By Cherri Gregg

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The African American Museum of Philadelphia opens its highly anticipated exhibit today titled, Come See About Me: The Mary Wilson Supremes Collection.

“It was exciting when we would buy gowns, it was exciting when we were going to a show and trying to figure out ‘which one are we going to wear?’”

Listen to Cherri Gregg’s full interview with Mary Wilson in this CBS Philly podcast:

Mary Wilson is an icon and, after decades in the spotlight, the new exhibit showcases 30 gowns from her time with the phenomenal Supremes, as well as rarely seen video footage, gold records, photographs and more.

One of the Queen Mother dresses, worn by the group in 1968. (Credit: Cherri Gregg)

But Wilson says it’s about more than just chiffon and sequins. “It’s about pop history and it’s also about American history and it’s also about Black history,” says Wilson. “It’s about all of those things – it’s about America through music.”

Wilson says the gowns speak about women’s rights, the civil rights music and pop culture.  She says she cannot choose a favorite gown, but her most memorable ones are tied to events and the times when her dreams collided with reality.  Like the 30-pound, bejeweled “Queen Mother” gowns the group wore when they met the Queen Mother in 1968.

“Those are definitely the most special of them all, because of what they represented– three little black girls singing before the royal family,” says Wilson.

The exhibit runs through June. For more information, click here.