Sneak peek: Huntsville's Warhol exhibit

"WARHOL: film, fashion, photography" opens today at the Huntsville Museum of Art.

Why it matters: It's a landmark exhibit for the museum, and one that offers the region a unique opportunity to see Andy Warhol's work.

The latest: Members of the media got a sneak peek at the four-gallery exhibit on Thursday, soaking in Warhol's trademark pop-art pieces, as well as some of his lesser-known work.

What they're saying: "Our exhibition isn't just focused on the one limited portion of his career," Curator Natalie Mead told Axios. "It has the more intimate views through the photographs, the rarely-seen drawings and illustrations … and even the sense of humor that emerges."

Zoom in: The exhibit opens today and runs through Oct. 18. It starts with a gallery that serves as an introduction to Warhol, followed by galleries focusing on his work in film, fashion, and photography.

Zoom out: Local businesses are pitching in to celebrate, said Daniel Owen, director of communications for the museum.

• Honest Coffee Roasters has a Warhol banana caramel latte, Purveyor has a special Warhol cocktail and Pan e Vino has a special Warhol pizza.

Context: Much of the content of the exhibit was shaped by rejections, Mead said.

• "We were met with as many nos as we were with yeses — or twice as many nos," Mead said. "And that just led to different partnerships, different collaborations."

• Those include the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and Art Bridges.

Driving the news: Typically, the focus is on Warhol's screen prints, Mead said. But what she's most excited about in this exhibition are 10 of his paintings and many of his Polaroids.

• "Paintings rarely leave an institution, so those are really exciting," Mead told Axios.

The bottom line: North Alabamians would otherwise have to travel to Pittsburgh or New York to see Warhol's work, Mead told Axios.