The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson embraces the mission of inspiring new ways of thinking. Through the exhibition and interpretation of contemporary art guests are encouraged to ponder art’s place within the community and the interaction between the two.
The museum is dedicated to showing work from artists working in Tucson, and dedicated to educating Tucson residents about the work of artists from around the world. The museum does not keep a permanent collection, but curates exhibits of loaned work and acts as host to traveling exhibits.
History: MOCA Tucson was founded in 1996 by three artists; James Graham, Julia Latane and David Wright. Their goal was to create a space where contemporary art in Tucson could be enjoyed outside of a commercial gallery space. On a limited budget, the three began curating shows in 2003 under the direction of Anne-Marie Russell, an art historian and scholar. Russell mounts exhibits purposefully devoid of the traditional explanatory text placed on the wall, and instead creates maps which visitors can carry with them through the exhibits, allowing the work to speak for itself. Additional reading and materials are available in a separate space.
The museum’s original home was an old state-owned warehouse on Tucson’s Toole Avenue. Shows quickly rose in quality and began to garner worldwide attention. In 2010, the museum relocated to a renovated downtown fire station on South Church Avenue. The opening gala at the new space featured a tribute to the Tucson based painter Olivier Mosset with the “Made in Tucson/Born in Tucson/Live in Tucson" exhibit.
Over 300 guests attended. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords addressed the crowd, as well as a representative from the media corporation, Cox, who committed to sponsoring the new institution and funding the build of a surrounding plaza. In 2017, Ginger Shulick Porcella was named executive director and will take on the board’s goal of doubling the museum’s budget to $1.2 million by 2020. Porcella will also be active in the role of curator.
MOCA Satellite is a traveling program that brings themes from current exhibits to the classrooms of underserved rural communities. Teaching artists facilitate creative activities that integrate with the school curriculum, including science, math and English studies.
265 South Church Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85701, Phone: 520-624-5019
