Sea Cliff’s Former Mayor Ed Lieberman is set to return to the Sea Cliff Library with a presentation on the life and work of artist Frida Kahlo. The Nov. 12 event is the latest of Lieberman’s sessions at the library, which he described as his “home base” for presenting.
Lieberman said the idea came to him in December 2025 while looking for another topic. He had recently listened to a podcast on artists and found himself intrigued with Kahlo’s story, describing her life as “extraordinary.”
With roughly 175 slides, Lieberman will cover Kahlo’s life and career chronologically. He will detail her early life and family background, the bus accident she was in when she was 18, the political climate in Mexico that influenced her creativity, her body of work and her marriage to artist Diego Rivera. Lieberman will also take some “side trips” to explore the people who discovered Kahlo, including who they were and their influence on the art world.
Lieberman has covered a variety of topics in his presentations, including American history in recognition of the country’s 250th anniversary in July. He said Kahlo ranks highly on his list.
“She overcame so much tragedy and suffering,” he added, “and stands as a model, not only to young women because she was one of the first great Mexican women artists, but more important, one of the greatest artists of all time.”
Over the year, Lieberman has done his research by reading biographies and art volumes that include analyses and descriptions of Kahlo’s work. His presentation will also include samples of Kahlo’s artwork from throughout her career, which began after she was injured in the 1925 bus accident.
Lieberman explained that he tries to pick his presentation topics by finding “a common chord to the audience,” considering what people would be interested in and why. He added that when he chose Kahlo, he was not sure how interested his audience would be. Then he discovered the opera “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego,” as well as the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibit celebrating Kahlo and Rivera and Netflix’s development of a series about the pair.
“I didn’t realize that all these things were happening when I hit upon the subject matter,” Lieberman said, “and I guess I feel kind of upbeat about it since she’s getting so much play.”
Lieberman’s advertisement of the event consisted of a flyer with one word, “Frida,” with no further description.
“I think she will basically say it all,” he said. He added that he hopes attendees gain an understanding and appreciation of what the artist went through in her life physically and emotionally.
Lieberman also praised Library Director Camille Purcell for allowing him to use the space for different presentations.
“Camille has been gracious enough to permit me to present these various lectures,” he said, “at my discretion.”
The library will host the presentation on Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.
