The family of Mexico’s famous and brilliant artiste Frida Kahlo just arrived in NYC. They also just opened a new museum in her honor (Museo Casa Kahlo) in Mexico City.
Frida Kahlo, youngest living descendant of her late great fabulous aunt — also named Frida — and whose English is perfecto, told me right after they arrived Tuesday night that in the 1930s Frida and Diego visited here as guests of patron John D. Rockefeller Jr., who helped launch their NYC art careers. Last year, Stephen Schwarzman and fam — their apartment is the former Rockefeller manse — hosted the Kahlos to launch the Kahlo family’s new foundation. Rick Miramontez is the chair.
“It’s our third time here,” Frida said. The family will attend opening night of the new Metropolitan Opera. So what’s she think of Frida being the subject of a major opera? “We are all excited.”
So what did she bring besides what she hopes to take home from us?
“We have traditions. We bring Mexican designer jewelry, Mexican designer clothes. We are here as family. To speak of Frida’s great private art collection despite whatever’s the public pressure. The star of Frida Kahlo — her great collection — is private. And in Mexico. There is now controversy, public pressure for the government to step in.
“We are here until Saturday. We will have lunches, go to schools, attend the opera, visit museums, see the culture, opera, the Frick, Central Park. In her day, her paintings went for $200,000. We are proud of her achievement. The government wants Spain to show the paintings. Despite the controversy, we are even launching a book about her. It will be ‘Frida. In person.’ Her own voice. It’s a different story.
“We want the whole world to appreciate it. If Frida were around today, imagine what she would say about her paintings now being sold for $56 million.”
Karen Aronian is an educator, former NYC public school teacher and college professor. She will promise not to correct my English.
“I’m an education designer. I set up optimal places for learning and play for schools, hospitality, families. I look at spaces in terms of how that environment can feed and nurture a child’s learning and creativity.
“Often issues stem from parents. Home environment . . . is a combination of genetics, conditioning, environment. What you’re given in life can sort of outscale what you were more or less given genetically.
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“Kids today are rude, not grammatical, don’t care about school or their friends. We are a collective of all parents before us — and all of our generations. That’s my DNA. So instinctually if I go wrong — the next day I reaffirm what my goals are. I have a 16-year-old high school junior, plus we have a college freshman.
“We’re always doing a bit of course correction in general. Or pivot when things are not going right. Find other options immediately. Take them out for a time, homeschool, try a learning center near you till you figure out what’s best. I changed my kids’ schools. Parents grappling with schools must change.”
“I love Maria Montessori because she saw the whole child. They have their little broom. They know they’re capable, competent. Set expectations and goals as a mother, parent, guardian. You have a checklist. You won’t hit it every day, but you return to your plan the next day.
“Today, we have a scattered approach. We do not even have a national curriculum in many subjects. But parents truly know what’s best for their kids.
“Want your kids to have faith-based learning, go towards that. Want your kids to be doing forestry school, do that. Get involved, make them better. Want an independent school, fine, search it out.
“Take action. Never rely on a school to create your child. Because factually, you’re always going to balance what they’re not getting there. For instance, my kids were in different school settings and whatever they ever did at any school, I likely did the antithesis at home to be balanced and shore up enrichment.
“If I felt the workload was too intense I made sure to give them an outside education. Exploring in the woods, creating a garden, not relying on a vending machine.”
I am told that for all the exciting things happening in New York, a new musical will be written especially for a coming optometrists’ convention. Title: “Oh, Glaucoma!”
Oy, don’t pick on me, it’s only in New York, kids, only in New York.
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