SAN DIEGO – Global Entertainment Properties 1, LLC, (GEP) producers of The Complete Frida Kahlo exhibition, today announced an extension of the exhibition in San Diego through March 9. The exhibition, on display at historic NTC at Liberty Station, was originally planned to be in San Diego through Jan. 19 with San Diego being the first stop on a national tour.
Martin Biallas, CEO of GEP 1, said, “Attendance to this exhibition continues to be strong so we have decided to add an extra two months to our originally scheduled run. San Diego turned out to be the perfect location for this attraction. Many of our visitors have not only recommended it to friends and family, but have come back to see it more than one time.”
The Compete Frida Kahlo tells the rich and colorful life of Frida Kahlo through 123 licensed replicas of Kahlo’s known paintings in original size and original materials, and hand-painted in the same style as Kahlo painted them. These replicas, owned by GEP1, are painted by master artists and licensed by ©Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo Museums Trust/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2008.
Also on display are more than 500 fascinating recreations of her possessions; a substantial collection of original photos of Kahlo, her family and friends; and a large collection of pre-Colombian through present-day Mexican folk art, which held a position of great importance in her and husband Diego Rivera’s lives.
The exhibition is about more than just her paintings; it’s about gaining an understanding and appreciation of Kahlo’s life, her contributions to the world of art, her ideas on love and relationships as well as her views on politics.
The exhibition features replicas instead of originals because many of Kahlo’s works are in private collections and not available for travel; additionally, by direction of Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, her paintings that were in the Blue House at the moment of her death cannot leave the Blue House.
Alan Ziter, executive director of the NTC Foundation, is pleased the exhibition is staying longer. “The Complete Frida Kahlo has been a marketing boon for NTC Arts & Culture District,” he said.
The NTC Arts & Culture District is home to more than 80 artist studios, galleries, museums, dance companies, music groups, cafes, restaurants, creative retail and community-serving organizations in the historic heart of Liberty Station, Point Loma. Most of the artists and organizations are mid-size and small groups with little to no marketing and advertising budgets.
Ziter said, “Since the exhibition opened in late October, they have been advertising through huge colorful billboards in high-profile locations, television, radio and print ads, all of which have brought a more diverse and younger crowd of thousands of visitors to NTC—most for the first time—increasing awareness of the Arts & Culture District, and resulting in creative partnerships between the exhibition and the other tenants, especially Casa Valencia Galeria Baja and La Onda Arte Latino.
“Having a high-profile quality exhibition like The Complete Frida Kahlo has helped people to find the creative side of the Liberty Station neighborhood, and encouraged them to explore, wander and enjoy what has become San Diego’s largest concentration of artists and arts groups outside of Balboa Park. We look forward to growing that success during the extension to March 9,” said Ziter.
The exhibition is on display in historic Barracks 3 at the NTC Arts & Culture District in Liberty Station, 2765 Truxtun Road, 92106. Audio guides are available in English and Spanish. Tickets are available on line and at the door; they range from $12.50 to $16.50. The exhibition is open from Wednesday through Sunday. Details can be found at www.thecompletefrida.com.
