Celebrating Frida Kahlo

“I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”
~ Frida Kahlo

Celebrating Frida Kahlo’s Legacy
Earlier this week, we celebrated Frida Kahlo’s birthday. She was born on July, 6th 1907. It’s been fifty-five years since Frida’s passing and her legacy continues and she continues to inspire many, especially within the artist community.
As I was remembering Frida this week, I referred back to my favorite Frida book entitled Kahlo by Andrea Kettenman (info. available at www.taschen.com) and smiled as I came across the page that highlighted the fact that in the early 1940’s, she gave back to her community by teaching at a School of Painting and Sculpture under the administration of the Ministry of Public Education were students were taught practical techniques and were sent out into the streets of Mexico to receive their inspiration from Mexican reality. Many of the students came from low incomes so tuition and materials were provided free of charge.
According to her students, “What she taught us, fundamentally, was love of the people, and a taste for popular art.” I love to hear stories about Latina’s giving back.
Watch this video by Artist Amalia Mesa-Bains talks about the reception of Frida Kahlo's work in San Francisco. Enjoy!

This weekend, we encourage you to celebrate Frida Kahlo’s legacy by visiting one of the many museum’s featuring her works of art in your area:

LACMA ~ Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
http://www.lacma.org/programs/awmcoconuts.aspx

SFMOMA ~ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard)
San Francisco, CA 94103
http://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/15228
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street between Mission + Howard Streets San Francisco, California 94103 USA

We also encourage you to support your local artists and the following organizations that support art education for young Latino community:
http://www.angelsgateart.org/donate.html
http://www.lamoa.net/u-help-details/