Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland facts for kids
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| Former name | The New Gallery |
|---|---|
| Established | 1968 |
| Location | 11400 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44106 |
| Type | Art Museum |
| Collections | Contemporary |
| Visitors | 40,000 annual average |
| Founder | Marjorie Talalay, Nina Castelli Sundell, Agnes Gund |
| Architect | Farshid Moussavi |
| Public transit access |  Little Italy–University Circle |
| Nearest parking | Uptown Cleveland and University Circle |
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (called moCa for short) is a cool contemporary art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It's the only place like it in the Cleveland area that focuses on contemporary art.
The museum was started in 1968 by Marjorie Talalay, Agnes Gund, and Nina Castelli Sundell. Over the years, its name and location have changed a few times. It was first known as The New Gallery. In 1984, it became the Cleveland Centre for Contemporary Art. Since 2002, it has been known by its current name, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa).
Contents
Discovering moCa's History
How it Started in 1968
When it first opened, the gallery was run by co-founder Marjorie Talalay and her husband Anselm. Back then, it was a for-profit gallery called The New Gallery. It was located in an old dry-cleaning shop at 11301 Euclid Avenue.
Growing into a Nonprofit (1974–1990)
In 1974, the museum changed to a non-profit organization. This meant it focused on its mission rather than making money. In 1984, it changed its name to the Cleveland Centre for Contemporary Art (CCCA). The museum then moved to the second floor of the Cleveland Playhouse Complex. By 1990, it expanded even more. It moved into a 20,000-square-foot space in a former Sears store.
Moving and Rebranding (1996–2018)
In 1996, Jill Snyder became the museum's executive director. She helped the museum grow and become more well-known. In 2002, she led the change from Cleveland Centre for Contemporary Art to the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland. Snyder also helped the museum move to Cleveland's Uptown area. This area is near Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art.
In 2011, Snyder announced the museum would return to Euclid Avenue. The new moCa building opened on October 8, 2011. This new building cost $27.2 million. In 2018, the museum changed its short name from MOCA to moCa. This small change helped highlight the "c" for contemporary art.
Adapting to Challenges (2020)
Due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland closed its doors on March 16, 2020.
Awards and Recognition
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland has received some special awards:
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Silver Status for being sustainable.
- Dominion Community Impact Award (2014).
- Rudy Bruner for Urban Excellence (RBA), Silver Medal (2015).
Amazing Architecture and Design
The moCa building, finished in 2012, was designed by British-Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi. She worked with the American firm Westlake Reed Leskosky (WRL). The project cost about $18.7 million. The building is four stories tall and covers 34,000 square feet. Its unique six-sided shape was revealed in 2010. Construction took place from 2008 to 2012.
Farshid Moussavi's Vision
The museum's design helps it fit in with the Uptown neighborhood. The building's outside encourages people to interact with it. You can enter moCa from all sides on the ground floor. The main entrance faces east, looking over Toby's Plaza. Moussavi wanted the museum to be a "public ‘living room’" for Cleveland. She hoped it would inspire creativity and growth in the city.
The building's materials show the museum's creative spirit. The outside is made of shiny black stainless steel. This material reflects sunlight and the surrounding plaza. Moussavi used reflective surfaces and movable interior walls. This design shows the museum's many uses, both as a gallery and an event space. Inside, the gallery walls and ceilings are painted electric blue. Moussavi chose this color to make the artworks stand out. This blue color is a fresh take on the usual ‘white-cube’ gallery style.
Exploring Key Spaces
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland has four floors. Visitors move through the museum using the Kohl Family Monumental Staircase. This staircase connects to the Kohl Atrium and the upper levels. The spaces inside can be changed using movable glass walls. The top floor, which is 6,000 square feet, uses these walls. This allows the museum to host different kinds of programs and events. There's also a special area for media art and a lounge. The lounge has a view of Uptown, showing how the building connects to its surroundings.
