MOCA Jacksonville Explores Art of 1960s

Carl Holman, Assistant Director 

(904) 620-1921 

The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural resource of the University of North Florida, turns back the clock to explore one of the most important decades in contemporary art with its latest exhibition, “ReFocus: Art of the 1960s,” on display Saturday, Jan. 28, to Sunday, April 8.  

This exhibition delves into one of the seminal and radical periods of contemporary art. The arts—literature, art, dance and theater—went through a fascinating period of growth and change during the 1960s. Experimental art forms drew new public attention to artistic expression. Trends in the arts reflected both the turbulent social and political events of the time and the influence of artists and writers of an earlier generation. By the 1960s, America had been involved in some sort of military conflict for nearly three decades, and it affected how artists saw the world. The civil rights movement and the sexual revolution helped to expand participation in the arts, and these new participants brought fresh insights to the art they practiced.   

Join MOCA as it explores major movements of the decade: Pop Art, Op Art, Performance Art, Minimalism, Color Field Painting, Hard-Edge and Post-Painterly Abstraction. Experience master works by artists that defined a generation: Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. 

“Crafted in response to feedback from our Jacksonville community, MOCA’s ‘ReFocus’provides a much needed context and overview of the significant artistic accomplishments of this critical decade,” said Marcelle Polednik, MOCA director. “Much like a primer on contemporary art, each exhibition will explore, step by step, the most significant art movements of the decade, its key artists, styles, processes and icons.”  

The exhibition will feature a ‘60s themed Grand Opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, to help visitors get in the swinging spirit of the decade. Fun, games, music and vintage cars outside bring the museum alive, while inside MOCA’s staff, docents and others will supervise “explanation stations” to provide in-depth analysis about key works and movements of the period. The museum will screen Andy Warhol’s short films in the theater, and Café Nola will be open for extended lunch. 

In addition to the exhibitions themselves, “ReFocus: Art of the 1960s” includes substantial public programs that further the educational goals of the project. From lectures about art, history and culture to in-gallery tours; from free brochures to on-line content and audio guides, visitors to MOCA will have numerous opportunities to explore this significant period in greater depth and richness. The public program schedule includes: 

January 

28         Saturday           “ReFocus: Art of the 1960s” Grand Opening to Public, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

February 

1          Wednesday       Art Walk 

1          Wednesday       FILM: Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests 

9          Thursday           LECTURE: “What—and When—Were the 1960s?”, 7 p.m. 

18         Saturday           FILM: Painters Painting, 2 p.m. 

March 

1          Thursday           PANEL: ”In Sequence: Pop Art, Comic Books and the High Art of Roy  Lichtenstein,” 7 p.m. 

7          Wednesday       Art Walk 

26         Monday              FILM: The Revenge of the Dead Indians: In Memoriam of John Cage, 7 p.m. 

27         Tuesday            MUSIC: Dutch sound artist Jaap Blonk, 7: 30 p.m. 

MOCA is expanding the exhibition experience beyond the art through a special partnership with the Jacksonville Public Library. From books by Tom Wolfe to music by James Brown, plus films and other materials, the art, artists and culture from each decade come to life. Check out the pop culture universe database, special monthly programming, a selection of books, music and movies by decade and more at www.jaxpubliclibrary.org/moca.  

For more information about “ReFocus: Art of the 1960s” and its related activities, visit www.mocajacksonville.org or call MOCA at (904) 366-6911. 

-UNF-