Museum of New Art facts for kids
The Museum of New Art, often called MONA, is a special kind of museum. It was started in 1996 by artists and has been run by artists ever since. MONA is known as the very first "popup museum." This means it doesn't always stay in the same building. Instead, it moves to different places, like a popup shop!
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What is MONA?
MONA is a unique art museum that changes its location. It has been in many different spots over the years. Imagine an art museum that could be in a small closet one day and a big office building the next! This makes visiting MONA a new adventure every time.
Where Has MONA Been?
MONA has had many homes. It once rented a tiny space, like a walk-in closet, for only $1 a year! It also used to be on the second floor of an office building in a city downtown. More recently, it has a special location in Detroit, Michigan, at the Russell Industrial Complex. This complex is a large area with many different businesses and artist studios.
Art Prizes and Collections
The Russell Industrial Complex location was also where MONA gave out its first Prinzhorn International Art Prize. This is a special award for artists. Famous artists like Christo and Jeanne-Claude received this prize. Christo and Jeanne-Claude also gave some of their art to MONA's permanent collection. A permanent collection is a group of artworks that a museum owns forever. MONA's collection has more than 200 small art pieces.
Who Started MONA?
The museum was founded by Jef Bourgeau. He is an artist from Detroit. Jef Bourgeau creates art using many different materials and styles. His artwork has been shown in the United States and in Europe.
How Big is MONA?
MONA has changed in size over the years. In 2003, it was at its largest, covering over 40,000 square feet. That's a lot of space for art! By 2010, the museum had seven galleries. These galleries were located in Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan. Together, they covered about 16,000 square feet.
Famous Artists at MONA
Throughout its history, MONA has worked with many well-known artists. Some of these artists include Sol LeWitt, Yoko Ono, and Iain Baxter. Working with such famous artists shows how important MONA has been in the art world.
Notable Exhibitions
MONA is perhaps most famous for an art show it had in 1998. This exhibit was called MONA's Art Until Now. It was shown at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The exhibit caused some discussion and was temporarily closed.
Another famous moment for MONA was when it showed a lost artwork by Andy Warhol. The piece was called You Are the One. Showing this artwork also created some public discussion.
