Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami / Vision Document

Envisioning The Future of The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami

This vision document is a collaboration between the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami and Davis Brody Bond Architects and Planners.

Museum of Contemporary Art North

Brody Bond Architects and Planners

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Mission, Goals, & Vision Plan

2. MOCA & NoMi Downtown NoMi Downtown Development

3. MOCA Today Museum History

Current Programs Aspirations & Needs

4. MOCA Tomorrow Program Massing Plans Sequencing

Mission

The Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami presents contemporary art and its historical influences through exhibitions, educational programs, and collections. Inspired by its surrounding communities, MOCA connects diverse audiences and cultures by providing a welcoming place to encounter new ideas and voices, and nurturing a lifelong love of the arts.

Vision

MOCA aspires to be a welcoming center at the heart of North Miami where art and art experiences flow in and out of the building — activating parks, schools, homes, and civic spaces; and connecting local and global conversations about art.

MOCA will tap into the cultural energy of the region to bring new art and perspectives to the public, building on North Miami’s legacy as a cultural destination. Visitors and the community can expect thought-provoking exhibitions that feature under-explored art and artists, and lift up diverse voices and stories.

MOCA will become known and respected locally and nationally for its innovative curatorial approach and research-driven exhibitions that are supported by educational programs for all ages. As a meeting place for cultural expressions and exchanges, MOCA aspires to become a center for cross-cultural understanding and inclusion, connecting diverse communities through the arts.

MOCA’S MISSION, STRATEGIC

Strategic Goals

MOCA’s 5-year strategic plan, adopted in 2021, resulted in a compelling new mission and vision for the institution. Within that document, the museum defined its core strategic goals, including measurable outcomes.

• Increase & Diversify Funding Sources

• Connect the Community

• Build the Brand

• Triple the Audience

• Integrate Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, & Accessibility Everywhere

The current facility limits MOCA’s overall growth (programmatic, attendance and revenue), and the museum needs to expand and renovate to achieve its strategic objectives.

Vision Plan

The City of North Miami, along with the rest of South Florida, is rapidly growing. The local arts scene is bursting with energy, and art and museums are key drivers of economic development and the region’s character. As the City begins to plan for future, MOCA should lead the way!

For MOCA to be a flourishing cultural hub in NoMi, the museum needs to expand. Envisioning the future Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami presents a vision plan and goals for expanded museum facilities and programming.

• Maximize the Ability to Host Diverse Artists & Innovative Exhibitions

• Provide for Expanding Education & Community Programs

• Preserve the Iconic Identity

• Address the Rapid Population Growth

• Update the Museum’s Infrastructure

MOCA is treasured by the community and should evolve hand-in-hand with the City of North Miami’s growth.

STRATEGIC GOALS, & VISION PLAN

MOCA IS THE CULTURAL

North Miami is growing rapidly. MOCA should lead the way.

Since its inauguration in 1996, MOCA has been a symbol of North Miami’s urban aspirations and identity. The museum is a welcoming place for visitors to encounter new art and ideas, offering free admission to over 62,000 North Miami residents annually. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, MOCA has hosted over 180 internationallyacclaimed exhibitions.

South Florida is among one of the hottest real estate markets in the country and North Miami is in the spotlight. With a population of 62,500, North Miami is one of the fastest-growing cities in Miami-Dade

County, showing over a 3% population increase in 2018. Residents are 60% Black, 30% Hispanic, 10% white, and 70% bilingual. 25% live in poverty and 80% of students receive free/reduced lunch. North Miami Senior High School is the nearest school to the museum. It is ranked 431st in Florida (US News/World Report). Minority enrollment is 99%, and 82% of students are economically disadvantaged. With a median household income of $39,723, North Miami families depend on MOCA’s free and subsidized learning opportunities for patrons of all ages.

HEART OF NORTH MIAMI.

MOCA is the sole provider of arts and cultural programming within the 25-mile stretch of urban communities between the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami and NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, which uniquely positions the museum to capture new audiences from this geographic sector.

The local arts scene is bursting with energy, and art and museums are key drivers of economic development and the region’s character. A future-oriented museum expansion will serve the community at large through exhibitions and public programs and offer a cultural town square that will be an economic driver for the

city. According to the Americans for the Arts economic prosperity calculator, MOCA’s organizational and audience expenditures have a total annual impact of $4.1M (147.4 FTE jobs, $329,300 in local and state tax revenues). In 2023-2024, MOCA’s audience will spend $507,750 in the community, 14.1 FTE-equivalent jobs will be created, $306,534 in household income generated, as well as $55,436 in taxes and fees to state and local governments.

