CHICAGO — Mexican artist Frida Kahlo helped capture a culture that hasn’t always been highlighted in American media and art. She was known for her self-portraits.

Her image in fine art elevated her celebrity.

Of Frida Kahlo’s 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits.

“I would argue that the image of Frida Kahlo as the artist is more recognizable than any other artist now. More than Warhol, more than Picasso, more than Van Gogh,” said Rebecca Meyers, permanent collection curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

And now, photographs from Kahlo’s private collection are on display for the first time at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

“When she died, Diego Rivera, who was her husband, had all of her personal belongings put into a little tiny room, a bathroom, and then sealed up,” said Cesareo Moreno, chief curator at the museum.

That room was discovered and unlocked decades later.

“They found her dresses, her medication, her jewelry, her corsets and these 6,000 photographs,” he said. “So, the time capsule was opened 50 years later and really revealed a part of Frida's life that was unknown up to now.”

The traveling exhibit of 240 images now provides an unprecedented glimpse into all aspects of her personal life.

“It's kind of like going into a small photo album — very intimate black and white exhibition. Something you won't really you really want to get close to, to inspect,” said Meyers.

Some photos explore her political leanings and revolutionary ideas. Another section called "Her Broken Body" looks at the pain and suffering she endured after nearly dying in a bus crash resulting in fractures in her spine, collarbone and ribs.

“She surrounded herself with snapshots of her family and friends and people she loved so much like we collect photographs today. Frida did also and in a sort of a special way, she's the first curator of this collection of photographs,” said Moreno.

Divided into six sections it begins with her family origins – the life of her mother and father together.

“And then it goes into Casa Azul, which is such a special section because it talks about the beginnings of her home that is now the Museo Frida Kahlo,” said Moreno.

Once known only as the painter-wife of renowned artist Diego Rivera, she came into her own through her works. She became a cultural icon, a symbol of women’s inner strength, and a celebration of Mexico.

“I think her reputation has even surpassed Rivera's. I think it's important that she's also she's kind of a doorway into the Mexican culture,” said Meyers.

Another doorway into her inspirations is revealed in her father’s own self-portraits.

“It turns out after looking at some of these photographs that were hidden for so long that her other love, her father, truly influenced her greatly with the whole idea of selfies,” said Moreno. “The man liked to take his own photograph and kind of had it down. He figured out how to do it well.”

Those selfies were prototypes for the style in which Kahlo painted her father and her distinct self-portraits.

“This sort of gives us a back story. It fills in some gaps that we didn't even know were missing, and I think really reveals a whole other side of Frida.”

It’s an intimate and fascinating insight into one of the most prolific and iconic artists ever.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — As the school year comes to an end, a group of Tennessee students put letters in a time capsule that will eventually be read by future students.

Richview Middle School 8th grade teacher Ann Marie Crozier said, "I can guarantee your parents didn’t think this kind of year was going to happen."

In the time capsule, they put their notes, a mask, a glove, and toilet paper.

Student Sara Haake said, “Why would people want to buy so much toilet paper? When you went to the store the first time, you noticed that there was no meat. Why did people want meat all of a sudden? Why wouldn’t they get things that last longer like beans and cereal?”

Haake also wrote about there being less pollution as a result of the pandemic.

"Writing down the things you went through the last year, it makes you realize that it actually wasn’t that bad," Haake said.

Hadley Butler, 14, said she cherishes the quality time she had with family while in quarantine.

"We were all crammed into a rental house, and it was a pretty crazy experience," Butler said.

She mentioned it was hard not being able to see a loved one in a nursing home too.

"We couldn’t go inside, and had to look through a window," said Butler.

Meanwhile, Triztan Hernandez detailed what virtual and in-person classes were like during these times.

"I get good grades and do my work, but it’s harder for me to pay attention on Zoom, because I get distracted easily,” Hernandez said. “I may have gone on some games."

When the time capsule is opened in about 14 years, they hope future students will have a better understanding of what they experienced due to COVID-19.

"It’s kind of special to me," said Hernandez.

This story was originally published by Alexandra Koehn at WTVF.