TORONTO – A new exhibit on iconic New York nightclub Studio 54 will turn the Art Gallery of Ontario into a disco inferno later this year.

Organizers at Toronto’s AGO say “Studio 54: Night Magic,” will showcase the music of the era, alongside a collection of hundreds of photos, films and designer fashion from the legendary celebrity nightlife hot-spot.

Studio 54 opened its doors in 1977, converted from an old CBS TV studio, and closed only three years later. But in its short life, the club became known for its spectacle, debauchery, style and inclusiveness.

Guests spanned everyone from Andy Warhol to Diana Ross and Margaret Trudeau to Elton John. Beyond the big names, the club was known for drawing a crowd outside who would dress in their best threads, hoping to get invited past the red velvet rope.

The AGO says the exhibit will “explore the revolutionary creativity, expressive freedom and sexual liberation” welcomed in the club, while positioning Studio 54 within the broader historical context of the period with various memorabilia from the time.

Studio 54: Night Magic opens at the AGO on Dec. 26.

The collection is curated by Matthew Yokobosky, senior fashion curator at the Brooklyn Museum, while the AGO installation will be overseen by chief curator Julian Cox.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published September 30, 2020.