College of DuPage Foundation, in partnership with the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) hosts “For the Love of Frida: Bringing It Home,” a virtual gala, beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 20. The gala is in support and celebration of the upcoming “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition, presented by Bank of America and hosted by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and the MAC June 5-Sept. 6, 2021. Event Chairs are Marcie and Mark Peterson who are assisted by a committee of 20 community volunteers.
The 60-minute, live-streamed gala will begin with a demonstration by a mixologist from La Tequilería. This will be followed by a culinary encounter with the only Mexican chef to receive a Michelin star (2013, 2014), Chef Carlos Gaytán of the internationally-acclaimed restaurant, Tzuco, a semifinalist in the James Beard Foundation Awards’ “Best New Restaurant” category (2020). Guests whose ticket includes the party pack will be able to follow along with Chef Gaytán using the contents of their pack to enjoy the ultimate interactive experience. Both the demonstration and culinary encounter will provide insight into Mexican cuisine and tequila as it relates to Frida Kahlo’s life and favorites.
The evening will include a virtual tour of the El Olmedo Museum in Mexico where the treasured Frida Kahlo art is coming from for this summer’s exhibition. The virtual tour will be hosted by Executive Director and Curator, Justin Witte of the “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition.
Music by the Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas, Disneyland’s official all-female mariachi ensemble, plus a paddle raise and silent auction rounds out the evening’s activities. Auction items will include a signed etching, and puzzles created by world-renowned artist and COD alum Tony Fitzpatrick, an art work created live during the gala by muralist Geoff Bevington, a golf round at Medinah Country Club and gourmet baskets from Glen Ellyn’s Olive ‘n Vinnie’s.
Tickets for “For the Love of Frida: Bringing It Home” are $50-$250. Event sponsorships are available. For tickets or more information, visit https://frida2.givesmart.com or call the College of DuPage Foundation at (630) 942-2462.
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).” “The College and the MAC are closely following all CDC and state regulations. It is our hope that public health officials will deem cultural institutions safe to re-open in time for us to have the Kahlo exhibition in the summer of 2021,” says Martinez.
For more information, visit www.frida2021.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 College of DuPage Foundation
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call (630) 942-2462.