MOCA says goodbye to record-setting exhibit

News

Staff Writer

All good things must come to an end. That’s the atmosphere this week at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The exhibit “Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe” opened Jan. 21 and before it closed last weekend, more than 14,500 people came Downtown to view the collection of photographs, paintings and sculpture all focused on one of the 20th century’s most enduring celebrities and pop icons.

In addition to the exhibit, there also was a stage play, “Marilyn: Forever Blonde,” which ran in MOCA’s theater for four weeks, attended by more than 1,500 people, and a free film series at the Main Library. The film series did not record attendance figures.

MOCA Director Debbie Broder said the celebrity factor played the biggest role in the success of the event.

“Marilyn Monroe was the most iconic female of the 20th century. She not only captured the public’s attention, she also captured the media’s attention. When Marilyn comes to town, even now, she continues to capture that attention,” said Broder.

The attendance figures didn’t eclipse the 400,000 visitors to the “Ramses II: The Pharoah and His Time” exhibit at the Osborn Center from November 1986 to March 1987, or the 55,098 people who viewed “Temples & Tombs: Egyptian Art from the British Museum” December 2006 to March 2007 at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

However, “Life as a Legend” set a record at MOCA since it opened in 2003 along Laura Street and made a major contribution to positioning the museum as a Downtown cultural destination.

“It brought people to the museum who have never been here before,” said Broder, who is confident the institution will continue to realize benefits from the exhibit.

“It gave people an experience not just with the museum, but also with contemporary art,” she added. “It put MOCA on the map for a lot of people and made us a new cultural resource for them.”

Broder also pointed out that of the total attendance, more than 4,900 people viewed the exhibit free-of-charge through the support of corporate sponsors. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida underwrites admission during First Wednesday Art Walk each month, and every Sunday is “Family Free Day” sponsored by Bank of America.

MOCA Curator Ben Thompson was not surprised that “Life as a Legend” was so popular.

“I think it had the right mix of pop stardom and mass appeal. We suspected people would really enjoy the show,” he said. “Marilyn captures people’s imaginations to this day. There was also a lot of challenging art in the exhibit that appealed to people who appreciate contemporary art.”

The exhibit is now on its way to Pittsburgh, where it will be on display at the Warhol Museum before heading for a tour at museums in Korea and Japan.

“It’s a sad day when an exhibition comes down, but it’s also exciting to think about what’s to come,” said Thompson.

The next feature exhibit is “Tradition Redefined,” 72 selections from the Larry and Brenda Thompson collection of African-American contemporary art. Artists represented include Ratcliffe Bailey, Romare Bearden, David Driskell, Hale Woodruff and Mildred Thompson, who lived and worked in Jacksonville. The works that will be exhibited were chosen by a 20-member community steering committee.

The new exhibit opens to the public April 23. For details, visit www.mocajacksonville.org or call 366-6911.