A role model, a muse, a best friend—Barbie™ has meant something to people all over the world.
Now through September 20, Barbie™: A Cultural Icon exhibit is at the Washington Pavilion in the Visual Arts Center’s Everist Gallery. The traveling exhibit opened on June 12 in downtown Sioux Falls and is full of pop culture, fashion trends, and photo opps, including a full size Barbie™ Car.
The show first debuted in 2021 and has since appeared at major venues including the Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona, the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Minnesota, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, the Cincinnati Museum Center in Ohio, and the New York State Museum in Albany.
“Our team is genuinely thrilled to bring Barbie™ to Sioux Falls, because this is the kind of exhibition that connects with so many different generations,” said director of education and museums Maddy Grogan.
The show takes visitors from 1959 to present day, examining how culture and trends have shaped the global phenomenon. Fun facts about Barbie™ are strewn about the gallery, including the premiere of Ken in 1961 and the iconic pink becoming associated with the famous doll in the 1970s (Pantone 219C, specifically).
It also showcases how Barbie™ is the most diverse and inclusive doll line with over 35 skin tones, 94 hairstyles, and nine body types.
“Barbie™: A Cultural Icon is colorful and fun, but it’s also thoughtful and rich with history,” said Grogan. “There is a wonderful sense of nostalgia, but there is also a lot to discover about design, identity, careers, and how society has changed over time.”
The exhibition features more than 150 vintage dolls, artifacts, and life-size fashion pieces, along with custom-themed displays, video media, and interviews with Barbie™ designers.
Trends are highlighted from the 1950s to today, from early fashion ensembles to Space Age inspiration to disco and beach culture to professional careers, expanding representation and contemporary style.
“The exhibit helps guests see Barbie™ not only as a toy, but as a lens for understanding what people valued, imagined, and celebrated in each decade,” said Grogan.
Did you know?
Today, Barbie™ has had over 250 careers (and counting).
Over 300 artifacts from 65 years of Barbie™ are displayed, including an original Barbie™ Dreamhouse.
Visitors have the opportunity to feel like the doll themselves with themed backdrops throughout the space.
“Guests can expect fun moments throughout the exhibition, including immersive settings and larger-than-life elements that make visitors feel like they have stepped into her world,” described Grogan. “The Barbie™ box-style photo opportunities and the Malibu Barbie™ surfboard are especially fun for families, friends, and fans who want to capture the experience.”
Grogan says she believes the famous doll has remained important because she has continually evolved with the world around her. Since 1959, Barbie™ has reflected fashion, careers, design trends, changing ideas about representation, and the many ways people imagine their futures.
“The exhibition includes so many memorable highlights, including the original 1959 Barbie™.”
Maddy Grogan
“Few objects can serve as both a nostalgic time capsule and a mirror of cultural change in the way Barbie™ can,” said Grogan. “She’s instantly recognizable, but she’s also constantly being reinterpreted for new generations.”
People also connect with Barbie™ because she invites imagination.
“For kids, Barbie™ can be a way to tell stories, try on different roles, and dream about what they might become,” said Grogan. “For adults, Barbie™ often brings back memories of childhood, creativity, and play.”
She continued, “Across generations, people see something personal in her, whether that is a favorite doll, a meaningful career, a fashion moment, or the idea that possibilities can be bigger than what we first imagine.”
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