Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia facts for kids
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| Established | 2000 (current location since 2007) |
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| Location | 75 Bennett Street Atlanta United States |
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) is an exciting art museum in Atlanta, Georgia. It collects and keeps modern artworks made by artists from Georgia. MOCA GA helps show off the amazing talent of artists from its home state.
Contents
History of MOCA GA
MOCA GA started in 2000. It was created by David S. Golden and Annette Cone-Skelton. Before MOCA GA, there wasn't a big museum in Atlanta just for art made by Georgia artists since World War II. The museum was founded to give these artists a special place. It also helps save and share Georgia's art history.
The museum began with private money. It first held art collections from a company called CGR Advisors and Mr. Golden's own art. The first museum location was at 1447 Peachtree Street in Atlanta. This first collection had over 250 artworks by 110 Georgia artists. These artworks included paintings, sculptures, photos, and more.
As the art collection grew, it needed more space. In January 2005, MOCA GA moved to the SunTrust Plaza. However, it closed that location two years later. In January 2007, MOCA GA found its current home. It moved to Suite M1 at the TULA Art Center, located at 75 Bennett Street.
The museum's main collection has hundreds of artworks by Georgia artists. It is one of the few modern art museums that celebrates and supports local artists. To show how Georgia artists fit into the bigger art world, the museum also displays art from around the globe. MOCA GA's programs help artists and the community connect through art.
How MOCA GA Works
MOCA GA is a non-profit art organization in Georgia. This means it relies on people who become members and support from the community to keep running. About 9,000 people visit MOCA GA each year. The museum often shows both very new and classic fine art. Other art places in Georgia also display different kinds of art. These places offer spaces for music, performance art, and learning. MOCA GA continues to operate from its location at 75 Bennett Street.
Becoming a Member
If you become a member of MOCA GA, you get free entry to talks by artists. Some events and programs are only for members. Other programs are free or cheaper for members. MOCA GA has different levels of membership. All levels include free entry to the museum, special opening events for new exhibits, and many other special activities.
Art Exhibitions
MOCA GA often has solo shows that feature only Georgia artists. Group shows might include artists from other states and countries, along with Georgia artists. MOCA GA has put on more than 120 exhibitions so far. Past shows have included new sculptures by Martin Emanuel. There was also a show called "Artists of the Heath Gallery: 1965–1998." This show included works by Herbert Creecy, Cheryl Goldsleger, Kojo Griffin, and Hope Hilton. The museum also displays special exhibits from its own permanent collection. You can often see past exhibitions online on the museum's website.
In November 2002, the museum presented "Color, Culture, Complexity." This exhibition explored the history of race relations in America. It showed works by artists from across the country. Some artists featured were Amalia Amaki, Marcia Cohen, Harry DeLorme, Robert B. Stewart, and Lisa McGaughey Tuttle.
Art Collections
MOCA GA has a main collection of almost 600 modern artworks. These pieces are by more than 200 Georgia artists. The main part of this collection was given to the museum by CGR Advisors and David S. Golden in 2001. It includes art from the mid-1940s up to today. The collection has many types of art. These include paintings, prints, sculptures, photos, and computer-made art. The Museum of Contemporary Art welcomes many different styles and types of art in its collection. The museum keeps collecting, documenting, and saving important artworks and information by Georgia artists. It then shows them to people in Georgia and around the world.
New Artworks Added
In September 2010, the High Museum announced a special gift. It transferred 21 artworks by 14 Georgia artists to MOCA GA. The High Museum also gave over 700 extra books and catalogs from its archives. These items are now part of a new library at MOCA GA. Annette Cone-Skelton helped choose all the artworks that were transferred. Some of the transferred works include:
- Shirley L. Bolton, "Silent Strings (Jazz Series)," 1974
- Santo Bruno, "Small Function," 1977
- Larry Connaster, "Untitled," 1969
- Herbert Lee Creecy Jr., "Study," 1967, and "Study," 1967
- Lamar Dodd, "Wind on the Coast," 1941; "Sketch for Wind on the Coast," 1944; "The White Door," 1953; and "At the Foot of the Blackland"
- James McRae, "Untitled," 1966
- Charles Mitchell, "Prometheus Bringing Fire Down to the Earth"
- Jarvin Parks, "Homage to the Four Arts"
- Robert Stockton Rogers, "A View of Taxco, Mexico"
- Joseph Schwarz, "Funeral"
- Benjamin Edgar Shute, "Compote with Grapes"
- Howard Thomas, "Reidsville," 1943; "White House and Chickens," 1946; "Get with Red," 1962
- Gladene Tucker," Untitled," 1961
- Ferdinand Warren, "Haystacks and Corn"; "Garden Bouquet," 1952
Education and Resource Center
MOCA GA has an Education and Resource Center (E/RC). This center is a great place to learn about art.
History of the E/RC
The E/RC started with money from the Forward Arts Foundation. It also received documents about Georgia artists from Annette Cone-Skelton, Inc. in 2000. Interns helped organize these materials into notebooks for each artist. The museum continues to keep records of its own history. It also updates information on the artists in its main collection.
How the E/RC Helps You Learn
In the E/RC, you can find MOCA GA's art collection, archives, libraries, and other helpful materials. These are available for students, researchers, collectors, and anyone interested in art. The Center is a special place to find historical documents. These documents tell the story of modern art in Georgia. These resources are also used to create new art lessons for high school students. These lessons teach about Georgia art through pictures, artist stories, and fun activities. You can also find information about the individual artists in MOCA GA's main collection.
The information in the MOCA GA Education/Resource Center includes:
- Archives
- Artist Notebooks
- Atlanta College of Art (ACA)
- Atlanta Women's Art Collective
- Girl Vigilantes
- Herbert Creecy Collection
- TABOO
- Library
- Genevieve Arnold Book & Catalogue Collection
- Joe Massey Book Collection
- John Howett Book Collection
- MOCA GA Library
- Magazines
- Art Forum
- Art in America
- Art Papers
- Miscellaneous Magazines & Journals
Programs and Tours
MOCA GA offers many programs. These include talks by artists and curators. They also offer tours of the main art collections. There are also special tours of exhibitions for schools and the public.
Artist and Curator Talks
At MOCA GA, artists often talk to visitors about their current exhibitions. These talks are usually free. They give people a chance to meet the artists and ask questions. Artist and curator talks often happen when new exhibitions are on display.
Café MOCA Program
Café MOCA is a program for high school students. It helps students connect with each other and meet professional artists. The program introduces young artists to people who work in art careers. Its goal is to build a support network for young artists as they start their careers. Some artists who have been part of Café MOCA include Maria Artemis, Lisa Tuttle, Whitney Stansell, Micah Stansell, Eleanor Neal, and Lynn Marshall Linnemeier.
Art at Atlanta Airport
From October 17, 2020, to December 31, 2022, MOCA GA showed some of its art at the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. You could see selections from the museum at the South Terminal Concourse T.
See also
- High Museum of Art
- Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
- List of contemporary art museums
