Previous Exhibitions

Wayne White: MONITORIUM

September 16, 2017 - February 11, 2018

Opening Reception Friday, September 15, 6:30pm In September, MOCA will present MONITORIUM, an exhibition by Wayne White exploring unique historical events in Hampton Roads. In 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads took place and the first ironclad ships met in combat on the James River. One of those ships, the Union Navy's USS Monitor sets the stage for White's dynamic exhibition. Here, the focus is on the intimate, human side of this story. White will create a multi-media installation including monumental-sized puppets. It will feature the special individuals who helped to shape the Monitor's history. Props and puppets will carve out White's unique perspective on this game-changing moment of U…

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Wayne White: MONITORIUM logo. Courtesy of the artist

Nevet Yitzhak: WarCraft

January 28 - April 16, 2017

Nevet Yitzhak is a video and installation artist as well as a composer. In WarCraft, she creates a large-scale video installation using symbols borrowed from Afghan war rugs. The rugs were first created by rural Afghan women as a reaction to the 1979 Soviet invasion. They abandoned traditional patterns and introduced symbols of war: guns, tanks, airplanes, etc. Yitzhak creates her own war rugs from scratch and brings them to life in the form of 3D animations engaged in active battles. WarCraft resembles a video game: planes fly from one rug to the next, dropping bombs that burn holes in the fabric, while tanks fire across screens, creating bullet holes. The battle rages on in endless loops…

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Nevet Yitzhak. Installation view at the Yossi Milo Gallery, New York

New Waves 2017

January 28 - April 16, 2017

Virginia MOCA proudly celebrates its 22nd juried exhibition, New Waves 2017. This annual tradition presents a small portion of the vast array of artistic talent found in our Commonwealth - over 300 artists submitted work! MOCA would like to thank juror, Ken Harman, and all the artists who submitted entries. As you move through the gallery, you will see a ballot box asking to vote for the People’s Choice award. Take part in this year’s exhibition by voting for your favorite artwork. MOCA will announce the winner at the end of the exhibition. Organized by Heather Hakimzadeh for Virginia MOCA. Artists: John Adams Sarah Boyts Yoder Mickael Broth Caryl Burtner Siobhan Byrns …

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New Waves 2017. Installation view at Virginia MOCA. Photo by Glen McClure

Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art

January 28 - April 16, 2017

One in four adults lives with a mental health condition, yet this common illness often remains hidden behind a wall of secrecy and isolation. Mindful: Exploring Mental Health through Art breaks down societal stigmas and offers an opportunity to encounter and understand mental health through the lens of contemporary craft. Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art, explores the impact that mental illness is having on society, and the role the arts can play to both encourage positive self-expression and guide effective mental health promotion and treatment. Featuring more than 30 works created by 14 contemporary artists Mindful examines creative responses to mental health conditions t…

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Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art

Michael Janis Echoes, 2015 Kilnformed glass, glass powder imagery 10” x 30” x 4” Photo: Anything Photographic

Open (C)all 2016 Exhibition

June 1 - September 4, 2016

Many of the artists featured in Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose are influenced by art history. For this Open (C)all exhibition, MOCA invited Hampton Roads artists of all ages to respond to the work of one of the following artists: Andy Warhol Max Ernst Hieronymous Bosch Francisco Goya Alphonse Mucha Walt Disney Ingres Frida Kahlo Rembrandt Dr. Seuss Each of the artists above has been cited as influences of one or more artists participating in Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose. The works featured in this Open (C)all exhibition reflect individual imagination in creating a new work of art. MOCA would like to thank all the artists who submitted work for this e…

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