Indianapolis Contemporary facts for kids
| Former name | Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 |
| Dissolved | 2020 |
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Type | Art Museum |
Indianapolis Contemporary, once called the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art or iMOCA, was a unique art space. It showed exciting new art from today's artists. The organization used to have a new art show every season. Sadly, in 2020, the museum's leaders decided to close it down. This happened because of money problems, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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What Was Indianapolis Contemporary?
Indianapolis Contemporary was the only place in Indianapolis completely focused on showing art made by artists right now. It was founded in 2001. For many years, it was known as a "museum without walls." This meant it didn't always have one main building. Instead, it put on art shows in different places all over the city.
A Museum That Moved Around
When iMOCA started in 2001, it was truly a "museum without walls." It held art shows in various spots around Indianapolis.
- In 2004, iMOCA opened its first gallery space. It was in the historic Emelie Building in the Indiana Avenue Cultural District.
- By December 2009, iMOCA moved to a bigger space. This new home was in the Murphy Art Center in the Fountain Square Arts District.
- In 2014, iMOCA opened a second gallery. This one was inside The Alexander Hotel at CityWay.
Later Locations and Plans
iMOCA left the Murphy Art Center in late 2016. But it kept showing art in other places. These included The Alexander hotel, Cat Head Press, Indiana Landmarks, and the Hoosier Salon.
In 2018, the museum announced big news. It planned to open a permanent museum in summer 2019. This new home would be in a large space (about 2,300 square feet) at the old Ford assembly plant. This plant was located at 1301 E. Washington Street.
However, in January 2019, these plans changed. iMOCA decided not to open a permanent location. It went back to being a "museum without walls." This meant it would continue to have pop-up art shows in different places.
Art Shows and Partnerships
Since 2003, iMOCA put on more than 40 art shows. These shows featured the work of over 75 artists. These artists came from Indianapolis, the surrounding region, and even other countries. The museum did all this even with a small budget for its exhibitions.
iMOCA also worked with other groups in the city. It had partnerships with organizations like the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Public Library. These partnerships helped bring art to even more people.
Why Did Indianapolis Contemporary Close?
In 2020, the leaders of Indianapolis Contemporary made a tough decision. They voted to start closing down the museum's operations. This was mainly because the museum faced financial difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic made these money problems even worse.
