by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
A special event requires a special location and for many professional planners and people who want to have a party, Downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art has become the venue of choice.
Having a onsite restaurant was part of the program from the first line on the blueprint. Originally leased to independent operators, the museum assumed management several years ago. Since then, food service and hospitality have evolved into an entire department at the institution, serving both the museum’s needs and those of the public.
Carolyn Brass began her career at MOCA as a server and was promoted to dining room manager. Now she’s the manager of special events and facility rentals.
“I’m the point of contact for anyone who would like to have an event here in the museum,” she said.
MOCA is the site for several private events each month as well as functions for the museum’s departments, board of trustees and guild. Since the museum has become “a cultural resource of the University of North Florida,” the educational institution also hosts meetings and celebrations in the restaurant, in the lobby and in the galleries.
“Our partnership with UNF is huge,” said Brass, who helps coordinate class schedules in the educational department as well as faculty functions and board meetings.
Four times a year, Brass and the rest of the staff plan and execute members-only preview parties for new feature exhibits. They also help plan weddings, receptions and corporate events. MOCA is also a Jacksonville Film Festival partner and Brass is already planning several events for film lovers during the Oct. 13-17 cinema celebration.
“We’re full-service and a one-stop shop from soup to nuts,” said Brass. “We can prepare just about any cuisine and help plan a menu. We also provide servers and bartenders and clean up after your party has left the building.”
The venue isn’t the only aspect of MOCA’s events program. Having a gathering amidst one of the finest collections of contemporary art in the country isn’t something you might do every day and Brass said the staff also brings a different perspective to what they do.
“We’re all artists or musicians or creative in some way so we have a different philosophy. We don’t work for the restaurant, we work for the museum,” she explained. “There are many people who come for lunch or dinner at Cafe Nola who don’t realize the restaurant is in a museum. We have an opportunity to help them know what’s happening in contemporary art.”
MOCA Director Debbie Broder said having Cafe Nola and an events staff is something usually done by what she called “larger museums,” those with budgets of more than $3 million a year and more than 100,000 square feet of gallery space.
“We’re not that big and we don’t have that kind of budget but we have a wonderful restaurant. It brings people into the building and then it’s up to us to get them to go upstairs to the galleries. Some of our restaurant and event patrons are people who might not have otherwise come through our door and that makes it part of our outreach,” she added.
One of the most common comments Brass said she hears from Cafe Nola guests relates to the dining room’s location.
“We have a contemporary art museum on one side of the room and Hemming Plaza on the other side. How many places can you be sitting at your table having lunch and watch the mayor stroll by?” she said.
Lunch is served in Cafe Nola Monday Friday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner is served on Thursday from 5-9 p.m. and from 5 p.m. for First Wednesday Art Walk. Easter Brunch will be served April 4 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For reservations at Cafe Nola or information about scheduling a private event call 366-6911, ext. 231 or visit www.mocajacksonville.org.
356-2466