Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland

Moca moved into its new home in Cleveland's university circle uptown district in august, 2012. The new moca opened to the public the first weekend of october, 2012. Moca, 10 years old and northeast Ohio's only Contemporary Art Museum, has received critical international, national and regional praise for the building's architecture and the diverse exhibitions and programs animating the space, with the greater Cleveland community embracing both the building and program. Moca's home is 10,000 feet larger than the former rented facility, and was specifically designed to meet its programmatic, educational, and back-of-house needs; located in the midst of a vibrant neighborhood among cultural institutions, universities, restaurants and retail; and positioned in close proximity to many area schools and established and new housing. This provides additional space for visitor amenities and professional workspace and storage. The new building has professional workshops, Art storage, a multi-purpose room for multi-arts programming, a Museum store, ample office space, and wonderful galleries. The new moca is an architectural focal point and cultural anchor of the newer uptown district. In the beginning of fiscal year 2021, like many area cultural organizations, moca's doors remained temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Asserting that the arts play an essential role in times of celebration and challenge, when our galleries closed, we introduced a communications platform, "our doors may be closed but our hearts are open," promoting digital and delivery-based programs for our community.we extended the acclaimed exhibition season that was cut short (first solo show posthumously celebrating margaret kilgallen's work & group show temporary spaces of joy and freedom exploring indigenous + black liberation struggles) by covid closings and reopened 10/1-11/19/20 to audiences sustained at 50% (high rate among peers) when we were open (thursday-saturday). We maintained connections via hybrid engagement: when open, free admission/onsite experiences with our thoma engagement guides, integrating no-touch learning prompts and health protective measures, and, when closed, digital workshops and activities. Moca reopened 2/18/21 with a robust spring season presented through 6/5/21. Multimedia group exhibition imagine otherwise expressed the boundlessness and fierceness of black imagination and love. Curated by gund curator-in-residence la tanya autry, the exhibition took place at four Cleveland locations (moca, thirdspace action lab, mahall's + larchmere arts for the Museum of creative human art/mcha). Naeem mohaiemen's solo exhibition centered on his film tripoli cancelled, inspired by the artist's father; a neon site-specific artwork by martin creed also was on exhibition. Free admission and our thoma engagement guide workforce development and engagement program, both launched in 2019, continue to have profound barrier-lowering + visit-enhancing impact. Engagement guides garner consistent feedback on their transformational work ("best Museum experience" shared frequently). However, understanding the varying comfort of in-person visitors, helping "meet people where they are, and bridging the digital divide, we balanced in-person exhibition experiences with robust online programs (family-friendly workshops, artist studio tours, community talks), and "to-go" activities for children + families. During pnc family fun saturdays, we offer low-touch Art activities, and send hundreds of visitors home with Art kits to explore exhibition mediums and themes and continue their creativity. Additionally (with ingalls foundation support), we work with community partners to deliver creative toolboxes (Art supplies, tools, activity workbooks) to hundreds of local families, many in under-resourced neighborhoods. Over fy21, we also innovated new, unique programs to more directly support artists and connect them with community members. We commissioned new, expansive outdoor artworks like paul ramrez jonas' interactive public trust project. We established two intensive residency programs with local/regional artists. Aram han sifuentes is the inaugural artist in moca's getting to know series (starting january 2021), through which we work with one social practice artist over two years on long-form commissions and programs. Our new, cross-departmental artist-in-residence (air) program began in july with joyce morrow jones. Air features a cuyahoga county-based emerging artist for five months, twice each year. Each artist receives a workspace, use of woodshop and production studio, stipend, transit subsidy, production funds, and program resources. Visitors can view jones' works and learn about her practice via our learning lab, maker activities, and videos. We continue to center and advance equity-focused actions through all operations. Deia firm ppicw works alongside staff and board to engage stakeholders and strengthen public trust and benefit, auditing and adapting policies and practices to improve equity and inclusion. Just two examples of moca's work to decentralize power and build collaboration include: -moca program officers consult regularly with new education & engagement advisory group10 artists, educators, community leaders (70% bipoc)on engagement/outreach strategies and programming concepts, and were instrumental in recruiting/choosing our artists-in-residence. More information about moca Cleveland can be found at www.mocacleveland.org.