Katharine Hepburn Museum Announces Partnership and Lecture

Press release

Ensemble worn by Katharine Hepburn as "Tracy Lord" in "The Philadelphia Story" (stage production 1939). Costume designer, Valentina Sanina Schlee (1899-1989). Kent State University Museum, gift of the Estate of Katharine Hepburn.

OLD SAYBROOK, CT - The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center (the Kate) and Katharine Hepburn Museum are pleased to announce a collaborative program with the Kent State University (KSU) Museum on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 7:00 pm at the Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook. The program will highlight the KSU Museum’s current exhibition, “The Hepburn Style: Katharine and her Designers”, which draws from the KSU Museum’s rich collection of clothing and costumes from the Hepburn estate.

Brett Elliott, Executive Director of the Kate, states, “The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is beyond thrilled to partner with the Kent State University Museum for this very special event. Bringing together the only museum of its kind dedicated to the great Katharine Hepburn, and the museum with the largest Hepburn clothing and costume collection, is a match made in heaven. We look forward to this collaboration, and many more as we both continue to share the legacy of a true Hollywood icon.”

The program will focus on Hepburn’s style through an exploration of both her personal wardrobe and her costumes, emphasizing her focus on comfort, line, and proportion. The program pulls together, for the first time, three iconic costume designers who worked with Katharine Hepburn on stage and screen productions. Joanne Fenn, KSU Museum Collections Manager and Registrar, who curated the exhibition and will be headlining the program, states, “The exciting aspect of Katharine Hepburn’s style is that it is enduring. Her choices went beyond fashion trends, incorporating her individuality, and pushing gender norms.” The presentation will also highlight archival items from the Katharine Hepburn Museum and will conclude with a moderated discussion with the audience.

The new Director of the Kent State University Museum, Dr. Sarah Spinner Liska, is committed to building partnerships across the region and country to showcase the museum’s extraordinary collection and open opportunities for exploration, research, and collaboration. “We are delighted to celebrate our current exhibition–and Hepburn’s enduring style legacy – with the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and we are so grateful for the warm welcome in Hepburn’s hometown of Old Saybrook.”

For tickets and information for the December 4th program at the Kate, visit www.thekate.org or call 860-510-0453.

The KSU Museum exhibition, “The Hepburn Style: Katharine and her Designers,” runs through September 28, 2025, more information at www.kent.edu/museum.