Black history to create light-hearted yet sophisticated designs that pushed racial and cultural boundaries. The exhibition situates Kelly and his work in the broader context of art and fashion history by exploring the inspirations behind his designs, his significant collection of racist memorabilia (whose images he wrested to tell his own story), and footage from his exuberant and groundbreaking fashion shows.
Learn more about the exhibition: deyoung.famsf.org/exhibitions/patrick-kelly
Subscribe to our channel: https://dey.ng/our-channel
Don’t miss our upcoming programs! Sign up for our newsletter: https://dey.ng/newsletter
