Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibition at Queens College Explores the Quinceañera Coming-of-Age Ceremony Through Fashion and Oral History Soundscapes September 25 – December 18
—Seventeen quinceañera dresses and accessories on loan from the Queens Latin American community will be displayed; motion-activated audio interviews on the tradition to play throughout the exhibition, which is free and open to the public—
What: A free Hispanic Heritage month exhibition at Queens College, “Quinceañera: Dress and Memory in Latine Culture,” features seventeen dresses and accompanying accessories that have been worn as part of actual quinceañera celebrations dating back to the 1990s. The items were loaned by members of the Queens Latin American community. A motion-activated system will play audio from six interviews with people from various backgrounds commenting on the significance of the quinceañera tradition in their lives. Conducted by the theatre company What Will the Neighbors Say, the segments touch on themes of private life, family and community, tradition, and the significance of quinceañera dresses. As part of the exhibition, Queens College Fashion and Design Program students handmade fabric flowers that are displayed throughout the space.
The exhibition grew out of an assignment for the Queens College Fashion and Design class, “Dress Matters: Contemporary Dress Experiences,” taught by Emily Ripley, who also directs the college’s Fashion and Design Program. Student Stephanie Giraldo-Deabreu wrote about her quinceañera dress and ceremony for an essay assignment that asked students to describe an encounter with an aspect of dress. Giraldo-Deabreu’s submission inspired Ripley, who also serves as curator and collections manager of the Queens College Fashion and Textiles Collection, to stage an exhibition celebrating the symbolism of the dress and the quinceañera ritual.
A free, public opening reception will take place on Thursday, September 25, from 6 to 8 pm. Free, public programs are planned in conjunction with the exhibition. Please click HERE for a full schedule.
When: The exhibition is on display from Thursday, September 25 through Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Visuals: Please click HERE for exhibition b-roll and photos, and quinceañera photos of Stephanie Giraldo-Deabreu, Daphne Rodriguez, and Ashly Segundo, whose dresses appear in the exhibition.
Credit exhibition b-roll and photos to Beethoven Bong and Andy Poon, respectively, Queens College. Quinceañera photos of Giraldo-Deabreu, Rodriguez, and Segundo are made available courtesy of them.
Where: The Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College
65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367
Please click HERE for museum hours and visitor information.
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Background
In Latin cultures, the traditional quinceañera celebration is considered a rite of passage signifying a 15-year-old young woman’s entry into adulthood. Elements of the quinceañera ceremony include a Catholic mass followed by a reception. The origins have been described as a mix of “pre-Columbian rituals and . . . colonial practices from Spain and France.” Following European traditions, the ceremony is structured around a court, with the quinceañera escorted by a chambelán de honor (a brother or close friend), and an entourage of damas (female members of a “court of honor”), who usher her through the ceremony.
Dress and accessories play symbolic roles in the event. The dress is central to the quinceañera celebration as the “event’s focal point . . . as the young woman embodies womanhood by donning the ornate and often expensive dress in the context of dance and public performance.” Shoes are also emblematic of the tradition as the quinceañera changes from flat shoes to high heels during the ceremony. Other accessories include a tiara, earrings, a ring, a rosary and a bible, and what is called “the last doll.” The doll wears a miniature version of the quinceañera’s dress and is “surrendered” by the quinceañera as a symbol of her coming of age. Other items include a small pillow, and capias or ribbons inscribed with the name of the quinceañera and the date, which may be offered to the guests.
Exhibition partners include the theatre company What Will the Neighbors Say, the CUNY LGBTQIAA+ Consortium, the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute, Queens Memory Project, the Wagner Archives of LaGuardia Community College, and Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders, in addition to several Queens College entities. This exhibition is funded by PSC CUNY Research grant, a Queens College School of Arts Multidisciplinary Faculty Project grant, and the Godwin-Ternbach Museum.
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