MOCA (Museum Of Contemporary Art), Jacksonville — Attraction in Jacksonville

When downer people bemoan the paucity of "real art and culture" in this city, I know they haven't made MOCA their go-to place, nor have they participated in the many cultural goings-on to which the museum is connected. Situated in the center of the action, right between City Hall and the main library, MOCA occupies a central place in Jacksonville's art-fueled urban reinvention of itself. As of the last few years, the museum has hosted exhibits that have pushed boundaries and remixed what is possible at a mid size contemporary art venue. Speakers, panels, film screenings, artmaking, social events accompany gallery programming in ways that engage and enlighten. I just attended an opening night for another set of exhibits that totally transformed the interior of the space. The place was packed, there was food, a full bar, live music, artist talks, and many of the museum's employees there engaging with the public. MOCA is truly where contemporary art meets the broader culture and those who know this are continually returning to dwell in the light this cultural space provides. Answer the downers and naysayers with a question: "Have you checked out MOCA?" They likely haven't been there in a while. I'll see you at their next event and we can...

With the recent incident of the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks I feel compelled to share my experience at MOCA last February (2017). My friend and I, both Asians, visited the museum in an early evening and proceeded to walk up the stairs on the right side of the atrium to the second-floor exhibits. At the top of the steps we found ourselves blocked by a middle age female security guard. She claimed that those stairs were for descending only and we would have to walk back down to the ground floor and ascend through the staircase on the left side. I explained that first, there was no such sign to notify visitors and second, we were already there. After she made it clear that she would not let us through, we walked back down to the front desk and asked for the person in charge. I explained the situation, the three of us confirmed there was indeed no sign directing flow, and the assistant director apologized for the incident stating that it shouldn’t have been handled in that manner, whether there was a sign or not. The assistant director was courteous. But I feel that it’s shameful for an institution that promotes the advancement of ideas to employ an individual who blatantly abuses her power to further her...

I think for this review it would be best to tell how our day unfolded. We arrive at the MOCA around noon on Saturday. I am able to find a premium parking spot right in the front. I'm thinking this is great as it was 95 degrees. We walk over to the Burrito Gallery for lunch before visiting the museum. We are greeted by a nice woman who informs us the credit card terminal is down. No problem, it happens, we'll go around the block and get some cash. Turns out the closest one had bean stolen so we head around Hemming to find another ATM. On the way we found a nice piece on the side of a building which I found more interesting than most of the pieces I would later see. When we got back we found out the third floor was closed to install a new installation (which seemed interesting from the brochure) and two more floors were dedicated to office space and a children's exhibit/craft space which didn't interest us. The first floor consists of a gift shop, cafe, theater and a large art piece. The shop, cafe and theater were closed. The second floor had a few interesting pieces but nothing extraordinary. We were there for 30 minutes. I have attached a photo of the piece we found...