The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, also known as MOCA Jacksonville, is a contemporary art museum in Jacksonville, Florida, funded and operated as a "cultural institute" of the University of North Florida. One of the largest contemporary art institutions in the Southeastern United States, it presents exhibitions by international, national and regional artists.
History
MOCA Jacksonville was founded in 1924 as the Jacksonville Fine Arts Society, the first organization in the Jacksonville community devoted to the visual arts. In 1948 the museum was incorporated as the Jacksonville Art Museum, and in 1978 it became the first institution in Jacksonville to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
In late 1999 the museum acquired its permanent home, the historic Western Union Telegraph Building on Hemming Plaza, built by The Auchter Company, adjacent to the newly renovated City Hall, and became the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art (JMOMA). In 2000, a series of preview exhibitions opened in a temporary exhibition space while the building facade was restored to its original Art Deco style. The interior was completely refurbished to house the museum's galleries, educational facilities, a theater/auditorium, Museum Shop and Café Nola. Total renovation of the , six-floor facility was completed in 2003, culminating in a grand re-opening in May of that year.
Growth
After moving to its downtown location the museum experienced rapid growth in both membership and the size of the permanent collection. The many substantial additions to the collection increased not only its quality, but also its size to almost 800 pieces. In November 2006, JMOMA became the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.
The museum continues to be a cornerstone of Jacksonville's multibillion-dollar downtown revitalization plan. Its exhibitions and programming bring new visitors to the civic core during the day, at night and on weekends. Educational programming includes children's literacy initiatives and weekend art making classes as well as regular tours, lectures, films and publications for children and adults.
MOCA Jacksonville's changing exhibitions feature the works of contemporary artists working in a wide assortment of media from painting, sculpture, and video. The third floor hosts exhibitions, which rotate approximately every four months.
The University of North Florida acquired the museum in 2009 to act as a cultural resource of the university.
Past exhibitions
2022
State of the Art: Locate January 21 – May 1, 2022
Anderson Goncalves: Cultural Polarity January 8 – May 8, 2022
Project Atrium: Chiharu Shiota: Letters of Love February 4 – June 26, 2022
Creeks Rising: A City Reflected in Hogans & McCoys Creeks May 6 – June 30, 2022
Jessica Hische: Covered February 25 – August 21, 2022
Express Your UNF Pride May 13 – August 28, 2022
Kara Walker: Cut To The Quick: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation May 20 – October 2, 2022 Project Atrium: Maud Cotter: What Was Never Ours To Keep July 9 – November 20, 2022 Urban Spaces: UNF Photography Student Exhibition December 2, 2022 – January 8, 2023 Art With a Heart in Healthcare: What Lifts You Up September 11, 2022 – January 8, 2023 Art + Politics: Grounding Dialogue December 14, 2022 – February 5, 2023 Fifty: An Alumni Exhibition March 25, 2022 – February 12, 2023 Shervone Neckles: Bless This House September 3, 2022 – March 5, 2023 Project Atrium: Milagros December 9, 2022 – April 9, 2023
2021
Ally Brody: Public Domain January 16 – April 18, 2021
The American Dream November 21, 2020 – March 7, 2021
Jeremy Dean: Neither I, Nor Time, Nor History February 19 – May 30, 2021
The Circle and the Square October 2, 2020 – June 6, 2021
Romancing the Mirror December 4, 2020 – June 20, 2021
Heirloom: Weaving Memory With the Now March 26 – August 1, 2021
Imagination Squared10 March 26 – August 1, 2021
Art With a Heart: Behind The Mask September 11, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Doug Eng: Structure of Nature | Nature of Structure July 9, 2021 – January 2, 2022 Damián Ortega August 27, 2021 – January 16, 2022 Techno-Intimacy August 13, 2021 – February 13, 2022 Left Side Right Side June 25, 2021 – March 6, 2022