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For culture vultures, textile junkies and the wanderlust afflicted, The Goldstein Museum of Design is a hidden gem, tucked away in the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. The museum is an element of the U's College of Design, and it features exhibits and special events that focus on design, whether it's textiles, clothing, decorative arts or graphic design.
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The Goldstein's exhibitions are often a great way to learn more about other cultures around the world—like the museum's current exhibition "Expressions of Stability and Change: Ethnic Dress and Folk Costume." There are 30 ensembles of traditional clothing from Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Ghana, Laos, Mexico, Portugal, Sweden and still more countries. Seeing these clothes and the intricate workmanship and symbolism that imbue them with meaning is a great inspiration for travel. They speak to cultural pasts, but also where cultures have gone and are going.
If you want to see the exhibit, you need to hurry—it closes on Sunday (hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday). Admission is free, but donations help keep the museum going. For a map with directions to the museum, visit the Goldstein's Web site.