Frida Kahlo’s Garden
Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) is considered one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century. Her body of work, consisting of some 250 paintings and drawings, is at once intensely personal and universal in scope and relies heavily on the natural world. The exhibition Frida Kahlo’s Garden transports visitors to Kahlo’s garden to experience her world as she did.
The garden at Casa Azul (or Blue House), Kahlo’s lifelong home in Coyoacán, Mexico City, was a creative refuge and a source of inspiration for the artist and her husband, Diego Rivera (1886–1957). The garden, which was filled with native plants, housed Kahlo and Rivera’s collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts and folk art displayed on a four-tiered pyramid inspired by the Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan. This exhibition offers insights into the ways in which the garden at Casa Azul, the diversity of plant life in Mexico, and the rich cultural history of the country nourished the creativity of the world’s great artists.
Often overshadowed by her husband’s career and the traumatic events in her life, this exhibition approaches Kahlo from a different angle, to broaden the discussion of the artist by focusing on the influence of her surrounding environment, both natural and nationalistic. This approach examines her garden, her home, and the revolutionary influences that impacted her life.
Kahlo’s works are filled with colorful and compelling depictions of flowers, foliage, and fruits, many native to Mexico. Her choice of botanical imagery reflects the embrace of archetypal Mexican indigenous and natural elements that defined art in the decades following the Mexican Revolution (1910–20). Through her profoundly personal paintings, which convey cultural, spiritual, and intimate messages, her reverence for nature, and her nationalistic fashion sense, Kahlo has become an icon within the artistic world. Visitors to this exhibition will explore iconic photographs of the artist and her home and garden, in addition to reproductions of several of her paintings. Also included are information about native Mexican plants that were grown in her garden, a dress from the Mexican state of Oaxaca where Kahlo sourced many of her dresses, and examples of folk art collected by Kahlo and Rivera. Additionally, visitors will learn about Mexican culture, including traditional festivities, food and drink, and agricultural practices.
Frida Kahlo’s Garden is adapted from the exhibition FRIDA KAHLO: ART, GARDEN, LIFE, organized by guest curator Adriana Zavala at The New York Botanical Garden. It was made possible with major funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Karen Katen Foundation, The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, MetLife Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and Gillian and Robert Steel. Both the original exhibit and this touring version were supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Tour Schedule
Frida Kahlo’s Garden will tour from November 2018 through May 2022. Dates are subject to change; please call for current availability. Contact: MoreArt@maaa.org or (800) 473-3872, ext. 208
- November 10, 2018–January 7, 2019 Arts Center of the Ozarks
Springdale, AR booked - January 28–March 16, 2019 Forest Preserve District of Will County
Channahon, IL booked - April 6–May 25, 2019 Powell Gardens
Kingsville, MO booked - June 16–August 11, 2019 Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County
Yuba City, CA booked - August 30–October 20, 2019 Price Tower Arts Center
Bartlesville, OK booked - November 10, 2019–January 7, 2020 El Museo Latino
Omaha, NE booked - January 28–March 16, 2020 Kenosha Museum System
Kenosha, WI booked - August 15–October 20, 2020 Mariposa Museum & Cultural Center
Peterborough, NH booked - November 10, 2020–January 7, 2021 Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX booked - January 28–March 16, 2021 Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History
Jackson, MI booked - April 6–May 25, 2021 Refurbishment
Kansas City, MO booked - June 16–August 11, 2021 Opera Steamboat
Steamboat Springs, CO booked - September 1–October 20, 2021 William D. Cannon Art Gallery
Carlsbad, CA booked - November 10, 2021–January 7, 2022 Haggin Museum
Stockton, CA booked - January 28–March 16, 2022 Chelsea District Library
Chelsea, MI booked - April 6–May 25, 2022 Saint Bonaventure University
Saint Bonaventure, NY booked
Exhibition Details & Specifications
Curated By
Adriana Zavala, guest curator for the New York Botanical Garden
Organized By
The New York Botanical Garden, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, Kansas City, MOContent
The exhibition features several freestanding units focused on the thematic areas incorporating a selection of objects, artifacts, photographs, and paper ephemera; audio/video features; interactive stations; and wall mounted graphics.
Duration
seven-week display
Rental Fee
$1000
Grant
-
Support
On-site support is free to the opening venue for every new NEH on the Road exhibition and to first-time hosting venues on a limited basis
Shipping:
Expense covered by NEH on the Road. Exhibitor will coordinate with NEH on the Road's registrar for all outgoing transportation arrangements.
Security
Limited
Square Feet
Approximately 2,000 square feet
Number of Crates/Total Weight
19 crates/5,370 pounds
Insurance
The exhibition is fully insured by NEH on the Road at no additional expense to you, both while installed and during transit.