New York, NY (December 2, 2021)
For the first time ever, some thirty, performance gowns, exclusively selected from the private collection of Jane Morgan, spanning the singer’s illustrious stage, screen, TV career, from the 1950’s-1980’s, will debut at The Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk; February 1st – May 21st, 2022.
For Morgan, who has a Star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame; twice sang the winning song at the Oscars; received numerous awards and accolades across her international singing career, and is well known for the special gowns she wore for every appearance, including singing and performing for Royalty; Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana; Heads of State; French President, Charles A.J.M. de Gaulle; Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, James E. Carter, Jr., Ronald Wilson Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush;, Jr; the time is right to bring the collection to the public.
As Morgan says, “They’re just so magnificent. It’s hard to believe I even wore these treasures.” Some of them are so intricate and complicated you’d have to have a road map to get into one of them.”
Throughout the time-consuming process of readying the gowns for the Exhibition unpacking, sorting, selecting, preparing, the specially made and specifically constructed gowns “perfect confections”, she notes each piece decorated with an abundance of dazzling, luxurious embellishments; sequins, beading, feathers, French lace; intricate embroidery, finest fabrics; Morgan worked closely with Bonnie Bien, owner, La Presse PR, who as a teenager, travelled with and personally assisted Morgan for four years.
Morgan hand-picked Bien to help with the gown selection/preparation for the Exhibition, particularly because of Bien’s first-hand knowledge of the collection and the famed designers who created the unique, one-of-a-kind gowns; Kathryn Kuhn, Donald Brooks, Stephen Yearick, Ben Reig, Ruben Panis, Oleg Cassini, Monte Streitfield, Marion Wagner.
The Exhibition, which focuses on Morgan’s desire to find a good and charitable purpose for the gowns which she wore on stage, takes the pieces from the long, packed-away time in boxes, straight to the public eye; first in Kennebunk and then, travelling to other locations across the country, with the goal of collection showings at other prestige places, such as the new, Museum of Broadway, set to open in Times Square, summer 2022.
For Morgan, who realized from the start that the unique gowns needed to be housed in an equally unique and eclectic way, the idea for the Museum presentations was the only way to go.
As she puts it, “no one was getting to see all these fabulous pieces. My goal was to find the best way to exhibit a sampling of the gowns; share them in a fabulous, Museum setting, the ilk of The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, where both Kathryn Kuhn and Ben Reig have pieces.
As a further testament to Morgan’s legacy and enduring fame, solidifying her and her songs as classic and timeless, her well-known song, “If I Could Live My Life Again”, was chosen for the closing music of Season 2, Episode 10, of the Apple TV hit, “The Morning Show”, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
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