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Upcoming Exhibitions

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She Says: Women, Words, and Power

July 17 – October 24, 2021
She Says: Women, Words, and Power will present a broad range of approaches contemporary women artists are using with the incorporation of text as an essential part of their artistic practice. Each artist creates and reflects the written word as a formal building block: as way to convey trauma, to assert sexuality, or to investigate power structures on all levels. The artists come from a wide range of backgrounds and are at different stages of their lives and careers, yet for each one text acts as a powerful visual punch. Their use of text navigates a delicate balance between image and language, personal and universal, or politics and poetry. In their investigations and declarations, we find …

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She Says: Women, Words, and Power
April Bey, And I'm Calm, Calculated and Perfectly Aligned, 2020, Watercolor drawing, acrylic paint, epoxy resin, hand-sewn "African" fabric, oil impasto, 40 x 30 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Amplify

July 17 - October 24, 2021
Amplify focuses on the experiences of woman-identifying artists in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. Virginia MOCA curators have connected with curatorial colleagues and asked them to share their recommendations of woman-identifying artists who are exploring identity and the gendered roles of women. Constructs regarding a woman’s identity can be complicated and loaded with political agendas and nuances; yet they are also fascinating, beautiful, and filled with joy when embraced in all their forms. Through a variety of media and approaches, the artists in Amplify explore some of the many aspects of what it is to be a woman. They reveal common themes from an interse…

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Amplify
Helen Diana Criales, La Mujer Moderna, (Ella series) 2016. Photograph. Courtesy of the artist.

Lauren Keim: Everyday Magic

July 17 - October 24, 2021
Everyday Magic features a selection of recent photographs by Lauren Keim celebrating and exploring the vitality and beauty of overlooked moments in everyday life. Morning light illuminating a bedroom window, dishes at the kitchen sink, and a slept-in bed reveal intimate spaces in the artist’s home. Keim’s presence is evident in these photographs even if her body is absent. Her reverence for family can be seen in the heirlooms tucked into various corners of the interiors. Like the artist, we surround ourselves with everyday spaces and objects whose small details often unveil who we truly are. The nature of noticing is intuitive to Keim. She is most comfortable when she has a camera …

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Lauren Keim: Everyday Magic
Lauren Keim, Fine Tune Me With Patience, 2019. Photograph. Courtesy of the artist.

Made in VA

November 2021 - March 2022
For over 25 years, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) has maintained a strong tradition of celebrating regional artists through our annual juried exhibition, New Waves.  Our story finds its roots in a concerned and connected artist community. MOCA has never lost the goal of keeping ties with the talented artists who live close to our doors. As our community evolves, so will the museum and its traditions. This year, New Waves has become Made in VA. The new title reasserts our commitment to Virginia artists. We will continue to bring together jurors who are at the top of their field with the talented contemporary artists found in the Commonwealth. With the new name comes changes i…

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Made in VA
Grace Deveney, Made in VA Juror

Emergence: Teen Juried Exhibition

August 14 - November 28, 2021
This year Virginia MOCA will host its first juried teen exhibition during the Summer of Women. This exhibition will be open to young women ages 13-19. The entries will be juried by a committee of their peers, who will work closely with Virginia MOCA staff to curate a selection of artworks that display creativity and vision. This exhibition will be shown in the Fleming Gallery at Virginia MOCA and our Satellite Gallery located at Towne Pavilion II in conjunction with the main gallery exhibitions She Says: Women, Words, and Power, and Amplify. ___________________________________________________________________________ Call for Artwork Submissions Artwork created by young women ages 13-19 …

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Emergence: Teen Juried Exhibition