Taylor Swift is featured in a massive 250-object exhibition tracing icons as the Victoria and Albert Museum brings its DIVA show to the Denver Art Museum as its sole American stop through January 31.
The Denver Art Museum Lands the Only U.S. Stop for the V&A DIVA Exhibition
Denver secured an exclusive cultural coup for this exhibition cycle when the Victoria and Albert Museum’s survey of stage and screen icons opened at the Denver Art Museum as its lone American destination. The landmark collection pulls together roughly 250 objects and costumes spanning opera, dance, theatre, film, and pop, mapping the careers of nearly 100 performers. Visitors will find artifacts representing legendary artists ranging from Josephine Baker and Maria Callas to Cher, Prince, Whitney Houston, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga.
The ambitious display is organized into two distinct acts. Act One charts the historical roots of the term, tracing its evolution from the Latin word for goddess through 1800s-era operatic phenoms who used their art to secure personal autonomy. Act Two pivots to 21st-century powerhouses, examining how contemporary icons navigate artistic boundaries amidst intense public scrutiny.
From Dolly Parton Hesitation to Taylor Swift Stardom: What the Costumes Reveal
When a museum curator approached Dolly Parton in June 2025 about participating, the singer initially hesitated.
The throughline for all these divas is that they have an exceptional talent, and they have an exceptional voice.
Jill D’Alessandro
Elsewhere in the galleries, visitors can inspect Taylor Swift’s floor-length, scarlet Gucci gown and vintage rhinestone-and-feather headpiece worn for her twelfth studio album’s visual companion, alongside loaner headphones playing her music video for The Fate of Ophelia, which recently won Video of the Year at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
Bob Mackie’s Genial Hand and the Political Platform of Icons
The exhibition also honors the creative masterminds working behind the scenes. Designer Bob Mackie is featured, including Tina Turner’s flame dress.
Jill D’Alessandro said that Mackie is largely responsible for repositioning the trope of the showgirl in the 20th and 21st centuries, shifting it from a position of male gaze into one of female empowerment.
Beyond fashion, the exhibition examines how performers use their influence for social change. An R.E.S.P.E.C.T. section displays an FBI wanted poster for political activist Angela Davis—whose bail was famously offered by Aretha Franklin in an amount worth more than $1 million today—alongside a canary yellow jumpsuit worn by Ella Fitzgerald after she was arrested in 1955 for allegedly breaking segregation laws during a multiracial performance.
Ticketing, Practical Details, and Community Support in Denver
Timed entry is required for all visitors navigating the exhibition. Nonmember adult admission starts at $29 for adult Colorado residents, while DAM members pay $7 and youth 18 and under get in for $5. The museum is situated at 100 W 14th Ave. Pkwy., Denver, with operating hours running Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed Wednesdays.
The Denver exhibition’s presentation is made possible by premier sponsors Joy and Chris Dinsdale, with generous funding from the Avenir Foundation Endowment and presenting support from Jana and Fred Bartlit and Bridget and John Grier. Additional backing comes from Kathie and Keith Finger, Jen and Alex Hardie, Sheila O’Brien, Tina Walls, U.S. Bank, UOVO: Art, Fashion, Wine, Annual Fund Leadership Campaign donors, regional residents supporting the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, and promotional partner CBS Colorado.