Jax Contemporary highlights the artistic talent in Northeast Florida
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA), a cultural institute of the University of North Florida, announces a series of free Artist Talks with the local artists featured in Jax Contemporary: MOCA Arts Triennial, a new triennial juried exhibition bringing the artistic talent of Northeast Florida to the fore. MOCA received nearly 500 applications, from which senior curator Ylva Rouse and visiting curator Adeze Wilford selected 64 artists. Jax Contemporary celebrates the broad vitality of artistic voices representing this moment in Jacksonville’s history.
As part of MOCA’s ongoing Ideas of Our Time lecture series, the Jax Contemporary Artist Talks will take place on select free admission days throughout the run of the exhibition, which is on view through November 9, 2025. Each Artist Talk will showcase two to four artists who were selected to be part of the inaugural Jax Contemporary exhibition, which can be seen on the third floor of the museum. Each artist will have the opportunity to speak about the work in the exhibition and provide insight into their broader body of work and artistic practice. These talks are free and open to the public. Registration is recommended.
Ideas of Our Times: Jax Contemporary Artist Talks take place during select Free Museum Nights @ MOCA presented by Florida Blue and VyStar Free Saturdays. Ideas of Our Time is MOCA’s free lecture series that provides a forum for creative dialogue with artists, educators, and others around some of the most vital and important art and ideas of our time.?For those who cannot attend in person, the lectures are live streamed via Zoom and are recorded and put on MOCA’s website for access.
Ideas of Our Times: Jax Contemporary Artist Talks Schedule
Sat, May 3 | 1 p.m.
Sandy Harrington and Deshonna Buchanan
Wed, June 4 | 7 p.m.
Mark Creegan, Christopher Clark, and Mico Fuentes
Sat, June 7 | 1 p.m.
Overstreet Ducasse, Keith Doles, and Storm Rowland
Wed, July 2 | 7 p.m.
David Engdahl, Jeff Whipple, and Mary Joan Hinson
Sat, July 5 | 1 p.m.
Sarah Crooks, Gail Beveridge, and Jason John
Wed, August 6 | 7 p.m.
Zakriya Rabani, Stephen Heywood, and J. Adam McGalliard
Wed, September 3 | 7 p.m.
Lance Vickery, Robert Adams, Jenny Hager, and Erin Kendrick
Wed, October 1 | 7 p.m.
Susanne Schuenke Ph.D., Hillary Hogue, Tanner Pletzke, and Chip Southworth
Wed, November 5 | 7 p.m.
Yna Cruz, Laura Colomb, Holly Blanton, and Joshua Cooper
Artist bios can be found here: https://mocajacksonville.unf.edu/exhibitions/featured/jax-cont-artist-bios.html
SUMMER SEASONAL PROGRAMS
MOCA Jacksonville has released its full schedule of summer programs, taking place from May through August, 2025.
Highlights:
Summer Camp @ MOCA
Weekly Sessions for Ages 6-14
Jun–Aug | 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | $350
Family level members and above, UNF students, faculty, and staff save 15%. Includes optional extended care from 8-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. Projects vary between age groups, which are divided into ages 6-8, 9-11, 12-14.
Jazz in the Afternoon: Ryan Little
Sunday, Jun 8
Members & Non-Members $10
Join us for a performance by Ryan Little, musician from of the John Lumpkin Institute, accompanied by students from John Lumpkin Institute. Cocktails and charcuterie boxes will be available during this event at the MOCA Bar. Pre-order on Eventbrite recommended for charcuterie boxes, which are $12.
Free Movie Nights
3rd Wednesdays During Free Museum Nights @ MOCA presented by Florida Blue
May 21 - The Brutalist
Jun 18 - Anora
Jul 16 - Flow
Aug 20 – Anselm
Concessions available from Setlan Coffee and the MOCA Bar
Remaining Programming:
Art of the Figure with William McMahan
1st & 3rd Saturdays:
Members $20 | Non-Members $30
18+
Kids Art Lab
2nd Saturdays: May 10, Jun 14, Jul 12, and Aug 9
Members $5 | Non-Members $10
Ages 6-12
Studio Practice
2nd Saturdays
Members $10, Non-Members $20
May 10 – Oil Pastels for Beginners with Kasha Fahy
Jun 14 – Inked Landscapes with Mary Joan Hinson
Jul 12 – Modern Kintsugi with Elena Øhlander
Aug 9 – Layered Abstraction with Lilly Kuonen
Artful Movement with Yoga 4 Change
3rd Sundays: May 18, Jun 15, Jul 20, Aug 17
Members $5 | Non-Members $10
Seize the Clay Ceramic Workshop
2nd & 4th Saturdays: May 10 & 24, Jun 14 & 28 , Jul 12 & 26 , Aug 9 & 23
Members $20 | Non-Members $30
Ceramics Open Studio at MOCA
2nd & 4th Saturdays: May 10 & 24, Jun 14 & 28 , Jul 12 & 26 , Aug 9 & 23
Members & Non-Members $20
Self-guided
View MOCA’s full schedule of programs and details online:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/moca-jacksonville-2715586970
ABOUT MOCA JACKSONVILLE
Located in the heart of historic Downtown Jacksonville, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville is one of the city’s most significant cultural assets. MOCA is the oldest art museum in Northeast Florida and one of the first contemporary art museums to be established in the United States. In 2009, MOCA became a cultural institute of the University of North Florida and in 2025 the museum became one of only three percent of museums to achieve accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded to American museums.
In 1924, a group of visionary local women artists came together to imagine the kind of city they wanted Jacksonville to be — the kind of community they wanted to live in and be a part of. At the core of their vision for a rich, vital, dynamic city were art, culture, and education. Thus, what we now call MOCA Jacksonville was born. From the beginning, MOCA has served the community and its visitors through exhibitions, educational programs, and publications designed to enhance an understanding and appreciation of art, with a current emphasis on works created from 1960 to the present.
More than a century later, MOCA’s mission remains focused on the art, artists, and ideas of our time, with a vision that unites education, creativity, and community building in the heart of downtown Jacksonville.
For more information including hours of operation, admission prices and upcoming exhibitions and programs, call 904.366.6911 or visit mocajacksonville.unf.edu.
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AMBER SESNICK (She/Her)
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
W: 904-620-3224 // C: 904-303-0703