VMFA is one of only two U.S. venues for this captivating exhibition of works by renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo
Richmond, VA — The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) will open Frida: Beyond the Myth, exploring the life of one of the most beloved, yet enigmatic artists of the 20th century, Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), next spring. VMFA will be the only East Coast venue and one of only two institutions in the United States to present the compelling exhibition, which will feature more than 60 works of art, including spellbinding works by Kahlo –– many rarely seen outside of Mexico –– along with photographs of the artist by internationally renowned photographers and members of her inner circle. Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, where the exhibition premiered, Frida: Beyond the Myth will be on view at VMFA in Richmond from April 5 through September 28, 2025.
“The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is thrilled to present this compelling exhibition –– a rare opportunity to see Frida Kahlo’s paintings firsthand and to gain deeper insight into the artist,” said Director and CEO Alex Nyerges. “The museum has long aspired to show the work of Kahlo, and we are delighted to partner with the Dallas Museum of Art to present this remarkable exhibition. By bringing such world-class exhibitions to Richmond, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts makes incredible works of art accessible to everyone who lives in the Commonwealth and beyond.”
Frida: Beyond the Myth explores the defining moments of Kahlo’s life as depicted through her self-portraits, still lifes and works on paper from the beginning of her career in 1926 until her death in 1954. Shown alongside photographs by the friends, family members and fellow artists who knew her best, the exhibition lifts the veil of myth that continues to obscure Kahlo as an individual. Visitors can admire her jewel-like paintings up close while learning about the deeply personal context and traumatic events that inspired her work, thus gaining insight into this remarkable artist who used her creativity to overcome emotional and physical pain. The exhibition also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Mexico that influenced Kahlo throughout her life.
Despite her position as one of the most documented artists of the 20th century, Kahlo remains an elusive figure, clouded by a mythology that was partly of her own making. For example, Kahlo always claimed to have been born in 1910, the year of the Mexican Revolution, but was in fact born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, a suburb of Mexico City.
Her life was punctuated by illness and adversity, beginning with polio at age six that left her with a permanent limp. In 1925, a streetcar collided with a bus on which she was travelling in a devastating accident that left her with numerous broken bones and serious internal injuries. She began to paint during her recuperation, and the injuries, surgeries and lifelong pain she endured would inform her subsequent artworks, many of which are often filled with complex symbolism related to specific incidents in her life. Even the artworks she created — which expressed her emotive responses to these powerful events — hinder our understanding of Kahlo, as she constructed a persona of opposing characteristics: seductive and innocent, strong and vulnerable. However, through the lens of Kahlo’s family, friends, lovers and fellow artists who captured different aspects of her life and personality, we are granted additional perspectives on the woman behind the myth.
Frida: Beyond the Myth brings together a selection of around 30 of the artist’s extraordinary paintings, drawings and prints that she embedded with vivid symbolic representations of her emotional state at various points in her life. Her iconic self-portraits and still lifes are complemented by more than 30 prints and photographs of Kahlo by those closest to her, including Diego Rivera, Nickolas Muray, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Julien Levy and her father, Guillermo Kahlo. Together, these works offer a closer examination of the events that shaped Kahlo’s life and how she responded to them, progressing chronologically from her early childhood in Mexico, to her tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera, to her blossoming career between Mexico and the U.S. and, ultimately, to her difficult final years when her health began to deteriorate.
Frida: Beyond the Myth 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 and presented at VMFA by Altria.
“Kahlo’s paintings are among the most memorable and haunting images of the 20th century,” said Dr. Powers. “Yet the artist, as an individual, continues to escape our understanding. Frida: Beyond the Myth seeks to move past the mythology that surrounds Kahlo by exploring and elucidating the inspiring woman behind the work. The exhibition will also provide a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to understand why her paintings have such lasting and universal appeal. Kahlo’s work remains a moving example of how art and creativity can prove powerful tools to survive personal trauma and physical hardship.”
This exceptional presentation of paintings, drawings, prints and photographs offers a rare opportunity to explore the life and art of Frida Kahlo, whose strength, vulnerability and sensuality still compel us today.
Frida: Beyond the Myth will be accompanied by English and Spanish interpretive text, audio guides and programming. More than 7 percent of Virginia’s 8.7 million residents speak Spanish at home. “As a state art museum that has free general admission and is open 365 days a year, VMFA is committed to representing the cultural and linguistic diversity of our community,” said Artistic Director and Chief Curator Dr. Michael R. Taylor. “Recognizing that English is not the native language of everyone who visits the exhibition, VMFA is offering bilingual content to create a more accessible, inclusive and welcoming experience for all of our visitors. Frida Kahlo’s work and persona resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and we expect this groundbreaking exhibition to be one of the most popular in the museum’s history.”
Tickets to see Frida: Beyond the Myth will be $20 for adults, $16 for seniors 65+, and $10 for youth ages 7–17 and college students with ID. Museums for All participants will be able to purchase tickets to this special exhibition at the reduced price of $2 each with a limit of four tickets per Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Tickets are free for museum members and children ages 6 and under. As a participant of Blue Star Museums, VMFA also provides free tickets for all active duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel and their immediate families.
To get the latest information about exhibition-related programs, publications, events and merchandise, visit www.VMFA.museum.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA, which opened in 1936, is a state agency and privately endowed educational institution. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret art, and to encourage the study of the arts. Through the Office of Statewide Partnerships program, the museum offers curated exhibitions, arts-related audiovisual programs, symposia, lectures, conferences, and workshops by visual and performing artists. In addition to presenting a wide array of special exhibitions, the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a global collection of art that spans more than 6,000 years. VMFA’s permanent holdings encompass more than 50,000 artworks, including the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, and French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, British sporting and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan and African art. In May 2010, VMFA opened the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Wing I after a transformative expansion, previously the largest in its history. A new expansion, the McGlothlin Wing II, is planned to open in 2028. Comprising approximately 170,000 square feet, it will be the largest expansion in the museum’s history and will make VMFA the fourth largest art museum in the United States.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. For additional information, telephone (804) 340-1400 or visit www.VMFA.museum.
This exhibition is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art.
About the DMA
Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is among the 10 largest art museums in the country. With a free general admission policy and community outreach efforts, the DMA is distinguished by its commitment to research, innovation and public engagement. At the heart of the museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses 25,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Located in the nation’s largest arts district, the museum acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. The DMA is an Open Access institution, allowing all works believed to be in the public domain to be freely available for downloading, sharing, repurposing and remixing without restriction. For more information, visit DMA.org. Free general admission to the Dallas Museum of Art is made possible with generous support from the Robert Gerard Pollock Foundation. The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA members and donors, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
Media Contacts
Jan Hatchette | (804) 204-2721 | jan.hatchette@vmfa.museum
Amy Peck | (804) 773-1791 | amy.peck@vmfa.museum
Lillian Dunn | (804) 340-1517 | lillian.dunn@vmfa.museum
200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23220