“Worn to be Wild” Comes to the Chrysler

NORFOLK, Va. – (September 8, 2014) – The Chrysler Museum of Art chronicles the wild evolution of one of the most iconic fashion items in history during Worn to be Wild: The Black Leather Jacket, opening to the public on October 3, 2014. Admission is free.

Organized by EMP Museum, Seattle, in partnership with the Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee, the exhibition showcases more than 50 leather jackets worn by motorcycling enthusiasts, World War II fighter pilots, rock stars, celebrities and fashion icons.

Among those featured will be the first leather jacket made by Harley-Davidson in 1929, as well as other jackets from the early riding era. Hollywood will be prominently featured in the collection with jackets worn by Elvis, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 2), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Harry Shearer (This is Spinal Tap), Sid Vicious, Fergie and more.

Fashion will also take center stage in the exhibition. Haute couture as contemporary art will be represented with jackets by world-renowned designers Gianni Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as one by Jeremy Scott adorned with a Keith Haring print.

“Worn to Be Wild is an exhibition that appeals to an extraordinarily wide range of audiences in our community, from the military and American history buffs to bikers and fashionistas,” Chrysler curator Jeff Harrison said. “It is a show that is both historical and hip, with built-in crowd appeal.”

A bonus to the special exhibition is the loan of a fur-collared leather jacket worn by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The Korean War-era outerwear was a gift from the U.S. Navy to the Army leader and is on view courtesy of the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk.

In addition to jackets, the exhibition will feature two classic Harley-Davidsons, a vintage 1920 Model J and a 1956 Model K owned by Elvis Presley. Another Harley will be onsite to provide the perfect backdrop for visitors’ photos.

The celebration begins with a preview party exclusively for Museum Members on October 2. Jim Fricke of the Harley-Davidson Museum, who organized the show, kick starts the evening with a special lecture, then things will shift into high gear with live music from The Bartones.

At Family Day on Nov.r 8, visitors can make a motorcycle or design a leather jacket. And Third Thursdays will also take a wild spin with an Oct.16 lecture by curator Jeff Harrison about Renegades and Rock ‘n’ Roll and a December 18 fashion-forward event with edgy performances. Throughout the run of the show, Worn to Be Wild Wednesdays feature 1 p.m. Gallery Talks about the exhibition, and The Museum Shop features show-themed souvenirs.

Worn to be Wild is on view at the Chrysler through Jan. 4, 2015. Admission to the exhibition and the Museum are free.

About EMP Museum
EMP is a leading-edge, nonprofit museum, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel popular culture. With its roots in rock ‘n’ roll, EMP serves as a gateway museum, reaching multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, using interactive technologies to engage and empower our visitors. At EMP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the popular culture of our time. EMP is housed in a 140,000 square-foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set against the backdrop of the Seattle Center.

About the Chrysler Museum of Art
The recently expanded Chrysler Museum of Art is one of America’s most distinguished mid-sized art museums, with a nationally recognized collection of more than 30,000 objects, including one of the great glass collections in America. The core of the Chrysler’s collection was given to the Museum by Walter Chrysler, Jr., an avid art collector who donated thousands of objects from his private collection to the Museum. In the years since Chrysler’s death in 1988, the Museum has dramatically expanded its collection and extended its ties with the Norfolk community.

In 2011, the Chrysler opened a full-service glass studio to tie with a 560-pound capacity glass furnace, a full hot shop, a flameworking studio, nine annealing ovens, and a coldworking shop. In addition, the Chrysler Museum of Art also administers two historic houses in downtown Norfolk: the Moses Myers House and the Willoughby-Baylor House.

The Chrysler Museum of Art, One Memorial Place, Norfolk, and its Perry Glass Studio at 745 Duke St., are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. The Historic Houses on East Freemason Street are open weekends.

General admission is free at all venues.