Free and open to the public. All programming will take place in the UC Irvine School of Humanities. Visitors are welcome to attend one, two, three, or all four events.
COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26
Gallery Exhibition Viewing Hours
ICONIC: An Illustrated Tribute to the Revolution of Fashion
2:00-6:00 PM
Humanities Gateway 1030
No registration is required to tour the exhibition.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27
Gallery Exhibition Viewing Hours
ICONIC: An Illustrated Tribute to the Revolution of Fashion
2:00-6:00 PM
Humanities Gateway 1030
No registration is required to tour the exhibition.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 -- EVENING PROGRAM
Gallery Talk with Artist Nicole Updegraff
Followed by Evening Gallery Viewing Hours
6:00-7:30 PM
Humanities Gateway 1030
Click here to register if you are a member of the UCI community
Click here to register if you are not a UCI student, staff, or faculty member
Join artist Nicole Updegraff for a special gallery talk exloring the making of ICONIC: An Illustrated Tribute to the Revolution of Fashion
In her gallery talk, Updegraff will highlight the development of ICONIC, from original concept and research to the writing, illustration, and exhibition design. Learn the stories behind some of the exhibition's most powerful portraits and histories, and why preserving cultural legacy--and expanding the histories our institutions recognize--matters.
The presentation will be followed by an audience Q & A and evening gallery viewing hours.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28
A Masterclass on Creativity, Design and Storytelling with Nicole Updegraff
5:00-6:30 PM
Humanities Instructional Building 135
Click here to register if you are a member of the UCI community
Click here to register if you are not a UCI student, staff, or faculty member
In this masterclass, Updegraff will share her journey as a creative professional, offering insight and advice for students of all ages who share a love of art, creativity, and storytelling. She will also explore the power of experiential and immersive storytelling, and how engaging audiences in unexpected ways can create deeper emotional connections and transform the way stories are experienced, understood, and remembered.
All are welcome. No prerequisites or special skills are required to participate.
ABOUT ICONIC
ICONIC is a first-of-its-kind narrative and visual exhibition that sits at the intersection of fine art, fashion history, and Black cultural legacy.
Conceived as a hybrid between art gallery, interactive museum experience, and cultural anthology, ICONIC explores the dynamic evolution of fashion through the lens of Black creativity. Designed to educate, inspire, and engage multigenerational audiences, the exhibition honors 100 Black designers, stylists, and fashion and cultural icons, ensuring their legacies and contributions are experienced, studied, preserved, and given the institutional recognition their innovation, influence, and impact deserve.
ABOUT NICOLE UPDEGRAFF
Nicole Updegraff is an international fashion illustrator, writer, and creative director based in Los Angeles, whose distinctive, elevated illustration style sits at the intersection of art, beauty, fashion, and culture. Since the release of her children’s book, I LOVE My Cotton Candy Hair! in 2009, Nicole has worked across the U.S., Europe, Japan, and West Africa. Her work spans bespoke personalized commissions, book illustration, live event activations, creative campaigns, and elevated illustration projects for private collectors and global brands.
