“Diaspora” at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

Don’t sleep on this show! Change your plans, reschedule your appointments and get yourself to the Mount Dora Center for the Arts ASAP! I am strongly encouraging a sense of urgency because the Diaspora exhibition at the MDCA closes Sunday, October 8th and if you miss it, well, let’s just say… you do not want to miss it!

The MDCA is located in Mount Dora, FL and the organizers have pulled out all the stops in their current exhibition celebrating the lasting impact and continued influence of artist, Frida Kahlo. The Diaspora exhibition is hosted in conjunction with the Viva la FRIDA Festival held in historic downtown Mount Dora in September.

The caliber of art on display in the gallery space is extremely high and features local artists as well as those from outside the state of Florida. The creativity of the works is absolutely astonishing and this is best seen in the variety of mediums used. Everything from assemblage to fiber arts to mosaic to jewelry arts to works in three dimensions is on view and curated so that visitors can get up close to see every exquisite detail. And be sure to look closely because it’s in those thoughtfully deliberate details that we see the artists’ personal connections to Frida Kahlo.

It might come as a surprise that a small town in the state of Florida would host an art exhibit dedicated to a queer, Mexican woman with a penchant for fighting for workers’ rights, but in a way, this does not surprise me at all. Artists and creatives have always connected with and been inspired by those the so-called majority label as “other.”

This exhibition is a testament to Frida Kahlo’s legacy of authenticity in her artwork and her life. She lived, and painted, unapologetically and the results were works that depicted her at her most vulnerable moments. Her paintings addressed miscarriage, infidelity and lifelong chronic pain, things humans – especially women – aren’t supposed to talk about in polite company. And yet, that was her reality and she painted her reality for everyone to see. This level of honesty feels completely lacking in today’s world of fake news and misinformation, so we crave it, hungry for something human, hungry for something real.

Frida always delivers. Viva la FRIDA!

For more information on this exhibition, please visit…

Frida Competition Exhibition

You can follow the MDCA on social media or learn more about the organization by visiting…

Home

6 thoughts on ““Diaspora” at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts”

  1. Adrienne, Once again your photography of art exhibit is astonishing!!  I hope to get to Mt. Dora exhibit!  I did think your subject meant Dora the Explorer so I was surprised it’s exhibit in Mt. Dora!! LOL

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. Thank you for coming by and writing this lovely piece about the show. It good to know we are doing a good job bring diverse art to our community. Good work on the blog and thanks for sharing our art with the world!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

The Wandering Art Historian's avatar
I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.