by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“It’s very exciting.”
That’s the comment voiced by people from both the University of North Florida and the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville to describe the business and cultural relationship that has been created between the two institutions.
In January, the City Council approved an ordinance that transferred the museum’s 99-year lease to the university. Since then both boards of trustees have approved other business arrangements that are designed to benefit the university’s faculty, students and curriculum as well as the museum’s programs, members and the public.
“The two institutions are very compatible,” said UNF spokesperson Sharon Ashton. “We’re excited to be able to give art and design students the opportunity to learn in a museum. The museum will be helping us and we will be helping the museum.”
Ashton also said MOCA will be a “transformational learning opportunity” for UNF students and having the opportunity to study there will “bring all types of experiences associated with operating a museum. It’s a learning laboratory.”
The museum will also realize opportunities that have been up to this point not available. The UNF faculty is already making contributions to what the public cultural resource is able to offer the community.
“Our education and curatorial staffs have been working with the UNF art and design faculty developing programs for the museum,” said MOCA Director Debbie Broder.
The public will get a sample of what the collaboration can do Sept. 17 when two new exhibits open at MOCA.
“Robert Motherwell: Lost in Line, Found in Form,” featuring works by an abstract expressionist painter and printmaker Broder called “one of the founders of contemporary art,” will be accompanied by “UNF Faculty Showcase; the Teaching Artist.”
Broder said the exhibit will be even more unique because UNF instructor John Hutcheson is a printmaker and worked with Robert Motherwell and he’ll be giving a “gallery talk,” a guided tour of the exhibit.
“It’s just wonderful to be able to show Robert Motherwell’s work alongside contemporary artists who are creating art today,” added Broder.
An advantage UNF will realize, said Ashton, is having a presence Downtown. While the faculty and student presence at MOCA won’t constitute having an “urban campus” environment, “It gives our students and faculty the opportunity to have their work displayed next to world-famous artists. It gives the university the opportunity to market events to different audiences from faculty and staff to donors and alumni,” she said.
The university will also gain a visible presence Downtown when new banners are installed outside at MOCA along with new interior signage. Ashton said the new signature image will be a “simple incorporation of the UNF and MOCA logos” along with the new slogan, “MOCA: a Cultural Resource of UNF.”
Future programs featuring UNF faculty and students include artist demonstrations, a gallery devoted to UNF artists on a rotating basis and an enhanced docent program. In addition the community will benefit from the museum being able to offer more exhibits each season, said Broder.
Only six weeks into the new collaboration Ashton and Broder agreed the relationship will create many new opportunities.
“We’re at the beginning of a new relationship. I’m sure there are things we haven’t thought about yet,” said Ashton.
356-2466