Frida Kahlo at the MCA

1970s Artists Exhibitions Firsts

Judith Kirshner describes the origins and reception of Frida Kahlo's first solo exhibition in the United States.

When I was in school in New York, as I’d mentioned, a close friend is a terrific art historian. Her name is Hayden Herrera, and she wrote the first biography of Frida Kahlo. And in conversations with Hayden, we decided to do the first ever American exhibition of Frida Kahlo here in the US, and it was at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

And I think it was before the sort of fashion from Frida Kahlo, so it went a little bit under the radar. And then as I said, over time, there was a groundswell of interest in her work, and Dolores Olmedo actually came to the city and was quite cross at the reception we gave her because she felt we were all too young to celebrate the experience that she’d had with Frida Kahlo and Diego [Rivera]. So that was a very important moment, and part of what I said is the sort of more historical chapter. And the staff there were incredible. We actually had to send people to Mexico to help bring those pictures out of those very, very private and sometimes secret collections.

Installation view, Frida Kahlo, MCA Chicago, Jan 13–Mar 5, 1978. Photo © MCA Chicago.

Installation view, Frida Kahlo, MCA Chicago, Jan 13–Mar 5, 1978. Photo © MCA Chicago.

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