"Heart of Frida" Exhibit to Open in Queretaro, Mexico on Jan. 11

Collection features letters and drawings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo

QUERETARO, Mexico - The "Heart of Frida", a collection of emotional and poignant letters and drawings of Mexico's most famous woman artist, will open Jan. 11, 2008 at the Queretaro Art Museum in Queretaro, Mexico.

The "Heart of Frida" is a collection of 37 intimate notes and letters and six drawings of Frida Kahlo that have been hidden for over half a century in Mexico City until discovered in a traditional Michoacan laquered box with the letters "F K" on the lid and "Coyoacan Frida Kahlo 1950" hand painted on the inner lid.
Last year, the exhibit opened at the Casa Maxwell Gallery in San Miguel de Allende and was seen by more than 5,000 visitors. A website was also developed that features the collection, www.frida2007.com.

The letters and notes written by Frida to herself are considered to be the most revealing letters ever seen by the public. Hand-written during the last four years of her luminous yet tragic life, the letters and notes dwell on her stormy relationship with her husband Diego Rivera, on her pro-Stalinist politics, and on the pain and suffering she endured as a result of more than 30 major orthopedic operations.
The opening event on January 11, 2008, will feature a short talk by Arturo Garcia Bustos and his wife Rina Lazo. Bustos is one of "Los Fridos" (students of Frida Kahlo) and a distinguished Mexican Muralist, who authenticated the Collection.

Eight bereavement letters were carefully addressed by Frida to herself at Coyoacan where she lived near Mexico City, each of them pouring out her feelings about Diego, ranging from deep love...to hope...to repugnance: "Your hands made me tremble all over"..."Give me illusion, hope, desire to live, and do not forget me"..."Every time I talk to you I end up dying more, a little more."
The six drawings were produced in 1945. Four were drawn on the backs of losing lottery tickets by Frida, an inveterate gambler who never won the "Gordo" (the big prize). Two of the drawings are multimedia renderings on brown paper. One of these is a self portrait of Frida as a mysterious butterfly. In a note under her signature, she says: "The pain of being a butterfly and to die stuck down by a pin."

The most recent sale of a Frida Kahlo self portrait ("Roots", 1943) was through Sotheby's in May 2006 for over $5 million (usd).

Barbara Levine, an artist and former director of exhibits at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art, called the collection a "jewel of an exhibition" when she toured it on June 1 of this year.
Others agree. "The exhibition, "The Heart of Frida" is truly amazing," said Peter Fish, editor-at-large of Sunset Magazine in California. "It's an intimate, vivid, and sometimes shocking self-portrait of a remarkable artist. Anyone interested in Frida Kahlo should experience it."

"The letters and drawings have elicited very emotional, dramatic responses from visitors who attended the initial showing in San Miguel," said Graeme Howard, the owner of the collection. "Many visitors have cried as they read Frida's brave, sad or angry messages to herself." For more, see www.frida2007.com and click on Visitor' Comments
Frida's letters have been translated into English and appear next to the original at the exhibition. An English-language explanation will also be available to visitors. In addition, the original letters and drawings will be shown plus enhanced versions to facilitate understanding.

The "Heart of Frida" will be open to the public from 10 am to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday at the Museo de Arte de Queretaro, Allende Sur No. 14, located in the city center. The collection exhibit is scheduled from Jan. 11 through Feb. 24, 2008. This is the first museum exhibit for the collection.

Located about 130 miles northwest of Mexico City, Queretaro is one of Mexico's oldest and most charming "silver cities" with an active, pedestrian-friendly plaza in its Centro. Visitors may fly into either the Quaretaro Airport, which is served by Continental and Aeromar, or the Guanajuato-Leon Airport, which has direct flights from a number of cities on American Airlines, Continental, Mexicana and AeroMexico. The Leon airport is a scenic 1 hour and 40 minutes from Queretaro.

For more information on the collection, Frida Kahlo, or to see Visitors' Comments, go to www.frida2007.com or call Kristopher Kegel, Collection Manager 011-52-415 152 6551 or Marcela Herbert Pesquera, Director, Museo de Arte de Queretaro (Queretaro Museum of Art at 011 52 442 212 2357 and 3523)

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