Disclaimer: The Fandads were invited to Frida Kahlo: Timeless in exchange for coverage of the exhibit. All thoughts, opinions, and inspiration to create art are our own.
Growing up I did not know much about Frida Kahlo. I have seen her pictures a few times in books and have seen her paintings but I never really knew about her. As I got older I started to get introduced to her art and took art classes to learn more about who she was but felt like I did not get her whole story.
Attending the Frida Kahlo: Timeless exhibit at TheMAC I was given an education about Frida and got to experience her life through different forms of media. From the photographs to the artifacts on display, I got to see what a difficult life she lead and what magnificent art she produced. The exhibit is a great reminder that art can help us transcend into another world and see things from the artist’s point of view. It also shows us that the most beautiful art can come from the most tortured people.
The exhibit takes us through Frida’s life and we are shown highlights of all her accomplishments and her tragedies. The exhibit hall is filled with color from her beautiful dress and even the plaster corsets that she wore. Seeing all of the photographs give you a great sense of who she was and help you in understanding her artwork. This is an exhibit that needs to be experienced a couple of times to truly appreciate it.
For additional information and tickets, visit Frida2021.org.
The exhibition, on view June 5 to Sept. 6, 2021, will be the largest Frida Kahlo exhibition in the Chicago area in more than 40 years, and is hosted by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at the CollegeofDuPage (COD). It will feature a 26-piece collection on loan from the Museo Dolores Olmedo as well as a multimedia timeline, 100+ photographic images from the artist’s life, a family-friendly children’s area and a Frida Kahlo inspired garden designed by Ball Horticultural Company, enabling museum-goers of all ages to grasp an understanding of Kahlo’s life and work through a variety of contexts.
The exhibition and related programming are organized by Frida Kahlo: Timeless Executive Director Diana Martinez (Director of the McAninch Arts Center) in collaboration with Justin Witte, Frida Kahlo: TimelessCurator (CCMA Curator). For more information, visit Frida2021.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt. The exhibition is presented by Bank of America and made possible by the support of Ball Horticultural Company, Wight & Company, Nicor, AeroMexico, The National Endowment for the Arts, DuPage Foundation, Illinois Office of Tourism and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Along with the amazing artwork and exhibition, there will be a series of virtual and in-person events and exhibitions celebrating iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Taking place May to September of 2021, these events will celebrate the artist’s legacy ahead of and during the landmark Frida Kahlo: Timeless exhibition, opening June 5, 2021. Presenting dynamic performances and moving tributes to Kahlo’s legacy from contemporary artists. The full list of lectures, performances, discussions and in-person activities can be found at https://theccma.org/frida-events. Please note that some of the events are free to the public while others might require an additional fee.
If you can not make it to The MAC and want to see Frida’s work projected along the riverwalk, beginning July 5,a new piece of digital artwork celebrating iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo will be projected onto the 2.5-acre river-façade of theMART as part of Art on theMART’s Summer Series. Created on the occasion of the landmark Frida Kahlo:Timeless exhibition at CCMA and the MAC(June 5 –Sept.6, 2021), the most comprehensive presentation of Kahlo’s work displayed in the Chicago area in over 40 years, the piece will remain on display through September 16, with all projections shown nightly at 9 and 9:30 p.m.
Animated by illustrator and international projection-mapping artist and former COD professor George Berlin of Glen Ellyn, the piece will feature several of Kahlo’s most recognizable works including Self Portrait with Small Monkey(1945) and Self Portrait in a VelvetDress(1926).In addition, the piece will be accompanied by one of the most popular Mexican contemporary classical orchestral compositions“Danzón No. 2,” by Mexican composer Arturo Márquezand performed and recorded by New Philharmonic conducted by Kirk Muspratt.
Frida Kahlo: Timeless has been designed with health and safety as a priority. CCMA and the MAC will implement touchless ticket-taking and timed entry, temperature checks upon arrival and social distancing markers in accordance with CDC regulations. Hand-sanitizing stations and HEPA filters have also been installed throughout the space. Guests must wear a face covering at all times during their visit to Frida Kahlo: Timeless. For more information about COVID-19 precautions, please visit theccma.org/safety-protocols.
