Current Exhibitions

NURTURING THE ARTIST:
Student Life From the FIT Special Collections

November 1–December 1, 2025

Graphic poster incorporating a photograph and two headlines. Photograph is depicting a group of smiling people (in full figure) standing next to each other. This is the focal point of the graphic; camera's pov is looking down at the group, with people looking up into the camera. Above the group two phrases appear in large lettering. The straight line of text in white at the top of the poster reads: "Now appearing!; the yellow text bordered by a string of stars at the top and the bottom of the line arch immediately above the group of people reads "F.I.T.'s star-studded cast".
Now Appearing! FIT recruitment poster circa 1970s/1980s (FITA Promotional Materials: Special Collections and FIT College Archive)

FIT Special Collections, part of the Gladys Marcus Library, is known for its fashion documentation through rare periodicals, fashion plates, monographs detailing all aspects of the industry, and unique manuscript collections. These materials provide entrance into often unpublished behind-the-scenes processes critical to fashion design, marketing, forecasting, and research.  

The College Archives, a lesser-known part of the Special Collections, documents the history of the college, our evolving programs, and the student body over eight decades. At this momentous time, on the cusp of ushering in new leadership when longstanding President Joyce F. Brown retires, we delved into the College Archives to explore documentary evidence of how students, their work, and campus life in general has been recorded since the college’s inception in 1944. 

Moving forward, the Special Collections of FIT is actively working to expand its holdings to include more contemporary and diverse designers and makers operating in a variety of fields, as well as aiming to capture a broader geographic scope of work across fashion, design, and art. 

Two newly acquired, as yet unprocessed, collections included in this exhibition—the Douglas Says Collection and the Steven Cutting Collection—are examples of this expanded vision.

Nurturing the Artist is curated by FIT Special Collections and College Archives, Gladys Marcus Library.

 

Gift of Making: A Whimsical Celebration of Art, Design, and Creativity at FIT

Poster for the Gift of Making exhibition. Title in decorative letters at the top, and a watercolor style illustration in blue, purple, and white tones, depicting a composition of digital and traditional art and crafting tools, such as a pencil, a brush, a thread, scissors, a measuring tape, an analog photo camera, and a computer mouse.
Gift og Making exhibition poster

November 20, 2025–January 11, 2026
Art and Design Gallery Windows

The Gift of Making transforms the Art and Design Gallery’s windows into a whimsical celebration of creativity and craft. Inspired by the enchantment of holiday displays, the installation invites viewers into a “winter tale” about the joy of designing and making. Each window unfolds as a chapter in this story, featuring student artwork from all 17 majors in the School of Art and Design. Stacked, open-fronted gift boxes serve as cabinets of curiosity, framing the inventive objects, garments, and images that represent the many facets of art and design at FIT. Interwoven with playful ribbons, floating snowflakes, and maker's tools, the displays evoke the shared spirit of creativity and the community of makers behind it.