Barbie exhibition comes to Duluth, adding pink to the city’s convention center

DULUTH – The original Mattel Barbie stands tip-toed in an enclosed display on the lower-level of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center: black and white chevron swimsuit, heavy-lidded eyes and a smile that communications director Lucie Amundsen compared to the Mona Lisa’s.

She is among the 65 years of Barbie history on display as part of the “Barbie: A Cultural Icon” exhibition that runs through Sept. 22 at this downtown venue. The show, which requires entry beneath a pink arch and through pink doors, includes 300 pieces ranging from rows of high-fashion, high-ambition dolls to Barbie-centric photo opportunities. Stand crook-armed in a life-sized Barbie or Ken box. Grab a pal and get behind the wheel of Barbie’s pink Corvette. Sit in a Barbie birdcage chair. Stand next to a Barbie surfboard.

Amundsen said great care was put into the showcase. A handler wiped each of the doll’s faces and tidied their hair with special tools before the exhibition opened.

The show is curated by Karan Feder with pieces pulled from toy-maker Mattel and the private collection of David Porcello, whose Barbies are also showcased in the book “Barbie Takes the Catwalk.” The exhibition originally opened in 2021 and was shown in Phoenix and Las Vegas. It will continue to tour after it moves on from Duluth.

Signage tells the history of the doll alongside the evolution of the fashions, from disco to bridal wear, and careers ranging from astronaut to doctor to athlete. There are retro televisions and human-sized Barbie outfits. Each display brings a blast from the past for Barbie fans. During a recent visit, guests cooed over the square soft-sided carrying cases for dolls and a woman was delighted to be reunited with a favorite ballet-dancing version. She had the Barbie at home, but still, it was a favorite.

On Thursday, the DECC hosted dozens of super fans for a VIP event where guests in glittery pink arm bands arrived by way of a glittery pink runway. The house drink was pink lemonade, and the finger-food sized servings of lemon cake had pink frosting flowers. The DECC’s executive director Dan Hartman had found a pink suitcoat at a local store.

“This is for people sad they didn’t get to the Eras Tour,” Amundsen joked. She might have been one of them. She was waist-deep in pink tulle.

Guests’ Barbie-wear ranged from wide-brimmed hats to high, high heels. The most eye-catching belonged to Katelyn Mayne, whose middle name was almost “Barbie” — initially homage to an aunt named Barb who nixed it, but a name that would have remained relevant to the Barbie aficionado with long, blonde hair popped into a high ponytail for this event.

Mayne repurposed for the night a shiny blue jumpsuit she originally made to see the movie when it dropped last summer. She wore rainbow legwarmers, pink sweatbands and pink pumps. She’s actually more of a cowboy Barbie girl, she confessed, but has long been drawn to the whole scene.

“I just love the iconography,” she said.

An elevator carried visitors the two floors between the party and the exhibition. Even the elevator had a pink-padded stool tucked into the corner.