Events

Eiteljorg events celebrate the creativity and inspiration of Jerry Lee Atwood’s western wear designs

By Madison Hincks, public programs manager

Join us at the Eiteljorg Museum in July for events that celebrate the dazzling western wear of the ongoing exhibition Cowboy Couture: The Fashion of Jerry Lee Atwood.

If you haven’t experienced Cowboy Couture yet, you will see suits that tell their wearers’ stories through elaborate chainstitched embroidery and rhinestones. The suits were designed by Jerry Lee Atwood, an acclaimed Indianapolis tailor. Country musicians and other celebrities have commissioned Atwood to create their eye-popping outfits for music videos and awards shows.

Cowboy Couture continues at the Eiteljorg through Aug. 2. You can get into the spirit of country music and western fashion during two dynamic Atwood-exhibit-related events.

Saloon Night
3 to 7 p.m. July 3
At the museum’s Free First Friday Evening event July 3, celebrate with us at Saloon Night, an evening of dancing and country music. Admission to the museum and exhibits, including Cowboy Couture, is free or pay what you can. After you explore the galleries, head outside to the Eiteljorg’s outdoor terrace along the downtown canal. Learn how to line dance with instructor Jeff Smilko at 5 p.m., and then put your lessons to use when local roots-music group the Indy Annies take the stage at 6 p.m. for a free concert.

Nominated for the 2023 Americana Artist of the Year award by the Midwest Country Music Organization, “the Indy Annies are here to remind folks of the power a woman can wield with just her voice and a guitar,” according to their website. Be sure to grab a custom cocktail from the cash bar and a snack from the museum café.

 

Stitching Strength film screening
4:45 to 8 p.m. July 10
It will be a more introspective evening one week later: On July 10, join us for Hope Never Goes Out of Style, a night that celebrates strength, hope and resiliency through fashion. During the event, watch a screening of the short documentary Stitching Strength, and learn how Dr. Richard Bedlack, a Duke University neuroscientist researching treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), uses his personal style to inspire hope in his ALS patients.

Director of the ALS program at Duke University where he is the Stewart, Hughes, and Wendt Distinguished Professor of ALS, Dr. Bedlack is known for his bold, vibrant outfits. He commissioned Atwood to create a royal blue Fashionably Fighting ALS suit for him that features intricate designs, representing his courageous patients as well as his medical research. The suit now is on view in Cowboy Couture.

Stitching Strength’s website describes the documentary as a story about Dr. Bedlack’s radical approach to medical care, his message of hope, and his patients “who refuse to be defined by their diagnosis and the families who turn grief into art, music, and action.” Dr. Bedlack has earned numerous awards for his work, including America’s Best Doctor, the American Academy of Neurology Patient Advocate of the Year, and Best Neurology Teacher at Duke, among others.

After the film screening, Dr. Bedlack and Jerry Atwood will hold a panel discussion about their collaboration and work. Enjoy a cash bar, light hors d’oeuvres and stop by the red carpet to take a photo and commemorate the event.

This event is a partnership between the Eiteljorg Museum and ALS Lived Experience Advocacy Program (ALS LEAP), an arm of the ALS Hope Foundation. Ticket proceeds will go toward ALS LEAP’s mission to improve access to ALS educational and advocacy conferences for individuals living with ALS and their caregivers. The film screening requires registration and has an additional fee; visit Eiteljorg.org/events for details.

 

 

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Storyteller magazine. 

 

 

 

Support the Eiteljorg. Click here.