Frida and Friends : Icons of Art
Dates: October 7 – December 20, 2025
Location: The Arts Center Main Gallery
This exhibition is anchored by a collection of self-portraits by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). Two oil paintings on canvas are featured, as well as seven pencil drawings on paper. Kahlo began her artistic career while recuperating from a severe bus accident that occurred in September of 1925. Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress (1926) is known to be her first attempt at a self-portrait painting.
Kahlo’s interests in art and politics led her to meet Diego Rivera (1886-1957), whom she married in 1929. A pencil drawing by Rivera is included in this exhibition, as well. Rivera had arrived in Europe in 1907, and in 1914 embraced Cubism, a style pioneered by Picasso and George Braque (1882-1963). Though Rivera and Picasso had a falling out in 1915, their relationship has been described as a complex dialog that affected both their individual paths and the history of modern art. A pair of hand-shaped earrings Picasso gave to Kahlo is featured in one of her self-portraits. Six works by Picasso are included in this exhibition.
The French writer and co-founder of Surrealism, Andre Breton (1896-1966), visited Rivera in Mexico in 1938 and was immediately impressed with Kahlo’s work. He helped to arrange exhibitions for her in New York in 1938 and Paris in 1939. Breton’s involvement in Surrealism led him to know artists such as Salvador Dali (1904-1989), who was living in Paris during Kahlo’s exhibition in 1939. Eight of Dali’s works are included in this exhibition. While Kahlo’s work is sometimes associated with Surrealism, there is no evidence she and Dali ever actually met.
About the Artists
FRIDA KAHLO painted vibrant self-portraits that often explored identity and aspects of humanity. She married Diego Rivera, a powerful artist in Mexico who has had long-lasting cultural impact with art in public spaces, though Kahlo also embodied this cultural celebration of Mexican heritage through her artwork, her body, and her life. She began painting at 18 after a bus accident that left Kahlo with a long recovery and chronic paint. Art became a medium to cope with her pain and experiences, as well a driving factor for her career. She became an art educator, a cultural ambassador, and an enduring icon for women.
DIEGO RIVERA is a Mexican muralist whose largely known for his public art pieces that depict social realism in major cities across Mexico. These public mural frescoes were sponsored by the Mexican government, created to encourage a strong national identity in Mexico during the post-revolutionary period. Diego Rivera was well-traveled and participated in other styles, such as learning and practicing Cubism during travels to Europe and through exposure to artists like Picasso. A decade of studying modern art in Europe prepared him technically for his murals after his return to Mexico.
PABLO PICASSO was born the son of an artist. He began his studies early when their family moved to Barcelona and Picasso studied at La Lonja, the academy of fine arts. After developing into a professional and moving through the Blue Period (1901-04) and the Rose Period (1905), Picasso style evolved into cubism. He dabbled in surrealism and became involved with sculpture, maintaining a well-rounded and reincarnated expression.
SALVADOR DALI rebelled against standard artistic imagery! He was often challenging standard conventions in many aspects of his life. Through involvement with the surrealist movement in France and exploring the subconscious mind, Dali would produce “hand-painted dream photographs.” After studying in Madrid, the technical skill he developed bring the bizarre surreal scenes to life, earning Dali status as one of the best known surrealists of that period.
Artists Impact
Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Diego Rivera come at least partially from Spanish descent, though each have a unique style and perspective shown in their work. These Icons of Art impacted and pioneered international art movements during the turn of the 20th century. Pablo Picasso had a strong hand in the cubist movement, which Diego Rivera was exposed to during travel to Europe. Salvador Dali was hugely influential in surrealism. Though Dali and Frida Kahlo never met, Kahlo’s work has surrealist tones as well.. These artists had important influence on each other’s creative development in a global market.