A gallery tour and reception will be held for the new exhibit “Art of the Aloha Shirt” at the Washington State Museum in Tacoma next month.
This event will include a Tiki cocktail talk, a fast-paced tour of the gallery, and a presentation from a local collector of vintage aloha shirts. Refreshments will also be served. Such events are often promoted throughout a city with poster printing.
Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, Dr. Linda A. Bradley, will lead the gallery tour of the new exhibit and provide an overview of where aloha attire started, as well as insight into the broader historical and cultural significance of the style. Bradley’s research focuses on clothing and textiles as material culture and explores the psychological, historic, cultural, and social aspects of clothing.
David Bader, a local collector, will share examples of aloha shirts that are part of his collection and discuss how the style has changed throughout the years.
Renee Cebula, cocktail historian, will talk about the history of tiki cocktails, which involves Los Angeles and the Caribbean more than Honolulu and Tahiti, and how tourism affected the beverages people drank on the islands. A tropical mocktail will also be provided as part of the talk.
This reception and tour will take place on Thursday, August 18 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
