News: Las Vegas Design Center Unveils VIVA FRIDA, Showcasing Works of Frida Kahlo

08.25.10

• (LAS VEGAS)-"Viva Frida" brings revolutionary Mexican folk artist Frida Kahlo's work to Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas August 26 through September 17.

  The exhibit, presented by the Consulate of Mexico in Las Vegas and co-sponsored by Las Vegas Design Center, includes 34 images of her art and life providing a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. It coincides with the celebration of Mexico's Independence Bicentennial on September 16, and the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution on November 20.

  Born July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, Mexico, Kahlo faced a life of physical challenges, including polio at age 6. A trolley collision in her late teens left her body shattered, but served to inspire her artistic spirit. It was during her bed-bound recovery that Kahlo began to paint. While her physical and emotional pain shows through in her work, her paintings also demonstrate her ability to rise above.

  "The vivid ranges of colors that characterize her paintings are intensely lively and can be somehow identified with a constant celebration of life through her art, in spite of her personal painful life," says Atzimba Luna, consul for community affairs for the Consulate of Mexico in Las Vegas.

  Luna added that Las Vegas Design Center is an ideal location for the show. "This exhibition is an excellent fit for Las Vegas Design Center because it is a place oriented to the promotion of art through design," Luna said. "Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential iconographic figures not only in the art scene, but even her very personal sense of esthetics has become a style, itself, for interior designers looking for inspiration for contemporary Mexican design."

  Kahlo became known for her seemingly simple folk art with fiery undertones commenting on gender, politics and culture. Though her career received recognition in her lifetime, she didn't receive cult status until after her death in 1954. In 2001, the United States Postal Service unveiled its Frida Kahlo stamp. The next year, Frida, a biographical film starring Salma Hayek as Kahlo was released. Hayek received an Academy Award nomination for her role.

  Margaret Casey, director of programming for World Market Center Las Vegas, says one of the goals of World Market Center Las Vegas and Las Vegas Design Center is to provide programs and exhibits that enrich the community. "'Viva Frida' is an exciting opportunity for everyone, from school children to adults, visitors and locals alike to understand the importance of Frida Kahlo, a revolutionary and an artist in every sense of the word."

  Las Vegas Design Center and the Consulate of Mexico hosted a sneak preview of "Viva Frida" for teachers via the K-12 Arts Leadership Retreat August 24. Teachers will be sharing what they learned with students when taking field trips to Las Vegas Design Center. In addition, the Consulate of Mexico hosted an invitation-only opening reception for "Viva Frida" August 25 at Mundo: A Culinary Haute Spot, located at Las Vegas Design Center.

  The free exhibit will run at Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas in the Atrium of Building A, located at 495 Grand Central Parkway, through September 17 and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. For more information call (702) 599-3093 or email info@lvdesigncenter.com.

  About Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas

  Sitting at the epicenter of the world's fastest growing home furnishings complex, Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas is a year-round resource for design-seeking consumers and designers showcasing top names in fine furniture, decorative accessories, wall décor, lighting, floor coverings, fabrics and trim. Now open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., LVDC boasts hundreds of leading manufacturers' lines. An important source of education for the industry, Las Vegas Design Center also attracts many of the industry's most prominent thought leaders to its comprehensive slate of seminars, networking receptions and other sought-after events. Las Vegas Design Center is home to the recently opened Mundo: A Culinary Haute Spot. For more information, visit www.lvdesigncenter.com.