This Weekend: Send Off FRIDA KAHLO during Day of the Dead
Posted in Programs and Events on October 30 2015, by Vilina Phan
FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life concludes this weekend–if you have yet to catch the blockbuster exhibition, hurry and grab your tickets before it’s too late! And what better way to celebrate the great artist then by honoring her heritage with grand Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) festivities? Live performances from The Villalobos Brothers and Los Chinelos de Morelos can be seen on the Conservatory Lawn. The stilt-walkers of Los Zancudos de Zaachila, presented by Laura Anderson Barbata, will be roaming the grounds, surprising and delighting all. Inside the Conservatory, see a beautiful ofrenda, or altar, paying homage to Kahlo. Fun activities can be found throughout the grounds, such as face painting and a mask-making workshop!
And let’s not forget, it is Halloween weekend—come see North America’s largest pumpkin alongside other prize-winning gourds. Marvel at the intricate giant pumpkin carving of Ray Villafane and his team—based on a satirical illustration by Jose Guadalupe Posada in the 20th century.
This is the weekend to come if you haven’t seen Frida. And if you have, come again and celebrate the Dead of the Dead with us!
Saturday
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The Garden is home to a plethora of native and migrating birds. The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert to learn about bird-friendly habitats, migrating species, and birds that make a permanent home at the Garden.
Ross Conifer Arboretum Tour – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum is an historic, 15-acre collection of towering pines, elegant spruces, and mountain firs from around the world. These irreplaceable trees were among the first planted at the Garden, some as far back as the early 1900s. Join us for a tour of these exquisite specimens.
Native Plant Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Entrance to the Native Plant Garden
Join a tour guide for an insider’s view of the newly designed Native Plant Garden. Enjoy a mosaic of nearly 100,000 native trees, wildflowers, ferns and grasses designed to flourish in every season.
Día De Los Muertos Weekend Celebration – 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
FRIDA KAHLO concludes with a celebration of the Mexican tradition known for bringing together family and friends to remember loved ones, Día de los Muertos. Join in the festivities with a procession of larger-than-life skeletons, butterflies, and La Catrina—the grande dame of this colorful holiday—or stroll the Conservatory Plaza with the stilt dancers of Los Zancudos de Zaachila presented by Laura Anderson Barbata. Dress the part by creating your own mask to wear or having your face painted for the occasion! Artists in residence The Villalobos Brothers close out these weekend fiestas at the Garden.
Performances
The Villalobos Brothers & Los Chinelos de Morelos–1 & 3 p.m.
Conservatory Lawn
Lawn Los Zancudos de Zaachila Stiltwalkers, presented by Laura Anderson Barbata – 1-4 p.m.
Roaming throughout the Garden
Skeleton & La Catrina Puppets by Lucrecia Novoa & Mascaraviva – 12-4 p.m.
Roaming throughout the Garden
Live Performance Art: Los Dos Fridas/The Two Fridas – October 31 1-5 p.m.; November 1 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
In the Britton Rotunda
Activities
Giant Pumpkin Display – 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Clay Family Pavilions
Giant pumpkins from North America once again arrive at the Garden, arranged in collaboration with the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth. See how you measure up against these giants, including the largest pumpkin in North America that weighs in at 2,230 pounds!
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) Altar – 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
On view in the Conservatory
¡Cámara, Acción! Mexican Film Series – 1 & 3 p.m.
Ross Hall
1 p.m. – Frida Still Life (1983) (108 min.) The original full-length movie of the life of Frida Kahlo, this film is an extraordinary realization by Director Paul Leduc of the life of Frida Kahlo, the most admired Mexican painter in the world. In this drama, Frida’s life story is told in surreal deathbed flashbacks resembling her haunting paintings. The actress Ofelia Medina, who portrays Kahlo, bears not only an uncanny resemblance, but shares her mannerisms, her dignity and her feverish passion. Through Frida’s eyes we get to know her relationship with the great muralist Diego Rivera, the Russian thinker Leon Trotsky and the intellectual and the artistic life of Mexico at the end of the 1940’s.
3 p.m.– Saturday: Frida (R, 123 min.) The Academy Award-winning film Frida, directed by Julie Taymor and starring Salma Hayek. Please note that Frida is rated R. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
3 p.m.– Sunday: Tercera Llamada / Last Call (92 min.) In this comedic ensemble piece, a Mexican theater company is in rehearsals for a production of Caligula by Albert Camus. Things aren’t going well: the lead actress is furious with the neurotic and depressed director, the lead actor is having panic attacks, and an older actor can’t memorize his lines.
Mask-Making – 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dodge Activity Center
Decorate your own traditional Mexican fiesta mask or make some Frida flair to wear in celebration of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)! Materials available while supplies last.
Face Painting – 1-4:30 p.m.
Perennial Garden
Whether you want to look spooky or sweet, join Face Art by Melissa to get your face painted in the spirit of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)!
Spooky Plants Tour –4 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with a spooky season twist! Take an ecotour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays.
Sunday, November 1
Dead of the Dead (Día De Los Muertos) Weekend Celebration
See above
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens — 1:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Garden beds are filled with plants featured in the favorite recipes of the chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants. Kids can explore the gardens to solve Mario’s Menu Mystery game.
Dig! Plant! Grow! Salad Days – 1:30-6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Plants and imaginations grow at the Howell Family Garden, where kids are allowed!—no, encouraged!—to play in the dirt. Display gardens, such as the Global Gardens and the Bean Tunnel or Salad Bowl, and daily interactive gardening activities delight and inspire. Drop-in activities end at 5:30 p.m.
Cooking with Frida – 2 & 4 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Hands-on activities in the Edible Academy’s Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden bring together children and their families to experience the colors, textures, smells, and tastes of Frida Kahlo’s Mexican kitchen. Cooking demonstrations feature recipes inspired by those Frida served to family and friends, using nutritious, garden-based ingredients. Visitors can explore and tend to the plant staples of Mexican cuisine growing throughout the Family Garden: beans, tomatoes, peppers, chiles, herbs, and more!
Frida’s Flora and Fauna – 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
A part of FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Visit the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden to experience the inspiration Frida Kahlo found in the natural world that can be seen and appreciated in her artwork. Throughout the Adventure Garden investigate plants and animals growing and living in New York City, using your senses as well as scientific tools to discover your own creative muse.
