Grammy Museum opens Dolly Parton exhibition
Dolly Parton is known for a lot of things: her musical career, her acting, her philanthropy and, yes, her busty physique. But Parton’s public image is also largely formed by her fashion presence, particularly the outfits she dons during her performances. The Grammy Museum is paying homage to her sense of style with its newest exhibit, “Diamond in a Rhinestone World: The Costumes of Dolly Parton.”
Michael Sticka, the museum’s executive director, said Parton will be honored at Sunday’s Grammy Awards as the MusiCares Person of the Year. He said the award recognition helped spawn the creation of the exhibit.
“We felt that having a physical presence that lasted longer than just one night for her fans and for the public to come and see was very important,” Sticka said.
The exhibit, which opens Tuesday, not only showcases Parton’s extravagant gowns but also features her suits and other less traditional costumes. Attendees can walk around the exhibit while listening to Parton’s greatest hits, such as “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5” overhead. The exhibit will likely be a big hit for avid Parton fans because it features costumes from specific performances such as her Grammy appearances and “Dolly Parton Live from London.”
One of the crucial parts of the exhibit was the display of three costumes from Parton’s time on “The Porter Wagoner Show,” a country music television show from the 1960s. Sticka said the evolution of Parton’s style throughout her career is a key aspect of the exhibit’s appeal.
“When you look at [the “Porter Wagoner” costumes], you notice they’re a bit more simple,” he said. “But then as you progress throughout her career you notice there’s a bit more sequins, more rhinestone — they’re flashier and I think personally that they fit her personality.”
The eight-time Grammy Award-winning Parton is certainly an extravagant personality, and that has always been reflected in her outfits. From her rhinestone-laden gowns to her ’70s-style full-denim outfits, Parton has certainly proven worthy of her own fashion exhibit.
“This is our first major exhibition on fashion, so having it be with Dolly Parton is just amazing,” Sticka said.
However, the exhibit lacks the kind of depth that would make it enjoyable for someone less familiar with Parton’s career. The plaques that come with each part of the exhibit simply describe what event and year it came from, occasionally adding in a video of the performance. They don’t explain what made the selection stand out from all the other possible outfits the museum could have taken from Parton’s eclectic catalogue. For non-superfans of Parton’s work, there isn’t much to experience aside from the considerable uniqueness of each costume.
Although the lack of explanatory information makes the exhibit repetitive, there are many colorful gowns which, while they are quite interesting when taken individually, blend together when considering the exhibit as a whole.
There are a few auxiliary attractions that keep the exhibit from being monotonous. The walls are lined with depictions of Parton throughout the decades, including a velvet painting of a young Parton accompanied by a meta photo of the singer playing the guitar in front of the painting. There is also a telephone booth-sized dark room where viewers can watch a music video for “Girl in the Movies,” part of Parton’s soundtrack for the 2018 film, “Dumplin,” starring Jennifer Aniston.
“Diamond in a Rhinestone World” is certainly an interesting exhibit and succeeds in portraying Parton’s flamboyant style. However, there was another level of immersiveness — especially for the casual admirer — that the museum sadly fell short of attaining.