Frida Feista
It’s the wild woman in Joy Barrett that makes her connect with the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, whose flamboyant mode of dress and intensely personal paintings have kept her a cult figure long after her death in 1954. “I admire her lifestyle and how she was able to express herself through her paintings, conquering pain through her art and appearance,” Barrett says. For that reason, Barrett, a local artist/entrepreneur, has been hosting her annual Beads, Braids and Brows: FridaStyle ArtShow for the past six years. The show features an array of local art and craft for sale, all directly inspired by Frida’s art and folk-Mexican milieu — but it’s also an event that strays into other avenues.
This year’s Beads, Braids and Brows, taking place from 5 to 10 p.m. tonight at Comfort Cafe, 3945 Tennyson Street, includes a Mexican feast of roasted pork and side dishes available for a reasonable price (Comfort Cafe is a pay-what-you-can eatery). There will also be a shrine exhibit, an “art-vending machine” and Frida’s Fotobooth, where Barrett says all “faux Fridas and dapper Diegos” can get a souvenir snapshot.
Admission is free, but come ready to buy, and don’t forget to put on your best fiesta-wear and pencil in that unibrow. “Last year, we even had an infant Frida, complete with stuffed monkeys,” Barrett recalls. For details, visit www.studiobead.com.
Fri., Oct. 1, 5-10 p.m., 2010
