Theatre fabric and stage curtains were supplied by the Specialty Theatre division of Specialty Group Pty Ltd to the spectacular ‘Grace Kelly: Style Icon’ exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery. The exhibition was opened by Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene of Monaco on 10 March, 2012.
‘Grace Kelly: Style Icon’ traces the fairy-tale story of Grace Kelly about a girl from Philadelphia who grew up to be a Hollywood star before becoming the Princess of Monaco. The exhibition features costumes from films, iconic designer gowns and accessories such as the famous Hermès ‘Kelly’ bag, designed especially for the Princess.
Specialty Theatre supplied custom-coloured plush velvet theatre fabric and manufactured it into wall curtains that guided patrons around the exhibition. In addition to providing a unique setting for the fashion exhibition, the theatre curtains also functioned as excellent acoustic curtains to manage sound at the popular venue.
The Honourable Ted Baillieu, Premier and Minister for the Arts in the State of Victoria stated that the exhibition, which had already travelled to Monaco, Rome, New York and London, could only be seen at the Bendigo in Australia. The exhibition sold a record 26,000 tickets.
The exhibition runs up to 17 June, 2012 at the gallery’s space in View Street, Bendigo. The exhibition has been curated in conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Grimaldi Foundation in Monaco. The exhibition will not be displayed anywhere else in Australia.
Sandra Bruce, the Gallery's Collections Manager explained that the plush velvet stage drapes ‘complemented the exhibition and gave a great sense of expectation to people as they entered the show’.
Specialty Theatre worked closely with Fitzroy-based Design Office Australia Pty Ltd on the assignment.
