McALLEN — The International Museum of Art & Science hosted a Frida Kahlo-themed market Sunday, the first in a series of three planned markets this year.

Visitors enjoy the Frida Kahlo inspired market along with the “World of Frida” exhibit at the International Museum of Arts & Science on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

The market coincided with the museum’s “The World of Frida” exhibit, which will be on display through the end of August.

“This particular market has vendors with particular items and art that’s inspired by our exhibit right now, which is ‘The World of Frida,’ and Mexican and Latin American art,” Anastasia Perez, development and marketing director for IMAS, said. “We have all of our spaces open. The museum is completely open, and people can come in and visit the exhibits.”

Aside from the vendors and full access to the museum’s exhibits, the museum also offered visitors an opportunity to create Frida-themed shadow boxes in the Ann Moore Art Studio.

“It’s just kind of a fun day to come to the museum with the family, shop the market, support local businesses, and visit our community partners,” Perez said. “Just a great family day and celebration. We’re just thrilled to be hosting so many people today.”

“I think one of the things that we’ve learned over the past couple of years, including the year of the pandemic, is that by engaging community partners we are really able to both amplify our mission and our educational activities,” IMAS President and Executive Director Ann Fortescue said. “But we’re also able to reach a much wider audience, which is why we’re here. We are the museum of the Valley.”

Visitors enjoy the Frida Kahlo inspired market along with the “World of Frida” exhibit at the International Museum of Arts & Science on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Fortescue said that the market was a good opportunity to welcome visitors back to IMAS following the pandemic. She said when the museum switched to online programing, over 80,000 viewers tuned in to the virtual exhibitions — a telltale sign of the interest that the museum continues to garner from Valley residents.

“As it’s been safe to re-open, we’ve done so gradually,” Fortesque said. “Now we’re at a spot where we’re 100% open. I think events like these are especially attractive to first-time museum visitors who may not know what to expect. But by coupling museum activities and exhibitions and educational programs with a market, which is something I think everybody understands, there’s a kind of magnetic sense. People who want to go to the museum will go to the market and see what else is there.”

Myriah Acosta and Derek Fuentes of Edinburg were among the vendors participating in Sunday’s market. They were sharing their plant-based ice cream, which they sell under the name “Hoja Nueva.”

They had a special Frida-inspired flavor, candied limes stuffed with coconut flakes, which they said is based on the Mexican painter’s favorite snack.

Visitors enjoy the Frida Kahlo inspired market along with the “World of Frida” exhibit at the International Museum of Arts & Science on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

“We wanted to make an ice cream flavor that reflected on that, so we came up with the avocado lime with coconut flakes,” Acosta said.

“We also hadn’t worked with an avocado base before,” Fuentes said. “Most of our flavors are coconut milk, so I wanted to make an ice cream with an avocado base.”

Patricia Ramirez Biondolillo, who recently moved from Brownsville to McAllen, also had a table set up promoting her small business, Doughmestic Sweets Co. She was selling a variety of Frida-themed sweets, including sugar cookies and Mexican-inspired flavors.

Biondolillo said that since its inception in 2019, Doughmestic Sweets has donated a portion of funds raised to local nonprofit organizations.

“I love Frida Kahlo, so I’m very inspired by of course being of Mexican descent and being a feminist myself and also empowering women and empowering others — especially marginalized populations,” Biondolillo said. “It’s really important that we represent our culture and we have a place and a voice to do so.”

IMAS will host two more markets this year. The museum will host a Día de Muertos market on Oct. 10, followed by a winter market scheduled for Dec. 5.

Visitors enjoy the Frida Kahlo inspired market along with the “World of Frida” exhibit at the International Museum of Arts & Science on Sunday, July 11, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])