'Frida Kahlo: Her Photos' Debuts at Artisphere

An exhibition of 240 personal photographs of renown Mexican artist Frida Kahlo debuted Thursday at in Rosslyn, the first and only U.S. venue to present the work.

"Frida Kahlo: Her Photos" runs through March 25.

More than 6,500 personal photographs and items belonging to Kahlo and her husband and artist Diego Rivera were sealed and put into storage upon Kahlo's death in 1954, according to Artisphere.

The collection was opened, inventoried and catalogued in 2007. Kahlo was a lifelong resident of the Mexico City suburb Coyoacán, one of Arlington's sister cities. Arlington County Board member Chris Zimmerman personally went to Coyoacán at his own expense to make sure the exhibit landed in Rosslyn.

"This is big," Vice Chairman Walter Tejada said earlier this month. "...There is a buzz about it in the art world and the media about this."

From Artisphere:

"The collection of photographs in this exhibition reflect Kahlo’s tastes and interests, the experiences she shared with those close to her, and her complicated, but also thrilling, personal life. Viewers get an insider’s look, not only through who was behind the camera, in front of the lens or the anonymous nature of some of the work but also through the annotated writing found on the back of many of the photographs. 

From family pictures and snapshots taken with lovers to images that reveal relationships with Russian Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky and American photographers Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, artist Georgia O’Keefe and actress Dolores del Rio, this exhibition provides a glimpse into Kahlo as never seen before."

Artisphere produced the exhibition in collaboration with the Frida Kahlo Museum, the Embassy of Mexico, the Mexican Cultural Institute, Arlington County and with support from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District.

It was initially facilitated by the Arlington Sister City Association, according to Artisphere.

Artisphere has lined up a long list of complementary programming while the exhibit is here, including films, music and workshops. Click here for a schedule and ticket prices.

Artisphere will be open extended hours while the Kahlo exhibit is on display:

• Mondays: Closed
• Tuesdays through Fridays: 4 to 11 p.m.
• Saturdays: Noon to 11 p.m.
• Sundays: Noon to 5 p.m.

The exhibit is free to view.