by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Fifty years ago Downtown, when people wanted to cool off, they often went to a movie theater, many of which prominently featured “air-conditioned” in their advertisements for feature films.
A half century later, one of Downtown’s cooling-off destinations is the Museum of Contemporary Art on Laura Street at Hemming Plaza. There are three floors of galleries and classroom space plus the museum store and Café Nola on the first floor.
The feature exhibit, “Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster,” is a study of folk art from one of the most prolific artists in American History. It’s in the gallery on the third floor through Aug. 28.
The University of North Florida Gallery is featuring an exhibit of sculpture by Christina West, “What a Doll: The Human Figure as a Toy.”
She works with the realistically rendered human figure in 3/4-life-size scale. West maintains a studio in Atlanta, where she is an assistant professor of ceramics at Georgia State University.
Children who prefer indoor summer activities can select from a range of art camps. With curricula designed for age groups 4-6, 7-11 and 12-17, subject matter includes fairy tales, “Arrrrt for Pirates,” time travel and environmental studies, among other offerings that combine a topic with painting, drawing or photography,
“Sometimes it gets pretty loud, but that means we’re having fun,” said Aisling Millar, museum educator.
MOCA is also a popular cooling-off spot during First Wednesday Art Walk. This month, the museum presents Liz Gibson, whose art performance is about being born with a physical disability and being empowered.
Born with seven fingers, five on her left hand and two on her right, Gibson’s show depicts four characters that represent four stages in the life of a person with a disability.
For information about MOCA’s exhibits and educational opportunities, visit www.mocajacksonville.org.
356-2466