July is here, which means that it is time to celebrate all things Frida Kahlo, in honor of her birthday on July 6. Last year we marked the occasion by sharing 5 Surprising Facts about her.  In the past, we have also reviewed her connection to the Huipil, a traditional garment which she is famous for wearing regularly, and shared information about her close relationship to Mexican Folk Art.

This year, we thought it would be fun to explore some ways in which Frida Kahlo continues to influence and shape elements of modern culture.  For example, feast your eyes on the gorgeous images in this Huffington Post review of a book documenting Frida Kahlo’s influence on fashion.  In Frida Kahlo: Fashion as the Art of Being, Susana Martinez Vidal has put into words and pictures what many of us have been thinking about for some time...that Frida Kahlo’s style remains a significant and global fashion force.

The Art Story, a great online resource for modern art, offers a wonderful summary of Frida Kahlo’s position in the art world, complete with information about her most important works, graphics illustrating her professional network, a nice visual timeline of her work history, and key quotes, including this one which says a lot about both her life and work: “I was never considered a surrealist.  That’s not right.  I’ve never painted dreams.  What I showed was my reality.”

In Fridamania: The Frida Kahlo Effect, The Culture Trip offers us an analysis of the sheer force of Frida’s popularity; a short essay parsing the particulars of her experience with the obsessions of the world.  Whatever the reasons for the pull, the force is strong, and we are happy to be tugged along.  Which is why we also appreciate this round-up of the 5 best places to see Frida Kahlo’s art, and this chronology of her life using 9 of her major works, both from the same website.

For the Frida-loving gardeners out there, there is this lovely article about Frida Kahlo’s connection to plants and her garden, which was written at the time of the release of the book Frida Kahlo’s Garden.  The article offers a little bit of insight into the plants at the Casa Azul, the balance of Mexican and non-native plants in her life, and their roles in her painting.

The truly enthusiastic can attend gatherings to celebrate Frida’s birthday.  She remains such a powerful cultural force that (a lot of) people want to dress up like her...enough to break a world record, in fact.  On July 6, Frida Kahlo’s would-be 110th birthday, the Dallas Museum of Art is inviting patrons to help them set a world record for “the largest gathering of people dressed as Frida Kahlo in one place”, an event that complements their incredibly popular exhibit of Mexican Art from 1900-1950.  San Francisco is also hosting their fifth annual Fiestas Fridas, if you happen to be in that part of the country.

And, if you are still hungry for more Frida Kahlo, but you prefer to listen instead of read at this point, follow our links to these podcasts about her life from Stuff You Missed in History Class.

Happy Birthday, Frida!  You still mean so much to us!