This talk is free with admission! Purchase your general admission tickets below.
Join MCD on the closing day of Beau McCall: Buttons On! for a powerful conversation between artist Beau McCall and Levi’s Brand Historian and Director of Archives Tracey Panek. Moderated by Souleo - a cultural icon, McCall’s muse, and the curator of Buttons On! - the discussion delves into the significance of buttons, denim, and wearable art as well as the themes of social justice, music, and personal identity so vividly present in McCall’s work and Levi’s history.
Beau McCall has worked with buttons for almost 40 years, transforming buttons into vibrant, narrative-rich wearable and visual art. Key to Beau’s wearable art is denim—a practical material choice capable of withstanding the weight of buttons and serving as a powerful platform to document slavery, systemic racism, and social justice movements.
Tracey Panek has been with Levi’s for over a decade and now serves as the Brand Historian and Director of Archives. With deep knowledge of the company’s evolution, she will trace Levi’s journey from its founding during San Francisco’s Gold Rush in 1853 to its influential collaborations with musicians, artists, and activists.
Together, Beau, Tracey, and Souleo will explore the intersections of race, fashion, identity, and art—grounded in Beau’s dazzling and deeply personal practice. Don’t miss this mighty meeting of minds on the closing day of Buttons On!
Visitors can come early, between 1-3pm, and denim button brooches with Beau McCall during our Button Brooches and Levi's Love workshop.