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well-known photographers were friends, associates and colleagues of Frida’s, Cantley says, so it’s fitting that their works should appear in this recently unearthed collection of her prized possessions. Frida Kahlo grew up around her father’s photographic studio and reportedly even worked as his assistant from time to time, helping mix chemicals and process prints. There is no doubt her early artistic interests were fostered and supported in her family home. Among her photos are not only self-portraits from which she painted, but also photos of her beloved animals. Frida was known for keeping a menagerie in her house that included cats, monkeys and birds. Some of her beloved dogs were Xoloitzcuintli, a breed of Mexican hairless dog that looks similar to the Chihuahua, but with longer legs. At the exhibit’s opening, fans of Frida and this famous breed will be allowed to bring their dogs, and many are expected to show up in costume. 36 JAVA MAGAZINE As an extension of the traveling show of photographs, the Heard Museum invited local artist collective the Phoenix Fridas to curate a related show honoring Frida Kahlo. For Los Favoritas de Frida, the Phoenix Fridas scoured the Heard’s permanent collection for items that connected to Frida Kahlo’s life and indigenous roots and assembled a collection including objects such as Oaxacan women’s garments, ceramics and textiles. Displayed centrally are some Zapatec tapestries from Oaxaca, which museum staff say are very rare. The walls of the Lovena Ohl Gallery, located closer to the museum’s entrance, are painted in daring greens, blues, yellows and reds to match the vibrant colors of Frida’s artwork and the decorative arts of Oaxaca. The Los Favoritas exhibit includes hands-on activities for Frida fans of all ages, including a letter-writing station (Querida Frida) and a mock kitchenette called Cooking with Frida where younger visitors can pretend to fry felt tortillas and stir kettles over an imaginary cooking fire. Opening weekend, human-sized puppets, or flacas (the artistry of Carmen and Zarco Guerrero) will dance around the courtyards of the museum. The flacas are built as giants, and a human player, or puppeteer, animates them from inside. One of these flacas, an enormous Frida puppet, on loan from the Guerreros, will greet patrons at the door near admissions. First Friday (Nov. 6) should be a full house at the Heard when the museum hosts “Frida in Focus” from 6 to 10 p.m. Guests are invited to dress up as Frida and her friends (there will be a photo booth on site), and local dance artist and choreographer Liliana Gomez will present a special dance performance. Gomez invited six other dancers and cast them in solos and duets based on some of Frida Kahlo’s paintings, including The Two Fridas, Frida and Diego Rivera, and Self Portrait with Cropped Hair, as well as a photo of Frida by Nicholas Muray. Gomez explains her personal connection to Frida Kahlo in her artist statement. “The work
I created is based on the research I did on each painting and also reflects what she means to me as a female artist. Each dance is emotional and heartfelt, and after viewing them all, I hope the museum patrons can gather the connection between them. Each piece created for the evening represents different versions of Frida; who she was as an individual, who she was in her marriage, her sexual fluidity, the woman Frida wanted to be, and who she became after her death,” Gomez writes. “My family spent Saturday afternoons sharing stories about art and history from my culture. We learned about Frida Kahlo and many other painters from Mexico,” Gomez says. “My parents collected Mexican-inspired art and home decor, and every weekend we searched for beautiful objects and bright colors to add to the warmth of our home. The home my parents created inspired creativity and imagination. In a way, it was a prelude to my life as an artist.” Also the night of Nov. 6, musician Ruben Galicia will perform in the Central Courtyard and Clandestino will perform in the Steele Auditorium. The Palabra Collective will also be on site, creating “Frida-style hairstyling” for a $10 donation. The Heard will also host a Frida-inspired dining experience, “Fiesta con Frida,” Dec. 4, Cantley says. “Fiesta con Frida” will offer a buffet-style party spread including mole, poblano peppers, meatballs in chipotle sauce and corn pudding with chiles in cream. The dishes that will be served are based on Frida’s Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo, co-authored by Guadalupe Rivera, Frida’s step-daughter. Tickets are $35 for members and $45 for non-members, available online. Frida Kahlo’s life was short; she died at age 47 in 1954 after undergoing more than 30 surgeries for complications after a devastating bus accident she suffered during her college years. But her intensity and eccentricity inspired generations, and through her many loves, she lives on. January 31, 2016, the Heard hosts “Espiritu de Frida,” a panel discussion on contemporary Latina artists. The panel will include Vanessa Davidson, Phoenix Art Museum’s Curator of Latin American Art. For more Frida-inspired events at the Heard Museum, visit www.heard.org. Frida Kahlo, by Lola Álvarez Bravo, ca. 1944 ©Frida Kahlo Museum Frida Kahlo, by Guillermo Kahlo, 1926 ©Frida Kahlo Museum Frida stomach down, by Nickolas Muray, 1946 ©Frida Kahlo Museum Frida painting the portrait of her father, by Gisèle Freund, 1951 ©Frida Kahlo Museum Frida Kahlo after an operation, by Antonio Kahlo, 1946 ©Frida Kahlo Museum Diego Rivera (in his study at San Ángel), Anonymous, ca. 1940 ©Frida Kahlo Museum Frida Kahlo in the Blue House, Anonymous, 1930 ©Frida Kahlo Museum JAVA 37 MAGAZINE
Page 1 and 2: 240 • NOV 2015 CAMILL E SLEDGE LA
Page 3 and 4: RWAY Contemporary Condominiums Visi
Page 5 and 6: Carolyn Lavender, Portrait (detail)
Page 7 and 8: FOLKLORE, FAMILY AND FRIDA By Rober
Page 9 and 10: Lalo Cota From Folklore to Phoenix
Page 11 and 12: appreciate what you do. There is on
Page 13 and 14: Camille Sledge Soul PAOwer By Demet
Page 15 and 16: Fresh Seafood FLOWN IN DAILY “Top
Page 17 and 18: Sailor Glam shirt, S/S 1982, prêt
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Page 24 and 25: “In the lexicon of contemporary e
Page 30 and 31: Photo: Mackenzie Canavarro Bryant V
Page 32 and 33: MANIC MONKEYS Go West EP ACTION JET
Page 34 and 35: The Heard Museum Brings FRIDA KAHLO
Page 38 and 39: GIRL ON FARMER A Purrfect Plan By C
Page 40 and 41: NIGHT GALLERY Photos By Robert Sent
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Page 48: First Friday At Phoenix Art Museum

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