A New Jersey woman was asked to leave the Metropolitan Museum of Art last weekend after a security guard mistakenly thought she stole clothing from the museum's Costume Institute, according to a published report.
Eliza Vincz, a 26-year-old woman from Burlington, New Jersey, with a hobby for wearing centuries-old clothing, denounced her treatment by a security guard at the Manhattan museum last weekend after she said she was told she couldn't be in the museum in a costume, according to NJ.com.
"I was furious and embarrassed. I felt like a criminal in the one place where I get a lot of my inspiration for my clothing. It hurt--it hurt terribly," Vincz told the website.
Vincz reportedly planned her visit to the museum to speak to a group called the "Shady Ladies," for a tour encompassing fashion and beauty in art. Unfortunately, she had to cut her presentation short.
"The Met doesn't have a dress code, but there are guidelines for what visitors can bring in and what activities are allowed in the galleries, and the Museum's security officers are also there to ensure that anyone entering the building isn't going to unnecessarily disturb fellow visitors or put the art at risk," a museum spokeswoman said in a statement to NJ.com.
Vincz told NJ.com she was simply paying homage to work she held in high regard.
In a post on her blog, "Silk and Sass," Vincz wrote: "I’ve never been so embarrassed in my entire life; I was treated like a criminal for volunteering to help a tour and sharing my love for history. I’ve been going to the Met ever since I was a child and was enthralled by the artwork and history it held."
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Following the incident, Vincz stated that she was still in a state of shock, and that an apology from the Met is needed.
