#Onthisday in 1932, #DiegoRivera began painting his renowned #DetroitIndustry murals at the DIA.

A few years ago the DIA did a retrospective called "Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo" in Detroit, which I went to. It was very well done; they had rooms dedicated to their works singly, and pictures of the two of them together in Detroit, films, etc. At the end, you walked through a doorway to the Rivera Courtyard, and there were the murals in all their glory. Because you came from a darkened room, the effect was visually stunning.

It was a beautiful warm Friday evening in the spring, and they'd set up for a jazz show in the courtyard, with a stage and some instruments and lots of folding chairs. There was a little cart where you could get a glass of wine, so I bought one and just sat down and thought about it all. It was overwhelmingly wonderful to be sitting there. (I couldn't stay for the jazz, but just knowing that it was going to be there was almost enough).

The set up was perfection... the grandiosity of Diego and his worldview, culminating in an intimate look at Frida and her more introspective view. One of the things that I found interesting was how the planned murals had changed after they lost their unborn child.

Just going to disagree a little... at the end, you walked into a pop-up store selling memorabilia related to the exhibit (the murals were on a different floor).

I did buy a few things (and I don't remember if it was from that little store, which I remember as well, though not precisely where it was), but the effect was that of walking out of the darkened exhibit and seeing the murals at the end as a grand finale.

What a gem!