Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art: Difference between revisions

36°50′55″N 75°59′16″W / 36.8487°N 75.9877°W / 36.8487; -75.9877

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

Location	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Director	Gary Ryan[1]
Curator	Alison Byrne
Website	www.virginiamoca.org

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (abbreviated as "Virginia MOCA") is a contemporary art museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, located at 2200 Parks Avenue, near the oceanfront resort area. The museum is on a landscaped campus adjacent to the eastern terminus of Interstate 264 near the Virginia Beach Convention Center and the Virginia Beach Tourist Information Center.

On July 25, 2023, Virginia MOCA said it would construct a new, state-of-the-art facility on the Virginia Beach campus of Virginia Wesleyan University.^[2]

Virginia MOCA evolved from the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Show, which itself sprang from an informal art sale organized to benefit a local artist. Participating artists founded the Virginia Beach Art Association (VBAA), which in 1956 founded and organized the annual Boardwalk Art Show.^[3]

In 1971, VBAA and the Virginia Beach Museum of Art merged to form the Virginia Beach Arts Center.

In 1989 The Virginia Beach Art Center opened at 2200 Parks Avenue in Virginia Beach, a new 38,000 square foot facility on 9.6 acres at the foot of I-264. The land and the building are both owned by the city, with the museum leasing the property annually for $1 since 1986.^[4] During its early duration at Parks Avenue, the organization rebranded as the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Beach.

In 1999, the facility expanded to an addition designed by RRMM Architects. The addition included a secondary entrance with display space for a suspended glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly — as well as restrooms, ancillary facilities and renovations to the existing mechanical systems.^[5]

In December 2010, the Museum received accreditation from the American Association of Museums and changed its name to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, branded as MOCA.

Virginia MOCA had an arts outreach program that was provided to both private and public schools located in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The program provided classes that aligned with what was being learned in school and engagement opportunities. All programs were structured based on grade level for better understanding. It was 10 courses for students in grades first through fifth. Classes combined the Virginia Standards of Learning Goals with principles of contemporary visual arts through the use of props, costumes, artifacts, hands-on activities, and creative movements. Inclusion was important to the program. Students that participated got a guest pass that allowed them to come back to the museum and bring five friends and family members for free. This allowed both the students to experience the learning opportunity as well as giving other members of the community access to learning opportunities. Returning students had the chance to show what they had learned from the class to their friends and family.^[6]

In the Fiscal year 2015-2016, the outreach program had an attendance of 10,950 and was working with 48 schools providing 438 programs in schools and libraries.^[7]

By operating at a national standard, Virginia MOCA received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2010.

Courtney Mattison^[8]

Inka Essenhigh^[9]

Robert Mapplethorpe^[10]

This Virginia museum–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This article related to an art display, art museum or gallery in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e