Other important spaces include the Kohl Atrium, Gund Commons, and the moCa store. These areas help with the museum's programs and events. The Gund Commons is a two-story event space. It covers 1,400 square feet. It has a garage door that can close off the space for smaller events. The moCa Gift Store is also designed to be flexible. Its shelves can be hidden to create another open space for events.
How moCa is Managed
Welcoming Everyone with Free Admission
moCa is an important part of Cleveland's cultural scene. Its plan from 2015-2018 aimed to create a "discovery experience" for visitors. It also wanted to show Cleveland's "cosmopolitan flair." moCa is a non-collecting museum. This means it doesn't own a permanent collection of art. This gives it lots of freedom in planning its programs and exhibitions.
To make art more accessible, moCa made daily admission free starting March 19, 2019. This was part of its Inclusivity Initiative. This initiative also includes programs to promote diversity. It offers special fellowships and apprenticeship programs.
How Many People Visit?
The number of visitors to moCa has changed over the years. This depends on the museum's location and its staff. In the mid-1990s, about 11,000 people visited each year. Under Jill Snyder's leadership, attendance grew to 20,000. In its first year at the Uptown location, over 56,000 people visited! On average, about 40,000 people visit moCa each year.
Connecting with the Community
After moving to Uptown University Circle in 2012, moCa worked with students from Case Western Reserve University. They wanted to help the museum connect better with the area. This partnership helped the museum become more visible and attract more visitors.
Learning and Education Programs
The museum's Education Programs are a key part of its Inclusivity Initiative. These programs offer learning opportunities for kids and adults. They include interactive tours and Learning Labs. moCa also hosts artist talks, gallery tours, and other programs. These events connect with the wider cultural community.
Who Runs moCa?
The Founders
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland was started by three people. Marjorie Talalay co-founded The New Gallery and led it for 25 years. Nina Castelli Sundell, another co-founder, is an American curator. She also helped start Independent Curators International (ICI). The third founder is Agnes Gund. She used to be the president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Agnes Gund is a generous art supporter. She has given and loaned many artworks to moCa's past exhibitions. Her support has helped the museum grow.
The Directors
After Marjorie Talalay retired, Jill Snyder became the executive director in 1996. She held this position until 2020. Before moCa, she worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Megan Lykins Reich joined moCa in 2004. She became the Executive Director in 2022. In 2020, she wrote an essay called Making an Urban Living Room. This essay talks about how moCa's building was designed.
The Curators
moCa has a team of six curators. They are Courtenay Finn, Kate Montlack, Ray Juaire, Eli Gfell, La Tanya Autry, and Thea Spittle. The museum often features artists from Greater Cleveland and Northeastern Ohio. They also organize regional group shows every two years.
Artworks and Exhibitions
Since moCa is a non-collecting museum, it doesn't have a permanent collection. This means it can be very flexible with its programs and exhibitions. In its early days, The New Gallery showed works by famous artists. These included Christo, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Roy Lichtenstein. Today, moCa changes its exhibitions three times a year.
Past Exhibitions to Remember
- In 2018, moCa celebrated its 50th anniversary! They had an "Open House" to encourage more people to visit.
- In 2019, moCa hosted the first collaboration between Chinese artist Liu Wei and an American museum. The show was called Invisible Cities. It was presented at both moCa and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Each museum showed the art in a unique way that fit its building.
Cool Temporary Art Highlights
- Third Man Begins Digging Through Pockets (2012) by Katharina Grosse. This artwork was made specifically for the Kohl Atrium.
- OFF THE RULING CLASS (2015) and THE ANTITHINKERS (2015) by Nevet Yitzak. These were two video works made for the Gund Commons.
- Some other popular exhibitions include Inside Out and From the Ground Up (2012), Corin Hewitt: Hedge (2013), and Michelle Grabner: I Work from Home (2013). Also, Dirge: Reflections on (Life and) Death (2014), Kirk Mangus: Things Love (2014), Stranger (2016), and Xavier Cha: abduct (2016).
See also
