10 July 18-24, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | Culture | Night+Day | News | Letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | The Art of the Doll A Barbie collection takes over the Old Davie School Historical Museum. BY ISABEL RIVERA J ust shy of the Barbie movie’s first anniversary, the Old Davie School Historical Museum reminds us that South Florida is still in its Bar- bie era. After all, a quick walk down Ocean Drive will show you that “life in plastic” is more than just a tagline here. Staged at the museum’s 1912 Viele House, “Barbie Girl! A Collector’s Showcase” pays homage to the doll’s pop culture takeover last summer while stirring up nostalgic affection for her 65-year journey. On display are more than 300 Barbies with accompanying acces- sories and memorabilia spanning six decades, just a small peek into curator and collector Constance Ruppender’s personal collection. Ruppender’s history with the Mattel doll started when she was 8 years old and was gifted her prized 1960 No. 3 Ponytail Barbie. Donning poodle curls and a vintage hand- painted face, this model was often sold along- side Barbie’s debut outfit, a 1959 zebra-print swimsuit also featured in the exhibition. It is currently valued at $1,000. “I love fashion, and Barbie is the queen of the fashion world,” Ruppender tells New Times about what drew her to the doll and sparked her to start collecting. “She’s an international fashion icon, and all of the great designers have dressed her at one point or another.” Though the 1912 home seems an unlikely venue to house the decade-hopping career woman, “Barbie Girl!” is an extension of Ruppender’s years-long relationship with the Old Davie School. She was the museum’s executive director in the early 2000s and founded its annual Tea With Barbie event in 2011. When current executive director Leslie Schroeder proposed that the collector rehome her Barbies for the exhibition, it only took a quick think in her doll room before she hauled boxes of beige and blonde vinyl outfitted in endless shades of pink. The result? A 30-minute journey through Barbie’s rose-colored history. Upon entering “Barbie Girl!,” visitors are greeted with a wall of toy-sized fashionistas and immersed in the bubblegum pop sounds of Barbie the Album. The first room chroni- cles Barbie’s start in the toy industry, dedi- cated to Ruppender’s childhood vintage dolls, before chronologically unfolding throughout the house with timestamped collections like Barbie Fashion Model, Barbie Basics, and Barbie Fashion Avenue. Dolls are tucked into the Viele House’s cupboards and splayed out on dining tables, reminding us it’s Barbie’s world and we’re just living in it. A final room allocated to all things Barbie movie closes out the exhibition with a refresher on the toy’s modern-day impact. Ruppender guarantees that each visitor will find a doll that speaks to their unique personality, emphasizing Barbie’s uncanny ability to bring much more than just aesthet- ics to the table. “That’s the fun thing about Barbie — each person has a different take on her,” she ex- plains. “I’ve stood in line at the grocery store wearing a Bar- bie T-shirt, and the person behind me or in front of me will comment. Next thing you know, we’re having a deep discussion about her social impact and the significance of what she’s done. Ev- ery person has a Barbie story, even people who don’t like her.” She maintains that while the outfit oppor- tunities hooked her in, it’s the doll’s influen- tial role in women’s empowerment that keeps her a lifelong fan and is the heartbeat of the showcase. “Barbie made it so that girls could do what- ever they wanted to. She had all these careers that inspired young girls and women to want more,” Ruppender emphasizes. “That was what Barbie creator Ruth Handler wanted — for girls to imagine what they could be. To me, that’s the most powerful thing Barbie’s done.” “Barbie Girl! A Collector’s Showcase.” On view through Friday, July 26, at Old Davie School Historical Museum, 6650 Griffin Rd., Davie; 954-797-1044; olddavieschool.org. Tick- ets cost $10. [email protected] ▼ Culture Photo by Carina Mask / AMI Photo “THAT’S THE FUN THING ABOUT BARBIE — EACH PERSON HAS A DIFFERENT TAKE ON HER.” “Barbie Girl! A Collector’s Showcase” will precede the museum’s annual Tea With Barbie on July 27.
