The Mexican Museum to Open LA COCINA: THE CULINARY TREASURES OF ROSA COVARRUBIAS, 5/16

San Francisco, CA - The Mexican Museum announces a new exhibition that is sure to tantalize the culinary senses of museum visitors. Opening at The Mexican Museum on Friday, May 16, La Cocina: The Culinary Treasures of Rosa Covarrubias will feature vintage photographs and an extraordinary array of Rosa's personal ceramics and cooking utensils from "la cocina" - which means "kitchen" in Spanish. Dating to the mid-20th century, these objects come from Rosa and Miguel Covarrubias' immense collection of over 2,500 paintings, ceramics, folk art, and personal photos. This incredible collection was gifted to The Mexican Museum by Adriana and Tom Williams.

La Cocina: The Culinary Treasures of Rosa Covarrubias exhibition runs from May 16, 2014 through Jan. 18. 2015. A special members' preview reception will be held on May 15 from 6-8 p.m. The Museum is located at Fort Mason Center, Building D in San Francisco. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visuals are available upon request.

In addition to learning about Rosa's colorful kitchen collection and her lavish parties, visitors to The Mexican Museum will also have the opportunity to explore some of Mexico's ancient food traditions and discover the history and importance of the foods found in everyday Mexican cuisine.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a number of special culinary-related programs will also be held, including cooking demonstrations and special guest lectures. Among the many topics will be the rich history of chocolate; information on mezcal production; and the history of corn cultivation and tortilla-making, and its importance in Mexican gastronomy. These programs will be part of The Mexican Museum's Free Family Sundays as well as select times during the week. To find current program information, check the Museum's website.

About Miguel and Rosa Covarrubias:

Born in Mexico City in 1904, Miguel Covarrubias immigrated to New York City at the age of 19. An established artist, he quickly made a name for himself in the U.S. doing illustrations for Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. He met Rosa Rolanda, a Broadway dancer, in 1924 and they married in 1930. The couple traveled the world, spending significant amounts of time in Europe, Cuba, Bali, China, and New York. They finally settled in Mexico where they mingled with numerous leading artists and intellectuals of the time, including Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Dolores del Rio, Antonio Ruiz, Roberto Montenegro, and Carlos Chavez.

Miguel was an avid collector of Pre-Hispanic objects and ceramics, while Rosa became enamored with acquiring utilitarian objects for her kitchen and home. During the 1930s, she made numerous trips throughout Mexico to visit Pre-Colombian sites, buying folk art pottery from local marketplaces - items that became part of this collection.

About The Mexican Museum: Founded by San Francisco artist Peter Rodriguez in 1975 in the heart of the Mission District, The Mexican Museum is located at Fort Mason Center, and is the realization of a vision to exhibit the aesthetic expression of the Mexican and Mexican American people. Today, the museum's vision has expanded to reflect the evolving scope of the Mexican, Chicano and Latino experience - including art, culture, history and heritage. In 2012, The Mexican Museum became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the nation's largest museum network. The museum currently has a permanent collection of more than 15,500 objects reflecting Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American, Latin American, Latino, and Chicano art.

The Mexican Museum is open Wednesday - Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., located at Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D., San Francisco, CA 94123-1284. FREE Admission. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, including Family Sundays, exhibitions, special events, lectures and public programming throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit: www.mexicanmuseum.org or call (415) 202-9700.

The Museum is currently preparing for the completion of its permanent home, which will be built in downtown San Francisco's Yerba Buena Garden Arts District and is expected to open in 2018.

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