MOCA Jacksonville celebrates centennial with “Fill My Heart With Hope” exhibition July 25-March 23rd

The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA), a Cultural Institute of the University of North Florida, is set to celebrate the second half of its 100th anniversary with a new exhibition titled Fill My Heart With Hope: Works From The Gordon W. Bailey Collection . The exhibition will open on July 25, featuring over one hundred artworks from the collection of renowned Los Angeles-based scholar and collector, Gordon W. Bailey.

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Earlier this year, Bailey made a significant contribution to MOCA by donating 21 works, enriching the museum’s collection of works by untrained artists. The exhibition highlights the perseverance of many artists who overcame discrimination and hardships related to their gender, race, disability, religion, or socio-economic status, particularly those from the Deep South.

“Fill My Heart With Hope is an extraordinary, diverse and impactful exhibition,” said MOCA Executive Director Caitlín Doherty. “We appreciate Mr. Bailey’s decades-long advocacy and we are grateful for his generous support. MOCA is pleased to celebrate our centennial year by sharing the exhibition with our community and shining a light on the contributions of untrained artists within the art historical narrative.”

Exhibition Dates: July 25, 2024 - March 23, 2025

Location: MOCA’s second and third-floor galleries

Fall Exhibitions Opening Celebration:

• Date: Thursday, September 5
• Free Public Access: Community hour from 8-9 p.m.
• Features:
• • Live music
  • The MOCA Bar
  • New exhibitions throughout the museum
    
• Admission: Free for all
• Exclusive Early Access: Preview for MOCA Members

Bailey, in collaboration with MOCA’s team, curated the works of 56 artists, including 21 women. The expansive exhibition begins on the third floor in the museum’s feature gallery and extends to the second floor where more recent works are displayed.

The third floor will showcase powerful works by deceased luminaries such as Leroy Almon, Eddie Arning, Thornton Dial Sr., Sam Doyle, Roy Ferdinand, Daniel Pressley, Herbert Singleton, and Purvis Young. Highlights include Almon’s 20th Century Slave , Dial’s Blue Lady And Gorilla Man And The Tiger Along For The Ride , Doyle’s He/She , Evans’ Untitled , Ferdinand’s Untitled self-portrait, Hunter’s Cotton Gin , Morgan’s New Jerusalem , Pressley’s Wait At The Water , Singleton’s Ain’t Goin’ Back , and Young’s Untitled depiction of Jesus in chains.

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On the second floor, visitors will encounter superb works by artists such as Aryz, Hope Atkinson, Chris Benchetler, Date Farmers, Doze Green, Hipkiss, Daniel Johnston, John K. Lawson, Annie Lucas, Ruth Mae McCrane, Michael Noland, Samuel Pace, Mary L. Proctor, Welmon Sharlhorne, Myrtle von Damitz III, and Jane Winkelman. Notable pieces include Aryz’s large-scale paintings, Benchetler’s A Hero’s Journey , a collaboration between Doze Green and David Ellis, Lawson’s intricate paper collages, Lucas’ Biblically-inspired embroidered canvases, Noland’s Monument , Pace’s Monk In Dali Land , McCrane’s slice-of-life scenes, and Winkelman’s socio-political comments.

Florida artists such as Holmes, Mesa, Proctor, Young, and former part-time residents Winkelman and Gibson, are well represented in the exhibition.

As American museums strive for inclusivity, artists lacking formal training are finding more receptive audiences. Their unbridled creativity and bold expression continue to redefine contemporary art. MOCA encourages viewers to set aside preconceived notions, reconsider historical definitions, and embrace the power of individual expression.

This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the City of Jacksonville, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, the Donald and Maria Cox Fund, the Haskell Endowment, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, MOCA Jacksonville’s Centennial Sponsors, and the University of North Florida.

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