Art-Filled August at Museum of Contemporary Art

A new Art on the Plaza installation, workshops, story times, tours, and an outdoor Jazz at MOCA concert await visitors this month

Clint and April by Autumn Casey. Art on the Plaza
Clint and April by Autumn Casey. Photo courtesy of MOCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA) will celebrate diverse voices and perspectives through its robust series of education and public programming this month.

The museum recently unveiled its latest Art on the Plaza installation, artist Autumn Casey’s Clint and April. This sculptural installation features two swans, each secured on their respective plinths and illuminated from within by solar-powered lights. Existing as a pair to echo the natural practice of swans who mate for life, Clint and April creates a space for the contemplation of beauty, love, ideas of worship, and familial bonds. Included with the installation is a performance with a written prompt of questions to inspire conversation between the artist and the audience.

The museum’s August programming kicks off on August 6, with MOCA miniMakers: Diversity Appreciation, from 2 to 4 p.m. Inspired by Jade Purple Brown illustrations, guests will combine photos with graphic illustrations celebrating important historical leaders. MOCA miniMakers is free and welcomes children ages 6 and older. Click here for more information.

On August 7, the museum will host Sunday Stories featuring Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., children will gather for story time, followed by a DIY early childhood-friendly art project. In Justice Sotomayor’s book, celebrates the ways that people can be different, which makes the world a more vibrant and wonderful place, illustrated through the way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable. After the reading, children will create their own variety of different paper flowers to take home. Sponsored by the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency, this early childhood art series engages toddlers and fosters reading, motor skill development, and socialization. Click here for more information.

Adult artists can try their hands at portrait painting at MOCA Makers on August 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants will be studying portrait painting with artist Lucia Morales. Click here for more information.

Museum docent Dr. Helen Sachs Chaset will lead tours of “My Name is Maryan” August 14 and 28, at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Chaset is an educator with more than 45 years of experience in administration, professional development, and program development. She is also a board member of Miami-Dade Holocaust Survivors, the Jewish Community Services of South Florida, and the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education. Chaset is the daughter of two Holocaust Survivors and was born in a displaced persons camp in Hannover, Germany. Click here for more information

A public exhibition tour with Education Exhibitions Specialist Lauren Baccus will take place August 19, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Baccus is also a textile artist who, through her practice and ongoing research in material culture at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, brings an object-driven approach to learning and relation. Click here for more information. 

Jazz at MOCA will return August 26, featuring Karina Iglesias and the Nu-Thang, at 8 p.m.  Iglesias was born and raised in Miami, and her sound mirrors the diverse musical and cultural influences that have shaped her character and forged her individuality as an artist. With a style equally informed by rhythm & blues, boleros, gospel, and hip-hop, Iglesias evokes the intimacy of a deep soul crooner and the conviction of a singer-songwriter.​ For more information about the free outdoor concert series, click here.

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