VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Drum roll, please!
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, known as MOCA, opened with a sold-out gala.
“The show looks amazing. It far exceeded my expectations,” an artist said.
New York-based abstract artist Nina Chanel Abney’s work, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” is the inaugural exhibit.
“I think the museum is going to be a good place to bring accessibility to contemporary art, engage with students and the general public, and hopefully bring people into the gallery who might not normally come,” Abney said.
Gala-goers agree. Abney’s work was a great choice for the museum’s debut.
“The colors, the contrast, the vibrancy,” one attendee said.
“I really love it. I love the flattening of the figures, and I love that there are sculptures and paintings, too,” another attendee said.
“Nina has big, bold, vibrant paintings — the size we couldn’t even fit on Park Avenue,” said executive director Alison Byrne.
The new MOCA is on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University, right off I-64, making it more accessible than the old oceanfront location.
While the new space is 20 percent larger, the biggest advantage, museum officials say, is the scale of the galleries.
“We’re really taking advantage of the scale. There’s a 28-foot painting in the gallery space, so people can feel immersed — they can walk up to it and feel like they can step into it,” Byrne said.
The new Museum of Contemporary Art is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for local residents.
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