Bold and beautiful, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art’s new Hampton Roads home is already buzzing with its state-of-the-art facilities and inaugural exhibitions.
Located on the campus of Batten University—formerly Virginia Wesleyan University—Virginia MOCA’s new building expands its gallery space from its previous Virginia Beach location by more than 21 percent. A purely non-collecting museum, its new facilities were built to best amplify each exhibition’s uniqueness and to prioritize the visitor experience through strategic design and immersive learning opportunities.
Moveable and removable gallery walls allow the Museum to build different layouts for each exhibition so that an artwork’s wall-power can captivate viewers with the space it deserves. An interactive ARTlab gallery at the front of the building enables visitors to engage hands-on with materials related to the featured artist’s process and chosen mediums (think collages or painting exercises).
Executive Director Alison Bryne has been with the Museum for over 20 years and led Virginia MOCA’s relocation. Previously serving as director of exhibitions, Bryne brought in the inaugural exhibition The Pursuit of Happiness (April 18–Aug. 16) by world-renowned artist Nina Chanel Abney, a colorful tribute to finding joy amidst uncertainty. Its eye-catching, energetic collages and sculptures invite the viewer in, and Abney’s prominence speaks to Virginia MOCA’s shooting status among the U.S.’s contemporary art museums.
Seamless: Art and Design (April 18–Aug. 16), an exhibit displayed alongside Abeny, features design artists whose work is striking, fun, and personal. Street culture features—e.g., skateboards, Nike Air Forces—grace the gallery displayed with striking portraits from local and national artists.
Virginia MOCA’s move welcomes in a new, exciting era for both the museum and the greater Hampton Roads area. Alison Bryne reflects: “This has been a once-in-a-career gift to work with amazing architects and designers from across the area … we love being part of something bigger than ourselves. Art has the power to build and bring the community together.”
Featured image courtesy of Virginia MOCA. All other photos courtesy of Malik Emmanuel. This article is a Virginia Living digital exclusive.
