New Frida Kahlo Museum to Open in Mexico City

A new museum devoted to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is set to open on September 27 in Mexico City. Museo Casa Kahlo will be housed in Casa Roja, a private home purchased by Kahlo’s parents and handed down to the artist and her sisters; the residence was donated to the museum by Kahlo’s closest living relative and heir, Mara Romeo Kahlo, her grandniece. Casa Roja is adjacent to the renowned Casa Azul, the family home built by the artist’s father, Guillermo.

Where Casa Azul centers Kahlo’s life with her husband, artist Diego Rivera, Museo Casa Kahlo will focus on her early years, tracing her artistic awakening and providing a view into her life and relationships with her family. Adán García Fajardo, who is currently the academic director at Mexico City’s Museum of Memory and Tolerance, will serve as Museo Casa Kahlo’s inaugural director.

“This is a dream long held by our family,” said Mara Romeo Kahlo in a statement. “Frida’s legacy belongs to the world, but it begins here—on this land, in these homes, and in the culture that shaped her. Museo Casa Kahlo will allow us to tell new stories, share family secrets, host new voices, and build a future that honors her spirit.”

A newly established nonprofit foundation, the New York–based Fundación Kahlo, will oversee the development, opening, and stewardship of the museum. Additionally, it will work to preserve the artist’s legacy and promote Mexican, Indigenous, and Latin American art and culture around the world. Among the foundation’s planned initiatives are the inauguration of the Kahlo Art Prize, a biennial award recognizing visionary contemporary artists, and Las Ayudas, a grantmaking program.