Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson facts for kids

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson.

MOCA, Tucson.

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Tucson, Arizona, United States, is a special place where you can see modern art. It was started in 1997 by Julia Latané, James Graham, and David Wright. They wanted to create a permanent home for contemporary art in Tucson's art area. MOCA first opened in the HazMat building on Toole Avenue. Later, in 2010, it moved to a former fire station building on Church Avenue.

History of MOCA

The First Home: Toole Building

MOCA's first home was the HazMat building on Toole Avenue.

Before MOCA became a museum, James Graham, Julia Latané, and Dave Lewis started the Toole Shed Studios in 1992. MOCA officially became a museum in the spring of 1997. The idea was to help the Toole Shed artists grow and add something important to the downtown Arts District. The artists wanted to work together as an independent group.

In August 1998, MOCA found a large warehouse space at 191 East Toole Avenue. For four months, many volunteers worked hard to turn the old warehouse into the Museum of Contemporary Art. It had over four thousand square feet of space for art shows!

Over the years, different people helped lead the museum. Elizabeth Cherry was an interim director from 2001 to 2003. In 2003, Anne-Marie Russell became the Executive Director and Chief Curator. Later, in 2017, Ginger Shulick Porcella took on that role.

The New Home: Fire Station

In 2009, Tucson’s Fire Station #1 closed down. The firefighters moved to a new building. MOCA Tucson saw this as a great chance to get a permanent home. They also wanted to save an important old building in Arizona.

The big hall where fire trucks used to park became the museum's main art space. The offices on the first floor were changed into smaller galleries for art. The firefighters' sleeping areas were turned into places for artists to live and work. Offices on the second floor became administrative offices and a space for art education.

Since 2009, MOCA has shown eight to twelve art exhibitions each year. These shows feature art from local, national, and international artists. The museum also has a program where artists can live and work there. They also offer art programs for young people and host many public events. These events include talks by artists, dance, music, and other art celebrations.

Exhibitions at MOCA

MOCA Tucson hosts many different art shows throughout the year. They feature a wide range of artists, from those just starting out to very famous ones. The museum often shows art that makes you think and explore new ideas.

Some past exhibitions have included:

• Made in Tucson/Born in Tucson/Live in Tucson (Parts 1 & 2) – These shows featured many artists who lived or were born in Tucson.
• The Artist As Collector: Olivier Mosset – This exhibit showed art collected by the artist Olivier Mosset.
• The Punk Years 1978-86 by Raymond Pettibon – This show explored art from the punk rock era.
• Floating Worlds by Janaina Tschape – An exhibition featuring unique and imaginative works.
• Mouton by Francois-Zavier LaLanne – This show featured sculptures, including sheep.
• Nothing to Declare – This exhibit included many artists exploring different themes.

Fundraisers

MOCA Tucson holds two big fundraising events each year. These events help the museum raise money to keep its programs going. One of these is an annual Gala. Every two years, the Gala includes the Local Genius Awards. These awards honor amazing people from Tucson. These individuals have made a big impact around the world with their talents.

Residency Programs

Artist-in-Residence Program

MOCA Tucson has a special program where artists can come and live and work at the museum for a while. It's a very popular program, and many artists apply for just a few spots each year. Artists stay for two weeks to three months.

Artists chosen for the program get a private studio and a place to live. They also get to meet with curators (people who organize art shows). The museum helps them with money for their art supplies and promotes their work. Artists also get a chance to share their art with the public. They might give a talk, show their work, or lead a program at the museum.

Curator-in-Residence Program

MOCA also started a new program for curators in 2019. A curator is someone who plans and organizes art exhibitions. The first Curator-in-Residence was Alex Young. Curators in this program get three months to work at MOCA. They have time and space to plan new exhibitions, do research, and work with the artists who are living at the museum.