EDMOND — There was nothing there. The galleries were bare; the white walls spotless except for the scraps of paper with indications of what would be coming.

Then, Oklahoma City Museum of Art film curator Brian Hearn began using his words like a paintbrush to fill the galleries with colorful fabrics, jewels and the magic of the movies he loves so much.

He was giving me a back-stage glimpse at the new exhibit — which will be open by the time you read this — Sketch to Screen: The Art of Hollywood Costume Design.

“We wanted to create an exhibition that integrated our film program,” Hearn said. “We wanted to make it a survey of American film history which is also sort of the story of American history. And we didn’t want it to be just memorabilia, we wanted to educate the public about the role of the costume designer — how collaborative their role is in the process of picture production.”

Hearn’s co-curator is Jennifer Klos.

“She arrived at the museum just as we were getting this exhibition together,” Hearn said. “She has a background in fashion and decorative arts so that was extremely helpful. We’d never exhibited garments in our galleries before. There were a lot of challenges and a big learning curve.”

And the museum’s done an amazing job of pulling together fabulous costume pieces from a number of sources. The result is a survey of nine decades of filmmaking.

Visitors begin in a gallery that features the silent screen.

“That was an interesting time because the film studios were just getting up and running,” Hearn said. “A lot of times the stars dressed themselves in their own clothing. Often costumes weren’t created to last beyond the production.”

One of the oldest pieces in the collection is a tattered dress which Mary Pickford wore throughout the 1922 film “Tess of the Storm Country.”

“It’s amazing it survived,” he said.

A couple of iconic items in this section include Charlie Chaplin’s hat, his oversized “Little Tramp” shoes and his roller skates from “Modern Times.” Visitors will also see a maroon and purple silk cropped jacket heavily decorated with metallic thread and beads. It was made in Spain for screen idol Rudolph Valentino’s roll as a matador in “Blood and Sand.”

Femmes fatales from Claudette Colbert’s Cleopatra to scary siren Sharon Stone are represented in another section, while Scarlett O’Hara gets her own corner. The three costumes from “Gone with the Wind” are the only reproductions in the exhibition. These replicas came from the David O. Selznick Collection at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas.

Each of the 10 sections of the exhibition is packed with treasures — over 85 original garments and accessories worn by many of Hollywood’s biggest names are on exhibit. Garments range from simple to sensational, including the corduroy jacket worn by Robert Redford in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and a 65-pound, fawn velvet gown — weighed down with beads and jewel-like trim — worn by Greta Garbo in “Queen Christina.”

Through costume, many movie genres are on show. Superman’s suit and Fred Flintstone’s fur tunic share space with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine outfit. Gangsters and slickers shine in sartorial splendor while astronauts and firemen rub shoulders with Robert DeNiro’s boxing robe.

One section emphasizes women’s fashions. An elegant green silk gown worn by Keira Knightley is so fragile it can’t be shone on a figure but is displayed on a slant board. One of Audrey Hepburn’s sophisticated Givenchy suits stars in this category, while Reese Witherspoon’s pink suit from “Legally Blonde 2” risks being upstaged by a model of her Chihuahua Bruiser complete with coat, hat, leash and sterling collar.

Musicals make a big splash with costumes from “Mamma Mia,” “New York, New York,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “The Sound of Music,” “Jupiter’s Darling” and “Sweet Charity.”

“And the winner is” is the title of the final section featuring creations of Oscar-winning costumers.

“From the Academy (of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), we were able to locate photographs of the designers with their Oscars,” Hearn said. “This is one of the main things we’re trying to do with this show. These people are unbelievably unappreciated. We’ve admired their work for decades. We can think of the garments but not the designers.”

And then Hearn took me into the work area where experts were preparing the garments for display. Everyone wore white gloves, and white paper shrouded the finished figures. Hearn pulled back the paper to give me a closer look at some of the remarkable costumes. I can’t wait to see them in the finished exhibition.

In addition to the garments, there’s a lot of supplementary material on display, including design sketches, still photos and video clips. And the audio tour devices play bits of interviews of designers talking about their craft.

As if all this weren’t enough, the museum’s film series will feature a number of films related to the exhibition. On June 2, author and collector Sandy Schreier will speak about her couture and costume collection and her book “Hollywood Dressed and Undressed.” To paraphrase Ed Sullivan, this is a reel-y big show.  The exhibition ends Aug. 15. Don’t miss it.

For more information about the exhibition, film and lecture series, go to www.okcmoa.com or call 236-3100.



ELAINE WARNER is an Edmond resident.