disney treasure trove

Arlington Museum of Art to debut 2 stunning Disney memorabilia exhibits

Mia's coronation crown from Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement.

Photo courtesy of Disney

Disney is bringing its iconic royal heroes (and its villains) to the Arlington Museum of Art with a show-stopping experience for North Texas enthusiasts of all ages.

Starting September 14, two new exhibits will debut over 300 artifacts, costumes, accessories, and more sourced from Disney films and shows over the last 65 years: Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume and All That Glitters: The Crown Jewels of the Walt Disney Archives. Once open, the exhibits will be available for patrons until March 23, 2025.

This will be the first time these two collections will be exhibited at the same time by a single venue.

Heroes & Villains encapsulates the character development of several classic Disney heroes, antiheroes, and villains through the art of costume design and "textural storytelling." A few of the chosen costumes that will be featured in the exhibition include the wardrobe worn by the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus 2, Belle's signature golden yellow ballgown from the 2017 live action Beauty and the Beast, and select costumes from the TV show Once Upon a Time.

For expert Disney lore fans, the dress worn by Letha (played by Bette Davis) in the 1978 sci-fi adventure film Return from Witch Mountain will also be on display in Heroes & Villains.

Cinderella, Arlington Museum of Art, Disney Blue ballgown from Disney's 2015 live action Cinderella.Photo courtesy of Disney

The second exhibit, All That Glitters: The Crown Jewels of the Walt Disney Archives, will take museumgoers on a five-part journey through a Disney character's development and personality via jewelry and accessories.

More than 80 understated costume pieces like earrings, cuff links, and rings will be front and center in the "Every Little Detail" showcase, while "The Feature Vault" is exactly as it sounds: Iconic crowns, tiaras, necklaces, and pendants worn by their famed Disney characters.

Exclusive jewelry pieces that attendees will find in "The Feature Vault" include Elizabeth Swann's pirate medallion necklace (worn by Keira Knightly) in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the coronation crown worn by Mia (played by Anne Hathaway) in Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement, and the voice-capturing shell necklace worn by Melissa McCarthy's Ursula from the 2023 adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

Additional showcases in the All That Glitters exhibit include a chronological collection of "Watches Through the Decades"; a behind-the-scenes peek at the jewelry prop creation process in "Made for Screen"; and "Reflections of Reality," a display and analysis of Disney accessories that were influenced by historical events and people.

“Whether on television, in a movie theatre, or at a Broadway show, when we meet a Disney character for the first time, we instantly begin to understand them,” says museum president and CEO Chris Hightower. "That is how extraordinarily important costume design is to conveying persona and how Disney truly sets the standard of excellence.."

Tickets for the two Walt Disney Archives exhibitions will begin in June, and museum members will get early access to free tickets before the public on sale. More information about the Arlington Museum of Art can be found on arlingtonmuseum.org.

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FIRE STARTER

Dallas chef will bring the heat with Bobby Flay on Food Network BBQ Brawl

Tim McLaughlin/Facebook

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Bobby Flay is bringing beef to Texas, and he’ll have some Dallas starpower in his crew: Pitmaster Tim McLaughlin of Crossbuck BBQ in Farmers Branch will be on the famed chef’s team when Food Network's BBQ Brawl returns on May 11.

They'll be joined by fellow Texas chef Braunda Smith of Lucy Coopers Ice House in San Antonio.

Now entering its seventh season, the Texas barbecue series follows a format similar to The Voice, pairing 12 battling chefs with team captains Flay, Maneet Chauhan, and Brooke Williamson. Each week brings a new live fire challenge, starting with creating the perfect barbecue bowl. Judges Adrienne Cheatham, Rashad Jones, and Carson Kressley will axe one competitor each week of the series, filmed at Star Hill Ranch near Austin.

Braunda Smith/ Lucy Cooper's Braunda Smith will compete on BBQ Brawl. Braunda Smith/ Facebook

McLaughlin and Smith will have some stiff competition. The roster includes pitmasters from Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, and beyond, each bringing their own regional traditions to the pit.

McLaughlin is entering the competition with less TV experience than Smith, but he does film his own "chef tip" videos in the kitchen for social media. He also appeared in a slightly longer-form series on Crossbuck's YouTube channel teaching viewers barbecue basics. McLaughlin's experience as a chef in fine dining has translated to super-sharp skills and an openness to unexpected flavors.

"I've got well over a decade of experience in fine-dining restaurants," he said in the promo. "I've got well over a decade of experience successfully cooking BBQ. I know how to cook just about everything."

His teammate Smith has an advantage over many members of the cast. She’s no stranger to reality competitions, sparring on Guy’s Grocery Games and Chopped in 2023. Although neither resulted in a win, her versatile cooking style impressed both shows’ panels.

"My BBQ reflects all the places I've lived in life: Southern, Cajun, Korean, Hawaiian, and it's got some Texas flair in there,” says Smith in the show’s promos. “You know, we kind of get overlooked a lot in San Antonio. Taking home Master of 'Cue to Lucy Cooper's would just set everything ablaze."

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