De Young Museum Reopens with Frida Kahlo Exhibit
September 25 through February 7, 2021

After six months of truly being the lonely artist, Frida Kahlo is finally on display for Bay Area art lovers. The de Young Museum reopened its doors for the first time, giving members their first look at Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving. Hundreds of Kahlo’s personal belongings and photographs are on display. Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954) is today an iconic figure, known as much for her path-breaking artwork as for her striking appearance. Kahlo began to paint while recovering from a near-fatal bus accident in 1925, which left her with lasting medical complications, disabilities, and chronic pain. In 1929, at 22, Kahlo married 43-year-old Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886–1957). Their union was unconventional and tumultuous–they divorced in 1939 and remarried thirteen months later in San Francisco. Ahh, good things do happen in the city by the bay…

Many of Kahlo’s approximately 200 paintings explore her complex identities and engage themes of disability, gender, and politics. Her paintings elude definition. Sometimes associated with Surrealism, Kahlo herself resisted that categorization, stating that her paintings were “the frankest expression of herself.” Upon her death in 1954, at the instruction of Rivera, many of her personal possessions were locked away in La Casa Azul—the home where she was born, lived most of her life, and died. Today, La Casa Azul, located in Mexico City, houses the Museo Frida Kahlo, where in 2004 the remarkable trove of items that had been hidden away 50 years earlier came to light. Drawings, documents, accessories and Kahlo’s colorful self-fashioned outfits from La Casa Azul—along with select paintings by Kahlo and items from the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco—form the heart of this exhibition. One of my favorite painters, Kahlo has always intrigued me with her passionate expressions and her unique and original interpretation of life.

Information
415-750-3600
deyoungmuseum.org
People can make an appointment ahead of time, online
Visitors are required to wear masks and observe physical distance
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park

Photos courtesy of the de Young Museum

The Great American Beer Festival In Your Backyard
October 16 & 17

Oktoberfest goes virtual! With over a thousand breweries pouring their favorite beer, The Great American Beer Festival is coming to your home or your backyard garden. Billed as “America’s Largest Virtual Beer Event of the Year” by the Brewers Association, the 39th annual festival will feature a lineup of 30-minute online sessions on beer lore, brewery profiles and food pairings (it’s not only hot dogs, my friends) for festival passport holders.

The virtual guest speakers include Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman, Russian River Brewing’s Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo, Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver and The Lost Abbey’s Tomme Arthur. Order that passport ahead of time to get appealing deals from the participating breweries prior to the festival’s date. Awards for the best beer will be announced. Cheers! Make it a fun event by having your family members dressed as the St. Pauli Girls and the Oom-pah-pah Boys.

Information
Passport: $20
Search for details early by visiting greatamericanbeerfestival.com

Photo courtesy of the Great American Beer Festival

San Francisco Film Festival (SFFILM) at Drive-In Presents: Inside Out
October 4 at 6 p.m.

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney Pixar’s film Inside Out ventures inside the mind to find out. Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy, whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. This fascinating, illuminating and curious subject is showcased at the SFFILM festival in partnership with the FORT MASON FLIX drive-in as it presents an evening for film lovers of all tastes.

Information
sffilm.org
SFFILM at the Drive-In
Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture
San Francisco

Photo courtesy of SFFILM

Plan a Visit to San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
Happy Houseplants Workshop: October 16 from 6 to 7 p.m.

It’s back! The Conservatory of Flowers will re-open on October 1. Join the Conservatory of Flowers for its very first indoor plant care workshop. From philodendrons to orchids, you will learn how to propagate, re-pot, and care for common plants that can thrive in your home, apartment, or office. All guests are encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance, allowing for the safely control the crowd size to comply with large gathering protocols, while ensuring a contactless check-in process. Guests can purchase tickets ahead of time. Tickets are not time or day specific. Please visit their guidelines for your health and safety.

Information
415-831-2090
conservatoryofflowers.org
The Conservatory of Flowers
100 John F. Kennedy Drive
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

Photos courtesy of the Conservatory of Flowers

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England, she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, with no borsch or piroshky on her home cooking menu. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out, mostly sushi.