Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

Established	1956
Location	2200 Parks Avenue, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Director	Gary Ryan
Curator	Alison Byrne
Website	www.virginiamoca.org

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, marketed as Virginia MOCA, is a non-collecting contemporary art museum and community art center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, widely known for its annual Boardwalk Art Show.

MOCA itself evolved from a succession of local art associations: the Virginia Beach Art Association (VBAA, 1952-1971), the Virginia Beach Art Center (1971-1989) and the Virginia Contemporary Art Center (1989-2010). MOCA is located just off the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

In July of 2023, MOCA said it would move to a new facility to be constructed at the Virginia Beach campus of Virginia Wesleyan University.

History

After an informal 1952 art sale to benefit a local artist, participating artists founded the Virginia Beach Art Association (VBAA) — and by 1957 had a membership of 100. In 1956 VBAA founded and organized its prominent annual Boardwalk Art Show; hosted an annual spring art show, typically at the Alan B. Shepard Civic Center; as well as an annual fundraiser, the Artists and Models Ball, typically at the Cavalier Hotel. By 1961, VBAA began in earnest planning a gallery and community arts facility, and by 1962 had grown its membership to 275. and become nationally known.

In 1962, it came to light that VBAA and its Boardwalk Art Show were racially segregated, quietly refusing membership to African-American artists — as evidenced specifically by a refusal to admit A.B. "Alec" Jackson (1925-1981), head of the art department of the Virginia State College in Norfolk, who had applied for VBAA membership prior to the 1962 boardwalk show. As the issue became public, a vote of its 275 members was called, but less than 25% participated. Tension in the VBAA membership threatened to derail the 7th annual Boardwalk Art Show. Without overtly acknowledging its position, the 1962 show proceeded without Jackson — and just as quietly, he was allowed membership in 1963. His oil painting Veronica's Veil received an honorable mention; he won a major prize for his drawings in 1965, and Veronica's Veil won the 1966 Best-in-Show. In 1968 Jackson would go on to exhibit with the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1971, VBAA and the Virginia Beach Museum of Art merged to form the Virginia Beach Arts Center — and operated from a surplus WWII temporary building at Arctic Avenue and 18th Street.

In 1989 The Virginia Beach Art Center opened at 2200 Parks Avenue in Virginia Beach, a new 38,000 square foot facility on 9.6 acres at the foot of I-264. The design, by Boston architect E. Vernor Johnson (1937-2017, museum specialist), featured a copper-roofed entry walkway; reception; gift shop; administrative offices; classrooms; a 240-seat auditorium; 6,600 sf of gallery space; a 4,800 square-foot double-height atrium with skylights and live trees; exhibit support facilities, the latter including crate and exhibit prop storage, workshop, painting, art staging and storage areas. The land and the building were owned by the city, with the museum leasing the property for $1 annually. During its early duration at Parks Avenue, the organization rebranded as the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (CACV), operating as a public-private non-profit organization.

In 1999, the facility expanded to include a secondary entrance housing a suspended 14' blown glass sculpture, Mille Colori by Dale Chihuly, relocated from the Biennale Aperto Vetro installation in Venice, Italy and funded with private donations. The addition also included restrooms, ancillary facilities and renovations to the existing mechanical systems and was designed by RRMM Architects; constructed by the MEB Group, and dedicated as the Rodriquez Pavilion after its prime donor.

In December 2010, the Museum received accreditation from the American Association of Museums and changed its name to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, branded as MOCA.

MOCA Outreach Programs

Virginia MOCA had an arts outreach program that was provided to both private and public schools located in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The program provided classes that aligned with what was being learned in school and engagement opportunities. All programs were structured based on grade level for better understanding. It was 10 courses for students in grades first through fifth. Classes combined the Virginia Standards of Learning Goals with principles of contemporary visual arts through the use of props, costumes, artifacts, hands-on activities, and creative movements. Inclusion was important to the program. Students that participated got a guest pass that allowed them to come back to the museum and bring five friends and family members for free. This allowed both the students to experience the learning opportunity as well as giving other members of the community access to learning opportunities. Returning students had the chance to show what they had learned from the class to their friends and family.

In the Fiscal year 2015-2016, the outreach program had an attendance of 10,950 and was working with 48 schools providing 438 programs in schools and libraries.

Past Exhibits

Courtney Mattison

Inka Essenhigh

Robert Mapplethorpe