The Phillips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College will present the exhibit "The Global Language of Headwear: Cultural Identity, Rites of Passage, and Spirituality" through Thursday, April 24. The exhibit presents 89 hats and headdresses selected from a private collection of more than 1,300 pieces of international headwear.

The exhibition features hats from 42 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America, and it is a tribute to the diversity of the world's cultures. With a few exceptions, the pieces are from the mid- to late 20th century, and many are still worn today in parts of the world for revelry, ritual, and the rhythms of everyday life. They exhibit a profusion of shapes, styles, and materials, as well as the ingenious use of embellishments. The exhibit is organized into five thematic sections: Cultural Identity; Power, Prestige and Status; Ceremonies and Celebrations; Spiritual Beliefs; and Protection.

The exhibit was curated by Stacey Miller, an independent curator of ethnographic headwear. She has spent more than 30 years collecting and researching the cultural significance of hats and headdresses. Since 2000, she has delivered educational programs, lectured, hosted special events, and curated numerous exhibitions based on her collection. Her long-term vision is to establish a museum of world cultures as a way to promote cross-cultural interest and understanding.

Museum admission and programs are free. Phillips Museum of Art's open hours through April 24 will be noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays except during spring recess, Saturday, March 8, through Sunday, March 16. The Phillips Museum of Art is located in Steinman College Center, 628 College Ave., Lancaster. For more information, visit www.fandm.edu/phillips-museum.

"The Global Language of Headwear" was jointly organized by Miller and International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.