MOCA to Celebrate Two New Spring Exhibitions with an Opening Reception on May 10
Wednesday, 05/10/2023-, 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA)
770 NE 125th Street,
Miami, Florida, 33161
Website
Cost: $10
The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA) will celebrate its newest exhibitions, “Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew” and “South Florida Cultural Consortium” (SFCC) with an opening reception on Wednesday, May 10. Art patrons will have the opportunity to browse the exhibitions while enjoying live music, cocktails and canapés in MOCA’s Paradise Courtyard. MOCA’s Executive Director Chana Sheldon, Curator Adeze Wilford, artist Lonnie Holley and the 12 participating South Florida Cultural Consortium artists will be present.
“Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew” invites visitors to experience the work of prolific artist Lonnie Holley in his first major exhibition in the South. SFCC showcases the work of 12 intergenerational South Florida artists selected to show their work in the “South Florida Cultural Consortium (SFCC)” exhibition. Both exhibitions go on view May 10 through Oct. 1, 2023.
“Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew” provides an intimate and focused look at the career of Birmingham, Alabama-born artist and musician Lonnie Holley. The exhibition, curated by MOCA curator Adeze Wilford, features 70 works including foundational “sandstone” sculptures, new works on paper and large-scale quilt paintings that depict faces. Known for his unique style of art that draws inspiration from his life experiences, Holley often incorporates found objects and everyday materials, which he transforms into thought-provoking art. Holley’s influence on Southern art is highlighted throughout “If You Only Knew,” including a section he curated featuring works from artists including Miami native Purvis Young, Thornton Dial, Mary T. Smith and Hawkins Bowling.
The SFCC exhibition brings together 12 artists working across various media including, sculpture, film and site-specific installations. The exhibition, this year hosted and organized by MOCA, will provide a snapshot of the breadth and depth of the artistic talent in the South Florida art scene. A catalogue will be published to accompany the exhibition.
The 12 artists, Farley Aguilar, Gabino A. Castelán, Nereida Garcia-Ferraz, Moira Holohan, Francesco Lo Castro, Tory Mata, Beatriz Monteavaro, Ema Ri, Asser Saint-Val, Carin Wagner, Carrington Ware and Addison Wolff, were selected through the SFCC 2021-2022 Visual and Media Artists Program, which awards a grant and the opportunity to take part in an exhibition at a visual arts institution in one of the five counties (Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe or Palm Beach).
The exhibitions will be accompanied by a series of exciting public programming and educational experiences. More details will be announced.
On view outside the museum is MOCA’s most recent “Art on the Plaza” commission, Edison Peñafiel’s installation, “Run, Run, Run Like the Wind.” This colorful display of nine banners will hang from the highest point of the palm trees throughout MOCA’s Plaza, showcasing characters on the run and accompanied by text taken from Latin American protest songs. Peñafiel’s work will highlight the act of escape during political turmoil, speaking to themes of human migration, displacement and social justice.
Guests will also have the opportunity to view “Welcome to Paradise,” a commissioning program featuring temporary public art projects by South Florida artists in MOCA’s Paradise Courtyard. The first installation, “Victory Garden” by artist Emmett Moore draws inspiration from victory gardens planted during wartime to supplement rations and boost morale. The installation is an interactive sculptural garden that connects the community with contemporary art and examines our relationship with the environment. Utilizing sustainable materials such as repurposed steel drums to form planters, “Victory Garden” includes plants native to South Florida and the Caribbean.
To RSVP, please visit https://111401.blackbaudhosting.com/111401/Spring-Opening-Reception-Lonnie-Holley-If-You-Really-Knew-and-South-Florida-Cultural-Consortium
