GLEN ELLYN, Ill. The McAninch Arts Center (MAC), in association with the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA), will host a monthly series of events celebrating iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Kicking off the series, the MAC will present a live broadcast, "The Mexican Revolution: A Panel Discussion" on Monday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. This live free virtual event will be broadcast via Zoom to the MAC and CCMA Facebook pages and is presented as a precursor leading up to the "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" exhibition coming summer 2021. The full line-up of fall events includes:
"The Mexican Revolution: A Panel Discussion"
7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 17
Tickets: Free
This panel discussion, moderated by MAC Director and "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" Executive Director Diana Martinez, will open with a brief introduction on the Mexican Revolution. Information covered will include why the war began, its social and political consequences, how it sparked the Constitution of 1917, and its impact on members of Mexico's art community, including Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Panelists will include Cristobal Cavazos, activist and leader of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, CesÃĦreo Moreno, Curator of the National Museum of Mexican Art, John Paris, College of DuPage professor of History & Latin American Studies, Fernando Ramirez, President of the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage and Justin Witte, Curator of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and "Frida Kahlo: Timeless". A live Q&A with the panelists will follow.
Book Club Chat with Celia Stahr, Author of "Frida in America: The Creative Awakening of a Great Artist"
3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 4
Tickets: $10 per household
MAC Director and "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" Executive Director Diana Martinez moderates a live virtual chat about "Frida in America: The Creative Awakening of a Great Artist." Author Celia Stahr will host a virtual Q&A during the event, and "The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn" (475 N Main St.) is offering a 15% discount to anyone who mentions the event. Stahr's book tells the riveting story of how three years spent in the United States transformed Frida Kahlo into the artist we know today. "Featuring meticulous research and elegant turns of phrase, Stahr's engrossing account provides scholarly though accessible analysis for both feminists and art lovers." (Publisher's Weekly.)
DÃa de los Muertos Drive Through Celebration and Food Drive
3 — 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 1
Tickets: Free
Celebrate DÃa de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, with a drive-by socially distanced event at the MAC featuring an ofrenda, a Mariachi band, calavera treats and chocolates and candies for kids. A food drive will be hosted in partnership with Immigrant Solidarity DuPage to benefit families in Glendale Heights. More information will be forthcoming in the coming weeks at AtTheMAC.org.
Kathy Baum, "Self-Portrait as Theater: The Fashions of Frida Kahlo"
7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 17
Tickets: Free
Frida Kahlo's self-expression went beyond paint and canvas. The choices she made in what she wore communicated her inner life and outward persona. In this talk, Baum, a professor at College of DuPage, will explore how she used costume as an art form and influenced the world of fashion through her keen intelligence and artistic vision.
Additional information including links can be found at AtTheMAC.org .
About "Frida Kahlo: Timeless"
The exhibition, on view June 5 to Sept. 6, 2021, will be the largest Frida Kahlo exhibition in the Chicago area in more than 40 years, and is hosted by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at the College of DuPage (COD). It will feature a 26-piece collection on loan from the Museo Dolores Olmedo as well as a multimedia timeline, 100+ photographic images from the artist's life, a family-friendly children's area and a Frida Kahlo inspired garden designed by Ball Horticultural Company, enabling museum-goers of all ages to grasp an understanding of Kahlo's life and work through a variety of contexts. The exhibition and related programming are organized by "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" Executive Director Diana Martinez (Director of the McAninch Arts Center) in collaboration with Justin Witte, "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" Curator (CCMA Curator). For more information, visit frida2020.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt.
The exhibition is presented by Bank of America and made possible through support from the College of DuPage Foundation, Milly and Alan Peterson, Ball Horticultural Company, Nicor Gas, Wight & Company, AeroMexico, the National Endowment for the Arts and the DuPage Foundation.
About the Cleve Carney Museum of Art
The late Cleve Carney provided a significant legacy gift to establish the Cleve Carney Art Gallery at College of DuPage. The gallery opened in February 2014 with its inaugural exhibition "Selections from Cleve Carney's Art Collection." The gallery will be expanding to a 2,500 square-foot museum, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, scheduled to open in the summer 2021 with highly anticipated "Frida Kahlo: Timeless." Exhibition. The museum will maintain the standards set by the American Alliance of Museums. More information can be found at TheCCMA.org and on social media @CleveCarneyMuseumofArt.
About the MAC
The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd., 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college's academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit AtTheMAC.org or facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.