I'll admit it: I've never been a Star Wars fan. I saw the movie as a child, but it didn't make much of an impact on me. Probably because I was more into Rainbow Bright, and movies about heroines in a completely fuzzy and colorful world, where the bad, scary people were never overly frightening.
However one thing about Star Wars I can appreciate are the costumes!
Last month on a random lazy Sunday I went to the “Out of This World Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television” exhibit at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento.
It was crowded enough that I didn't feel like I was alone in a creepy museum. But not so packed it was noisy and hard to get a front-and-center view of exhibits. But creepy would not be a word to describe the California Museum even if it was empty.
The architecture and staff were welcoming.
It was modern and spacious, with two-story windows letting in plenty of light from the overcast yet bright day.
A café was on the first floor by the windows. A massive piece of art in pinks and purples towered over the seating area and reached the height of the second floor.
I highly recommended visiting the museum, or walking by to at least see this gorgeous piece.
I planned on seeing just the costume exhibit in the back area of the second floor, but there was so much to look at and read about before I reached that area I had to stop and check it out.
The California Museum is dedicated to “California’s rich cultural history, with an emphasis on the contributions of women,” as noted on the Web site.
The second floor displays showcased everything that represents women in history, from Sally Ride's space outfit to a glass case filled with Barbies.
Each woman highlighted in the exhibit had a collage of items and short bios about them.
I read about Amelia Earhart. And the California State Symbol Minerva- a Roman goddess, a symbol for wisdom and justice and supporter of the arts and learning.
Julia Child, Dr. Patricia Bath, Joan Kroc, March Fong and Dolores Huerta were other women featured in the exhibit.
As I got to the end of the exhibit I saw Yoda.
Even a Star Wars trivia novice such as myself recognized the friendly little green guy.
An intro at the front of the exhibit explained the importance of costumes in defining the characters for the audience.
This is so true. Could you imagine Russell Crow in the movie “Gladiator” wearing a costume from Halloween Spirit Store? I think not.
But I wasn’t here to read a dissertation; I wanted to see the costumes!
Inside I found the costumes displayed standing-up in Star Trek-like glass tombs, as if they were about to be “beamed up.” (Yes, I know Star Wars and Star Trek are different!)
This exhibit had costumes from both Star Wars and Star Trek, which may explain the ambiance.
The lights were dim. Only red and colored lights lit-up the exhibit. The slate colored floor and walls made me feel like I could be in a space ship with the Darth Vader costume (the original), or one of the Star Trooper costumes.
The exhibit also featured Obi- Wan Kenobi’s robe and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and x-wing pilot flight suit.
The exhibit featured more than just Star Wars costumes though.
Movies I’ve never seen, but heard of like “Blade Runner,” “Pris,” and “Eldon Tyrell” had interesting costumes on display.
Indy’s leather jacket, whip and headpiece from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” were on display, as well as the jumpsuit worn by Dan Ackroyd as Dr. Reymond Stantz in Ghostbusters II.
Even a leather jacket worn by the governator Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator” was on display behind a glass tomb.
I think my favorite sight to see what the hat the Wicked Witch of the West wore in the original 1939 “The Wizard of Oz,” one of my all time favorite movies.
The hat was in excellent shape. It didn’t look more than five years old.
As I left the exhibit I was transported back into reality. I sat in a old bus and watched a short video about Asian immigrant to California, and checked-out a wall full of old suitcases, illustrating the immigration theme.
The costume exhibit continues until Jan. 10, 2010. To read more about current exhibits at the California Museum, visit http://www.californiamuseum.org/exhibits/current
However one thing about Star Wars I can appreciate are the costumes!
Last month on a random lazy Sunday I went to the “Out of This World Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television” exhibit at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento.
It was crowded enough that I didn't feel like I was alone in a creepy museum. But not so packed it was noisy and hard to get a front-and-center view of exhibits. But creepy would not be a word to describe the California Museum even if it was empty.
The architecture and staff were welcoming.
It was modern and spacious, with two-story windows letting in plenty of light from the overcast yet bright day.
A café was on the first floor by the windows. A massive piece of art in pinks and purples towered over the seating area and reached the height of the second floor.
I highly recommended visiting the museum, or walking by to at least see this gorgeous piece.
I planned on seeing just the costume exhibit in the back area of the second floor, but there was so much to look at and read about before I reached that area I had to stop and check it out.
The California Museum is dedicated to “California’s rich cultural history, with an emphasis on the contributions of women,” as noted on the Web site.
The second floor displays showcased everything that represents women in history, from Sally Ride's space outfit to a glass case filled with Barbies.
Each woman highlighted in the exhibit had a collage of items and short bios about them.
I read about Amelia Earhart. And the California State Symbol Minerva- a Roman goddess, a symbol for wisdom and justice and supporter of the arts and learning.
Julia Child, Dr. Patricia Bath, Joan Kroc, March Fong and Dolores Huerta were other women featured in the exhibit.
As I got to the end of the exhibit I saw Yoda.
Even a Star Wars trivia novice such as myself recognized the friendly little green guy.
An intro at the front of the exhibit explained the importance of costumes in defining the characters for the audience.
This is so true. Could you imagine Russell Crow in the movie “Gladiator” wearing a costume from Halloween Spirit Store? I think not.
But I wasn’t here to read a dissertation; I wanted to see the costumes!
Inside I found the costumes displayed standing-up in Star Trek-like glass tombs, as if they were about to be “beamed up.” (Yes, I know Star Wars and Star Trek are different!)
This exhibit had costumes from both Star Wars and Star Trek, which may explain the ambiance.
The lights were dim. Only red and colored lights lit-up the exhibit. The slate colored floor and walls made me feel like I could be in a space ship with the Darth Vader costume (the original), or one of the Star Trooper costumes.
The exhibit also featured Obi- Wan Kenobi’s robe and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and x-wing pilot flight suit.
The exhibit featured more than just Star Wars costumes though.
Movies I’ve never seen, but heard of like “Blade Runner,” “Pris,” and “Eldon Tyrell” had interesting costumes on display.
Indy’s leather jacket, whip and headpiece from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” were on display, as well as the jumpsuit worn by Dan Ackroyd as Dr. Reymond Stantz in Ghostbusters II.
Even a leather jacket worn by the governator Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator” was on display behind a glass tomb.
I think my favorite sight to see what the hat the Wicked Witch of the West wore in the original 1939 “The Wizard of Oz,” one of my all time favorite movies.
The hat was in excellent shape. It didn’t look more than five years old.
As I left the exhibit I was transported back into reality. I sat in a old bus and watched a short video about Asian immigrant to California, and checked-out a wall full of old suitcases, illustrating the immigration theme.
The costume exhibit continues until Jan. 10, 2010. To read more about current exhibits at the California Museum, visit http://www.californiamuseum.org/exhibits/current
More photos to come!
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