Press Release

IF YOU LIKE FRIDA, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…
Plenty Of Options For Frida-philes Making A Weekend Out Of Their Visit To Philly To See Her Work In Its Only East Coast Showing

PHILADELPHIA, January 17, 2008 - It’s the first time in 15 years that a major exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s art has toured the U.S., and from February 20 through May 18, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is the only East Coast museum where art lovers can view her groundbreaking paintings. Those who would like to extend their Philly visit into an overnight or a long weekend will have plenty of options for rounding out their stay thanks to a variety of annual events, one-time exhibitions and funky shops carrying Frida-inspired goodies:

Eye's Gallery

Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

 

• The owners of Eyes Gallery trek through Mexico scouting for unusual art, jewelry, housewares, clothing, musical instruments, masks and traditional “Dia de los Muertes” (Day of the Dead) sugar skulls. 402 South Street, (215) 925-0193, www.eyesgallery.com
• Every day is Cinco de Mayo at El Quetzal in Chestnut Hill, chock full of hand-thrown pottery, crafts, clothing and artisan-made jewelry imported from south of the border. 8427 Germantown Avenue, (215) 247-6588
• Oaxaca, Chihuahua and other centers of Mexican creativity don’t seem so far away at Indigo Arts. The galleries are packed with art by modern Mexican magical realists, ritualistic dance masks, antique retablos (altar paintings) and Dia de los Muertos icons and collectibles. 151 N. 3^rd Street, (215) 922-4041, www.indigoarts.com
• The next best thing to an original Frida is a reproduction of an iconic Kahlo painting or Frida-inspired books, clothing, jewelry and other merchandise that reflects the joy of Mexican art, available at the Philadelphia Museum of Art gift shop. 2601 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 684-7960, www.philamuseum.org
• The bilingual staff at the Taller Puertorriqueno gift shop can help visitors choose from an array of original crafts, jewelry, vejigante masks, art by Latino artists and Spanish and English language cookbooks. 2721 N. 5^th Street, (215) 426-3311, www.tallerpr.org

• The final days of winter are enlivened by the Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Themed Jazz It Up!, this year’s show features scenes and entertainment celebrating the culture and beauty of New Orleans. March 2-9. 1101 Arch Street, (215) 988-8800, www.theflowershow.com
• Some artists create paintings, others create furniture. Some of the nation’s best artisans will display their one-of-a-kind home furnishings during the Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show at the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal. March 15-16. 5100 S. Broad Street, (215) 832-0060, www.philaifs.com
• For two weeks each April, the film world converges on the city for the Philadelphia Film Festival, a non-stop feast of juried full-length films, indie features, shorts, documentaries and other cinematic offerings. April 3-15. (215) 765-9700, www.phillyfests.com
• Mexico’s Mayan heritage takes center stage as scholars and Mayan descendents lead workshops, lectures, gallery tours, a Mayan banquet and a despedida (farewell) during the 26^th annual Maya Weekend at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. April 11-13. 3260 South Street, (215) 898-4000, www.museum.upenn.edu
• More than 50 of the nation’s most prestigious dealers will exhibit their rare finds at the Philadelphia Antiques Show. In addition to the museum-quality furnishings and other items, this year’s collections, on view at The Navy Yard, will feature maritime antiques made or used in Philadelphia. April 12-15. 5100 S. Broad Street, (610) 902-2109, www.philaantiques.com

• Four contemporary Latina artists join together to celebrate their common connections during Frida and Me, Common Threads at the Projects Gallery. Doris Nogueira-Rogers, Michelle Angela Ortiz, Marilyn Rodriguez-Behrle and Marta Sanchez present works that reflect on the intertwining relationships between various identities and cultures of Latin American female artists. February 1-23. 629 N. 2^nd Street, (267) 303-9652, www.projectsgallery.com
• Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray at the Delaware Art Museum features about 50 of Muray’s photos of Frida Kahlo, dating from 1937 to 1941. The images celebrate Kahlo’s deep interest in her Mexican heritage, her life and the people significant to her. February 2-March 30. 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, (302) 571-9590, www.delart.org
• In her day, 19^th-century artist Cecilia Beaux was as much an iconoclast as Frida was in hers, racking up a list of “female firsts.” Cecilia Beaux, American Figure Painter, an exhibition of 85 of her works, will be on exhibit at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. February 2-April 13. 118 N. Broad Street, (215) 972-7600, www.pafa.org
• Sculptor Susan Opie combines wit, surrealism and her own unique perspective in an exhibition of her works at the James A. Michener Art Museum’s Outdoor Sculpture Program. March 15-June 22. 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, (215) 340-9800, www.michenermuseum.org
• Whether it is Kahlo’s striking magical realism or Renoir’s dreamy pastels, great art is great art. The Barnes Foundation houses one of the world’s most renowned collections of works by Renoir, Degas, Matisse, Picasso and other legendary Impressionists and post-Impressionists. 300 N. Latch’s Lane, Merion, (610) 667-0290, www.barnesfoundation.org
• Even Diego Rivera, Frida’s muralist husband, would be impressed with the scope of art found on a Mural Arts Tours. Thrice-weekly docent-led tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at some of the city’s more than 2,700 murals. Departs from Independence Visitor Center, 6^th & Market Streets, (215) 685-0750, www.muralarts.org

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.

CONTACT:

Donna Schorr, GPTMC
(215) 599-0782, donna@gptmc.com

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