MOCA exhibition ‘FIFTY’ to celebrate 50 alumni artists
There’s no doubt that UNF graduates in all disciplines have made their mark around the country and the world. Just as a pebble tossed into water sends out ripples, what began as a small university in Jacksonville in 1972 has been generating waves of influence over the past 50 years.
To capture that impact in the art world, MOCA Jacksonville will present “FIFTY,” an exhibit of 50 practicing artists who graduated from UNF’s Department of Art, Art History and Design between 1985 and 2021. Scheduled to open March 25, the exhibition is the brainchild of Caitlín Doherty, executive director of MOCA, which became a cultural institute of UNF in 2009. Doherty sees UNF’s 50th anniversary as an opportunity to shine a light on the University’s recruitment of good students, retention through quality coursework and preparation that leads to career opportunities.“When you think about the metrics we use to talk about UNF and other universities, they sometimes seem to fit more easily with the work of other departments rather than fine arts,” Doherty said. “And so, the amazing stories of art and design students and graduates is often harder to tell. There has never been a major UNF alumni show, for example, so the university’s 50th anniversary provided a really great opportunity to change that."
Doherty also is delighted that "FIFTY" provides an opportunity to celebrate the mutually beneficial relationship between MOCA and UNF, and the transformative learning opportunities that the museum affords the campus community.
To select the featured artists, Doherty enlisted the assistance of Louise Freshman Brown, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Art, who taught fine art students during her 38-year career teaching painting, drawing and printmaking at UNF. As co-curators, Doherty and Freshman Brown focused on presenting graduates throughout the years as well as imagery from a wide range of media — photography to painting, film to ceramics, and sculpture to printmaking. They also represented the diversity of the student population.Both agreed there were far more artists than they could accommodate in 50 spots, which Doherty believes shows the strength of the UNF program. “It’s really been a great story to tell because people are working in all different fields in far-flung places, and all these career paths led from studies in art and design at UNF,” Doherty said. "Alongside professional fine artists and designers, other alumni have forged careers in other areas too — and will be highlighted through exciting programs planned to accompany the exhibition — including Art Education, Arts in Medicine, Art Therapy, Tattoo Artists, Architecture, Art Restoration and Horticulture to name a few."
For Freshman Brown, who currently teaches workshops and continues to create art in her studio, curating alumni art also had a personal impact. “This project has been particularly important to me because it is also my history,” she said. “UNF was only there for nine years before I began teaching in 1981. I am proud of my former students and what they have accomplished. This is an opportunity for UNF to recognize their success. Visitors will be impressed with the exhibition's range of expertise and how much talent in the professional art world comes from UNF.“Everyone who attends, especially current and potential art students will see the relevance of art making in their world to the relationships of the museum world," she said.
Artwork in order of appearance in the article: (all courtesy of the artists)
© Thomas Hager, Marsh Menagerie, 2021. Archival pigments on paper, 40 x 40 inches.
© Derek Des Islets, Test the Water, 2021. Acrylic and colored pencil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches.
© Lauren Anaïs Hussey, Types of Thought, 2021. 72 x 84 inches.