MOCA to Host “Life and Spirituality in Haitian Art” and “Raul de Nieves: Eternal Return & The Obsidian Heart” Exhibitions in Celebration of Miami Art Week 2020
The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) will host exhibitions, virtual conversations, family programs, virtual tours and extended hours during Miami Art Week, Nov. 29–Dec. 6, 2020.
“We are pleased to safely welcome visitors to the museum for Miami Art Week 2020 by presenting a diverse range of exhibitions and virtual programming,” said MOCA Executive Director Chana Budgazad Sheldon. “MOCA is honored to host the most comprehensive survey of work by Raúl de Nieves, complemented by the exhibition, ‘Life and Spirituality in Haitian Art,’ focusing on Haitian art and paying tribute to Haiti’s rich historical, cultural, and artistic heritage.”
In-Person Exhibitions
“Life and Spirituality in Haitian Art” Selection from the Betty and Isaac Rudman Trust Collection,
On View Through March 14, 2021
“Life and Spirituality in Haitian Art” brings together a selection of paintings from Haiti created between 1940 and 1970. Featuring works by Hector Hyppolite, Philomé Obin, Rígaud Benoit, Wilson Bigaud, Jacques-Enguérrand Gourgue, and Gérard Valcin, these renowned masters come from the first and second generation of artists associated with Port-au-Prince's Centre d' Art. This exhibition also includes some of their contemporaries and pupils, including Ernst Louizor, Célestin Faustin and Adam Leontus.
The works reveal the artists’ diverse artistic styles influenced by strong African roots mixed with American indigenous and European elements. The merging of techniques, methods, and cultures is seen through their work, ushering forth a style that is uniquely and quintessentially Haitian. The paintings explore the Haitian identity through deep, rich, vibrant colored scenes depicting historical figures, tropical flowers and fruits, rural landscapes, and daily activities infused with spirituality and Afro-Caribbean religious symbolism, particularly from a voodoo tradition. The exhibition is curated by Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig, Ph.D., art historian, independent curator, and art critic.
“Raul de Nieves: Eternal Return & The Obsidian Heart,” On View Through March 21
Eternal Return and The Obsidian Heart is, to date, the most comprehensive survey of work by Raúl de Nieves. The exhibition connects the artist’s exuberant material sensibility to his roots in punk music, devotional ritual, and celebratory queerness. The artist draws inspiration from his childhood spent in Michoacán, Mexico, where public religious ceremonies and private rituals incorporate elaborate costuming and theatrical components. Coming of age in DIY scenes in San Diego and San Francisco also energized de Nieves with a theatrical approach to art making. The exhibition is curated by Risa Puleo.
Virtual Conversations at MOCA
Conversations at MOCA: Raul de Nieves + Risa Puleo – Thursday, Dec. 3, 7–8:30 p.m.
Join artist Raul De Nieves in conversation with exhibition curator Risa Puleo via Zoom as they discuss De Nieves’ exhibition “Eternal Return & the Obsidian Heart”; his history, art and performance practice; and De Nieves’ affinity for punk rock, performance and mysticism.
RSVP: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4916045156353/WN_xdL6r3hKTcWQbdDST6npUw
Conversations at MOCA: Life and Spirituality in Haitian Art – Saturday, Dec. 5, 12–1:30 p.m.
Join artists Edouard Duval-Carrie and Asser Saint-Val in a conversation that pays tribute to Haiti’s rich cultural and artistic heritage as these contemporary painters discuss the history of their practice. Moderated by Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig PhD.
RSVP: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2216046784648/WN_SGI-hMvUR1KmwXufCnzfoQ
Family Programs
Virtual MOCA miniMakers: Miami Art Week Edition – Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m.
Children ages 6–12 and their families are invited to MOCA’s signature make-and-take workshops, taught by local working artists. Creative workshops are inspired by MOCA’s current exhibitions.
Virtual Sunday Stories: Miami Art Week Edition. – Sunday, Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m.
Children ages 1–5 enjoy a story reading from “Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas” by Gail Piernas-Davenport and Marion Eldridge, followed by a hands-on early childhood art project. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to stay and create with their children.
Virtual Tours:
On Sunday, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 at 3:00 p.m., MOCA’s Curator of Education Amanda Covach will provide a virtual tour of MOCA’s current exhibitions “Raúl De Nieves: Eternal Return & The Obsidian Heart” and “Life and Spirituality in Haitian Art,” Selection from the Betty and Isaac Rudman Trust Collection.
RSVP for Nov. 29 Virtual Tour: http://bit.ly/MOCA1129
RSVP for Dec. 6 Virtual Tour: http://bit.ly/MOCA1206
MOCA’s extended opening hours during Miami Art Week are Tuesday, Dec. 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Timed tickets are encouraged throughout Miami Art Week (December 1 – 6) and admission will be prioritized for those with pre-purchased tickets available here.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum has instituted new health and safety guidelines that require social distancing and face coverings, among other measures.
About Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami
The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) is dedicated to making contemporary art accessible to diverse audiences through the collection, preservation and exhibition of the best of contemporary art and its art historical influences. MOCA began operating in 1981, opened a new building in 1996 designed by Charles Gwathmey of GSNY, and was the first collecting institution in Miami. Under the direction of Executive Director Chana Sheldon, MOCA premiered “AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People” during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2018. “AFRICOBRA: Nation Time,” the next chapter of the exhibition, was selected as an official Collateral Event of Biennale Arte 2019 in Venice, Italy. The museum has been recognized with grants and awards from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The museum is located at 770 NE 125th St., North Miami, FL 33161. It is open Wednesday 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. and Thursday – Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed Mondays and major holidays). Admission to the museum is $10 and free for MOCA members and North Miami residents. For more information, visit mocanomi.org, call 305-893-6211 or email info@mocanomi.org.
