VIVA FRIDA! Festival Opens @ City Library (Sept 16 - Oct 20))

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press contacts: Viva Frida: Susan Vogel, 801-707-7795, artesmexicoutah@gmail.com Nickolas Muray: Edgar Gomez-Palmieri, 801-870-1524, imprimis@me.com VIVA FRIDA!, A MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION OF THE ART OF MEXICAN PAINTER FRIDA KAHLO AND OF UTAH-MEXICO FRIENDSHIP OPENS THE WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER 16 IN SALT LAKE CITY •Statewide kids’ art contest: http://www.vivafridautah.org/Viva_Frida_Utah/Art_Contest.html • Exhibits about the life of Frida and of photographs of Frida • Bilingual family art classes in branch libraries (10/1, 10/8/ 10/15) • Free health fairs in Main Library (9/24) and branch libraries (10/1, 10/8, 10/15) • Films and discussions by local and international scholars on Mexican art and culture • Opening fun! Find Frida Treasure Hunt and Frida and Diego Look-Alike Contest Salt Lake City, Utah (September 7, 2011) — Viva Frida!, a 5-week celebration of the art and life of Frida Kahlo and of Utah-Mexico friendship through the arts, kicks off September 16 weekend, the weekend of Mexico’s annual Independence Day Celebration. EXHIBIT OPENINGS on FRIDAY SEPT. 16, 6-9 p.m. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony On Friday, September 16 from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m., at the Salt Lake City Main Library South Entrance. Mexican Consul Socorro Rovirosa will cut the ribbon to open the Viva Frida celebration. The ceremony will be attended by local and international dignitaries. The ceremony marks the opening of the four 5-week long exhibits: The Four Frida Kahlo Exhibits Sept. 16 – Oct. 20, 2011 Viva Frida!, Salt Lake City Main Library Atrium This exhibit of 30 large panels showcases the life of Frida Kahlo through digital images including reproductions of her paintings. Tina Misrachi Martin, a Salt Lake City resident whose father was Diego Rivera’s art dealer for 10 years, and who knew Frida well, says, “Frida was a symbol of Mexico. Through her art and her dress, she created a unique identity that celebrated Mexico’s indigenous cultures. Even though she suffered greatly, she maintained a sense of humor and put great passion into all aspects of her life.” (Note: video footage of Tina Martin and Frida Kahlo together is available upon request.) Photographs of Frida by Nickolas Muray Salt Lake Main Library First Floor Exhibit of photographs of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and others taken in the late 1930s and early 1940s by renowned Hungarian-American photographer Nickolas Muray. His daughter, Mimi Muray Levitt, is a Utah resident. "I am thrilled to see my father's photographs of Frida Kahlo as part of a public exhibition traveling the state of Utah. I have found that people in Utah have a special connection with Mexico and especially the art of Frida Kahlo," she says. How Painting Saved Frida’s Life, Art Access Gallery, 230 S. 500 W. Exhibit of high quality digital reproductions of additional Frida Kahlo paintings considered more explicit in nature. The small exhibit focuses on the role of art in healing. Photographs of Frida by Nickolas Muray, Mestizo Coffeehouse, 631 W. North Temple Exhibit of a selection of eight photographs of Frida, Diego Rivera, and friends by Nickolas Muray. MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE WEEKEND EVENTS • Find Frida Gallery Stroll Treasure Hunt: (Friday, September 16, 6-9 p.m. SLC Main Library, Art Access Gallery, 230 So. 500 W., Mestizo Coffeehouse, 631 W. No. Temple) From 6-9 p.m., on Gallery Stroll, contestants will find Frida images (some hidden) at each gallery. The grand prize winner, announced at 9 p.m. at Mestizo Coffeehouse, will receive a Saturday night stay for two at Alta Lodge followed by Sunday Brunch, courtesy of Alta Lodge. If more than one contestant finds all of the Fridas, a drawing will determine the winner • Frida Look-Alike Contest: (Saturday, September 17, at Fiesta Mexicana at the Utah State Fair) Adult and child contestants who dress up like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, or a hero from Mexico’s past will compete in a Look-Alike Contest. Judging will be just prior to El Grito, the commemoration of the start of the Mexican Revolution, by the Mexican Consul, at 7:30 p.m. Prizes include spa services, zoo passes, and children’s theater tickets. (Utah State Fair admission is required for this event. www.fiestamexicanaslc.org) For a full listing of Viva Frida! programming, please visit www.vivafridautah.org. About Artes de México en Utah Artes de México en Utah is a new organization dedicated to promoting Mexican art in Utah. It was founded as an independent nonprofit after the success of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts’s exhibits Las Artes de México and Pablo O’Higgins: Works on Paper. Artes’s board of directors consists of Utah artists, art scholars, and art collectors, the majority of whom were born in Mexico; its advisory board includes artists; scholars in the areas of Latin American art history, Spanish language and literature, and Latin American studies; a university museum curator and fundraising professional; and community leaders. Artes de México en Utah is staffed 100% by volunteers. ### Press Contacts Viva Frida: Susan Vogel, 801-707-7795, artesmexicoutah@gmail.com Nickolas Muray: Edgar Gomez-Palmieri, 801-870-1524, imprimis@me.com High-resolution digital images of works on display are available upon request. ###