The entrance to the Brooklyn Museum is decorated in celebration of the Frida Kahlo exhibit on display there until 12 May 2019. I visited with a friend on 26 February and was amazed at the collection of Frida’s personal effects. In addition to some of her artwork (paintings as well as pencil and ink sketches) articles of her clothing and her highly decorated plaster casts from her back operations are on display. As my friend said, it was almost like you could feel her in the room, a sensation helped along by video footage of her and her friends and family on screens throughout the exhibit.
An ink stain on the shoulder of one of her blouses made me wonder what she was working on the day it happened. A photograph bore the mark of her bright lipstick. I recognized several of her outfits from the movie “Frida” and from photos I’ve seen of her. Many of the photos of her on display were made by her father, who was a photographer. There were Mexican artifacts she and her husband had collected and displayed in their home. It is truly a celebration of her life, not just her art.
Photography and videography are not allowed in the exhibit, so I had to be content with the above photo in the front lobby. Other than that slight disappointment I thoroughly enjoyed myself and may visit once more to get a second look at some of the items I missed this time around. (Or perhaps I’ll go just to buy the $50 souvenir book, which is chock full of photos I would like to pore over.) It is a large exhibit, with three or four rooms full of items to view. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Frida and her work.