Frida Kahlo: Timeless, an exhibition showcasing the life of 20th-century artist Frida Kahlo, recently opened at The Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. It is the largest presentation of Frida Kahlo’s work displayed in the Chicago area in more than 40 years.

(Credit: Clare Britt, Courtesy of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art)

The presentation features 26 original pieces and a historical exhibit of the life of Kahlo. There are more than 100 photographic images and a multimedia timeline with replicas of notable objects from Kahlo’s life. There’s also a Kahlo-inspired garden designed by Ball Horticultural and a family-friendly children’s area.

(Credit: Clare Britt, Courtesy of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art)

Along with Frida Kahlo: Timeless, the CCMA presents the award-winning Tres Fridas Project. A collaboration between disabled artists Reveca Torres, Mariam Pare and Tara Ahern, Tres Fridas recreates notable images of art and history, substituting the subjects with people with disabilities. The goal is to humanize disabilities, change perceptions about disabilities and create awareness and inclusivity.

(Credit: Clare Britt, Courtesy of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art)

Mexican painter Kahlo is known for her self-portraits. Disabled by polio as a child and injured in a bus accident in her late teens, Kahlo suffered lifelong pain. Her paintings mixed reality with surrealistic elements, often depicting pain and death. Passing away at only 47, Kahlo is estimated to have produced about 200 paintings, a number limited by her early death and her reluctance to paint outside of her passions. Posthumously, Kahlo gained much more popularity, reaching icon status.

(Credit: Clare Britt, Courtesy of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art)

Glen Ellyn has one more tribute to Kahlo. Artist Geoff Bevington created a mural honoring Kahlo, measuring 28 feet across and 17 feet tall in downtown Glen Ellyn. A second-generation Mexican American, Bevington used spray paint to create his homage, which uses vibrant colors and traditional Kahlo elements to bring the artist to life.

Geoff Bevington muralist and photographer. Copyright © 2021 Geoffrey M. Bevington

Running through Sept. 6, Frida Kahlo: Timeless “is a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition opportunity that’s coming to Glen Ellyn,” said Diana Martinez, director,McAninch Arts Center. “This is so unusual.”

(Credit: Clare Britt, Courtesy of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art)

Unusual is already paying dividends for Glen Ellyn, as people are flocking to see the exhibit and the mural. The artist who endured so much pain is once again bringing great joy.

(Credit: Clare Britt, Courtesy of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art)

— John Wroblewski, online writer