Alexandra James Salichs ’18 Curates Cinema Exhibition for Academy Museum

Film and Media Studies alum Alexandra James Salichs ’18 is part of the curatorial team behind Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema, a new exhibition that opened October 6 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The exhibition, which runs through July 13, 2025, investigates the role of color in film through scientific, technological, and artistic lenses.

As Research Assistant for the project, Salichs worked alongside Senior Exhibitions Curator Jessica Niebel, Assistant Curator Sophia Serrano, and Curatorial Assistant Manouchka Kelly Labouba to create an immersive exploration of cinematic color. In conversation with Variety, Niebel emphasized how the exhibition aims to educate audiences about an often overlooked aspect of film history, noting “With every new color technology, there were new ways of cinematic expression.”

The exhibition features six unique galleries showcasing over 150 objects spanning from the 1890s to present day, including iconic pieces like Dorothy's ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, the green dress worn by Kim Novak in Vertigo, and Jamie Foxx's blue ensemble from Django Unchained. The exhibition also features a hands-on Color Arcade, where visitors can interact with color through physical movements.

The exhibition is part of PST ART: Art & Science Collide, a landmark regional event exploring intersections of art and science. It is accompanied by a film series, The Wonders of Technicolor, celebrating the technology’s impact on Hollywood productions. 

Salichs, who received her MA in Film and Media Studies from Columbia, is currently pursuing her PhD in Cinema Media Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on Latinx and Latin American representation and film history, with particular emphasis on Puerto Rico. She has presented at conferences including Visible Evidence and the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, and her work has appeared in Critical Studies in Television. She has worked at the Tribeca Film Festival and Hamptons International Film Festival.