Previous Exhibitions

christine k. harris: awake

MAY 22 - December 31, 2016

Artist Christine K. Harris wants us to wake up. Too often we move through life, head down, involved in our personal problems in our minds and on our screens. But, if we just look up and around, there is a possibility for deep insight. We have the opportunity to recognize the ties that bind everything together into a whole: People, plants, insects, and animals. Everything that lives has connection to everything else. Learning to pay close, thoughtful attention to the natural world is a process whose story continues to unfold. Christine K Harris is a sculptor and part time art therapist. She earned a Master’s Degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in art therapy. She has practiced art…

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Christine K. Harris. "Fragile Shelter", 2016. Resin, Polymer Clay, Acrylic Paint. Courtesy of the Artist.

Matt Lively: Habitat

April 1-July 23,2016

Opening Reception Friday, April 1st at 5-7pm at MOCA's Satellite Gallery at Towne Pavilion II in conjunction with First Friday ViBe in the new Virginia Beach Creative Arts District. In this exhibition, artist Matt Lively turns his full attention to one familiar icon, houses. Lively’s houses seem like the sophisticated version of a child’s idea of home. In many ways, they are the same; each has Cape Cod architecture, clapboard siding, a pitched roof and two gabled windows. The paintings, cheerful and sweet at first glance, eventually lead one to a sense of unease. They have a personality which gives them life. These are not mere houses, but metaphors for perhaps our own minds, our…

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Matt Lively Orbit, 2015 Oil on Canvas on Wood. Courtesy of the Artist and Glave Kocen Gallery.

The Promise

March 26 - April 17, 2016

Visual Art Students from Bayside, Green Run Collegiate and Tallwood High Schools explored the current MOCA exhibition surrounding themes of water conservation. They then travelled to The Brock Center in Virginia Beach. Lynnhaven River Now and The Virginia Aquarium presented in-depth overviews of the condition and status of our local waters. They also learned about the decline of the oyster population and how it directly affects the natural habitat and ecosystems. The students created over 150 ceramic oyster shells and mounted them on gradient blue wooden planks. The oyster shells are arranged aesthetically to show the growth of oysters needed for the survival of the local water’s habi…

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"The Promise" student exhibit at MOCA (2016).

Crystal Wagner: Surface Tension

January 30 - April 17, 2016

EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION - JAN 29th 6:30-8:30PM Artist Crystal Wagner’s installations abound as they reach through, over and around their environments. Wagner’s work draws from many different disciplines including drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. The hybrid forms mimic and reference natural, organic shapes and environments. Yet, they are sourced from cheap and readily available materials. In January 2016, Wagner will create an installation with water as a source of inspiration at MOCA. Crystal Wagner lives and works in Harrisburg, PA. She received her MFA from the University of Tennessee and her BFA from the Atlanta College of Art. Her exhibition schedule includes growing lar…

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Courtney Mattison: Sea Change

January 30 - April 17, 2016

Artist and ocean advocate Courtney Mattison creates large scale ceramic installations and sculptures inspired by science and marine biology. Her intricate hand-crafted porcelain works celebrate the fragile beauty of endangered coral reef ecosystems and promote awareness to conserve and protect our natural world. Born and raised in San Francisco, Courtney received an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Marine Ecology and Ceramic Sculpture from Skidmore College in 2008 and a Master of Arts in Environmental Studies from Brown University with coursework at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2011. Mattison has exhibited her work nationally including at the Tang Museum in Saratoga Springs, N…

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