Walt Disney Archives exhibits coming to Arlington Museum in Texas

Opening on Sept. 14, 2024, the two collections feature over 300 pieces spanning over 65 years of Disney movie and television history.

“When we meet a Disney character for the first time, we instantly begin to understand them; that is how extraordinarily important costume design is to conveying persona,” said Chris Hightower, president & CEO of the arlington Museum of Art. “By bringing these two exhibitions together for the first time, the Arlington Museum of Art surrounds visitors in the transformative power of wardrobe while celebrating the artists whose creativity and talent is conveyed in every design, every stitch, and every jewel.”

Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume

Presenting “the complex and intriguing antiheroes of Disney storytelling.” The Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume exhibition is organized into three Disney archetypes: heroes, villains, and the spaces between. It was initially presented as part of the D23 Expo in 2019.

Cinderella’s Gown
Photo by Samantha Davis-Friedman

The exhibition features a collection of original costumes from Walt Disney Archives, including the Sanderson Sisters costumes from “Hocus Pocus 2” (2022), Mary Poppins’ traveling dress from “Mary Poppins Returns”(2018), Belle’s ball gown from the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” film (2018), and the Evil Queen and Hook costumes from the television series “Once Upon a Time “ (2011-2018).

Belle’s Gown
L to R: Costumes from Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Returns displayed together at D23 Expo 2019
Hook Costume from Once Upon a Time
Photos by Samantha Davis-Friedman

Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume showcases the work of award-winning Hollywood costume designers, including 2024 Disney Legend Colleen Atwood (“Alice in Wonderland”), Sandy Powell (“Cinderella,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), Tony Walton (“Mary Poppins”), Eduardo Castro (“Once Upon a Time”), and Penny Rose (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”).

Credits