MOCA (The Museum of Contemporary Art)

The Museum of Contemporary Art expanded from the original Center of Contemporary Art, which was inaugurated in 1981 in a modest single gallery space. The Museum opened a new building in 1996 designed by Charles Gwarthmey of GSNY, who worked in conjunction with Miami firm Gelabert-Navia in the creation of the space. The museum is a site for discovering new artists, contemplating the work of contemporary masters, and learning about our living cultural heritage.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is known for its provocative and innovative exhibitions, and for seeking a fresh approach in examining the art of our time. The museum maintains an active exhibition schedule, presenting 8 to 10 exhibitions annually.  In 2008, MOCA received a $5 million endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to present three exhibitions or multi-media projects each year featuring the work of emerging and experimental artists.   Past  exhibitions at MOCA include: Frankenthaler: Paintings on Paper (1949 – 2002); Roy Lichtenstein: Inside/Outside; Mythic Proportions: Painting in the 1980s; Making Art in Miami; Frank Stella at 2000: Changing the Rules; Dada and Surrealism from the Rosalind and Melvin Jacobs Collection; Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, Defining the Nineties, Tableaux, Painting into Photography/Photography into Painting, and Gianni Versace: The Reinvention of Material.  Among the artists whose work was featured in solo shows are: Louise Bourgeois, Robert Rauschenberg, David Smith, Matthew Ritchie, Anna Gaskell, Annette Messager, Malcolm Morley, Enoc Perez, Albert Oehlen, Jorge Pardo, TUNGA, Keith Haring, and Julian LaVerdiere.