During every exhibition, we offer Curator Tours, an opportunity for visitors to experience exhibitions in the company of a FIDM Museum Curator. Recently, Curator Kevin Jones led a very unique tour. Read on to find out more!
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I receive many calls to setup gallery tours whenever we have exhibitions, and most of the time the interested parties are social groups looking for activities for their members. In early February, I had a call from a young guy wanting to book a surprise, after-hours tour for his girlfriend who loves costume design and sewing…and he wanted to arrange this on their Valentine’s Day date night. Adorable! But he wanted to take it one step farther and PROPOSE to his sweetheart! Well, his timing couldn’t have been better. We not only had our annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition installed, but also BLISS: 19th Century Wedding Gowns from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection…Perfect! The future groom wanted to pop-the-question at the end of the tour, and in what better environment than surrounded by a century of beautiful bridal wear. Bells were ringing in my ears…I was going to play cupid!
To help out with this surreptitious romance, our future bridegroom’s parents were commissioned to prepare the scene for the BIG QUESTION, and younger brother was on hand to take photos (they all hid in the back of the Galleries until the moment-of-truth). I loaned a card table from the Museum office, and the soon-to-be in-laws set out a lovely tablecloth, flowers, and a suitcase. Yes, an old, brown leather suitcase. Inside was a sign that lifted up when the case was opened asking, “Will You Marry Me?” It was made of white foam-core and had been punched through with a sharp instrument forming the letters, then threaded through with red (it was Valentine’s Day!) yarn spelling out the words in stitches. Remember, our bride loves to sew. Obviously, this was very well thought out. But our romantic lead had planned a more permanent expression of his love and creativity with THE RING! Yes, mom gave me a sneak peak, it’s lovely…diamonds! And engraved around the underside is a needle and thread…a fitting symbol for tying the knot.
By the way, she said, “Yes!”
The Proposal. Standing outside the Gallery with a long lens, our bridegroom’s younger brother caught the moment-of-truth!
“Yes!” Always watching, a security camera records the drama of the first proposal in the FIDM Museum Galleries that we know of…and we sent the recording to the happy couple.
Success. Introducing Trevor and Amollia, the future Mr. & Mrs. Clarke. Congratulations!
We at the FIDM Museum & Galleries wish great happiness and success to our lovebirds. We hope they will keep in touch and send us an update…especially about THE DRESS!!
