"Frida: Beyond the Myth" Opens at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond is currently hosting "Frida: Beyond the Myth," an exhibition running from April 5 through September 28, 2025. This exhibition features over 60 works by Frida Kahlo, including self-portraits, still lifes, and rarely seen pieces, many of which have seldom been displayed outside of Mexico. The exhibition aims to provide a deeper understanding of Kahlo's life and art, moving beyond her commercialized image to explore how her personal challenges influenced her work. The exhibition is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and co-curated by Dr. Agustín Arteaga and Sue Canterbury. VMFA is one of only two U.S. venues to host this exhibition.

Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) was a Mexican painter known for her deeply personal and symbolic self-portraits. Her work often explored themes of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Kahlo's life was marked by physical suffering due to polio in her childhood and a severe bus accident at age 18, which led to numerous medical complications and chronic pain. These experiences profoundly influenced her art, as she used painting as a means of coping with her physical and emotional pain.

"Frida: Beyond the Myth" showcases many of Kahlo's most important paintings and drawings from the beginning of her career in 1926 until her death in 1954. The exhibition includes self-portraits, still lifes, and compositions from her imagination. Also on view are photographs of Kahlo taken by many of those closest to her, including internationally renowned photographers Lola Álvarez Bravo, Imogen Cunningham, Julien Levy, Dora Maar, and Nickolas Muray.

The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the Eugene McDermott Director, and Sue Canterbury, the Pauline Gill Sullivan Curator of American Art, at the Dallas Museum of Art. The exhibition is organized for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by exhibition curator Dr. Sarah G. Powers.

The exhibition offers a rare opportunity for audiences to engage with Kahlo's work firsthand, providing insight into her personal struggles and how they shaped her art. By presenting her paintings alongside photographs taken by those close to her, the exhibition aims to move past the mythology that surrounds Kahlo and explore the inspiring woman behind the work. This approach allows visitors to understand why her paintings have such lasting and universal appeal.

Tickets for "Frida: Beyond the Myth" went on sale on February 1, 2025. Admission is $20 for adults, $16 for seniors aged 65 and over, and $10 for youth ages 7–17 and college students with ID. Children aged 6 and under, as well as museum members, receive free admission. The exhibition is accompanied by English and Spanish interpretive texts, audio guides, and programming to create a more accessible and inclusive experience for all visitors.

By providing a comprehensive view of Frida Kahlo's life and work, the VMFA's exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to connect with the artist on a more personal level, fostering a greater appreciation for her contributions to art and culture.