In this evolving and exciting environment, MOCA is ready to strengthen its impact on the region’s identity, education, economy, and quality of life. To achieve its vision, MOCA needs not just to grow but to “grow smart.”

NoMi Population growth trajectory since 1940.

Downtown NoMi

The North Miami downtown business district, affectionately named NoMi, is undergoing significant economic redevelopment along the main 125th Street corridor. Private and public partnership developments will bring new residents along with new commercial tenants leading to more traffic and increased tourism.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami is sited along the 125th Street corridor, prominently located in the heart of downtown within the municipal district. The site, between 7th and 8th Avenues, links I-95 with the residential and commercial communities along the Atlantic coast. Approximately 30,000 passenger and commercial vehicles use this route each day.

As a cultural hub for the community and more broadly Miami-Dade County, MOCA should lead in the emerging regeneration of the 125th Street corridor. Expanded space and hours of operation will bring new residents and museum patrons who will in turn patronize NoMi shops and restaurants. The 125th Street corridor has enormous growth potential; let’s make the most of it.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Since its inauguration in 1996, MOCA has been at the center of North Miami’s urban aspirations and identity.

North Miami’s plans to revitalize and redevelop its downtown has spurred development projects along the 125th Street corridor, including major street improvement projects. While Municipal and Community

Redevelopment Agency properties are slated for redevelopment, private developments are already proposed and approved throughout and around the NoMi business district.

125th St/8th Ave

124th St/9th Ave

125th St/Dixie Hwy

Eleven55 NoMi, 950 NE 124th St

Residences at NoMi, 950 NE 124th St

East of 5th Townhomes CRA Mixed-use project, 800 NE 125th St

Residences at Griffing Park, 475 NE 125 St

The Gardens Residences, 126th St/11th Ave

City Hall

Police HQ Café

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami began as the Center for Contemporary Art (COCA), which was founded in January 1981 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution and established through a City of North Miami ordinance. Featuring the work of local artists, COCA operated in a single gallery space in a modest municipal building. Through the good offices of Congressman William Lehman (1913-2005), the City of North Miami was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the federal agency for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create a center for contemporary art on municipal land in a prominent location at the heart of the city’s business district.

Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey-Siegel Architects New York, with local firm Gelabert-Navia, designed the award-winning 23,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 1996 and was renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) to reflect its expanded mission. MOCA was Gwathmey’s first museum building, and his other notable works include the renovation and addition to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), the design of the American Museum of the Moving Image (New York) and the Henry Art Gallery (Seattle) among others.

Exhibitions

Since 1996, MOCA has presented over 180 internationally-recognized exhibitions featuring local, national and international contemporary artists. The museum’s curatorial program draws inspiration from its surrounding community, highlighting historically under-explored cultures and movements; overdue retrospectives for artists with under-recognized legacies; and first museum solo exhibitions for emerging artists.

Permanent Collection

Established in 1995, MOCA’s permanent collection was one of the first to focus on contemporary art in Miami-Dade County. MOCA’s collection was built following a plan that mirrored the historical programming of the institution from the late 1990s through 2014. In “Miami Contemporary Artists,” critic Elisa Turner reported that the opening of MOCA’s new building in 1996 was a “critical point” for Miami’s art scene and that the inaugural exhibition Defining the Nineties: Consensus-making in New York, Miami and Los Angeles “had a major impact on this city’s art community by presenting Miami artists in the company of national and international figures.” The museum is committed to exhibiting the permanent collection and making it accessible to the public through exhibitions and loans.

MOCA Programs

Education

For over 25 years, MOCA’s education department has offered free and subsidized on-site art-making programs for visitors of all ages, as well as free off-site programs at nearby schools, libraries, and parks. MOCA’s education department serves over 2,000 children, teens, and adults annually from across Miami-Dade County.

Teen Art Force (TAF) is the museum’s anchor youth program. It serves 25 students ages 13-17 on a drop-in basis after school throughout the school year. TAF is free, and is a gateway program for local youth to get involved in the arts. Many TAF graduates return to the museum for employment as teaching artists, camp counselors, and docents.

MOCA Summer Camp is held on-site from June through August and serves youth aged 6-12. Campers learn new skills through painting, drawing and design projects. Need-based scholarships are offered.

MOCA Sunday Stories Story-time in the gallery for children ages 1-5, followed by a hands-on early childhood art project. Free and open to the public.

MOCA miniMakers A series of make-and-take workshops for children ages 6-12, taught by local working artists.

MOCA Makers (age 18+) is a unique series of make-andtake artistic workshops, taught by local artists, to introduce artists and their techniques to the public inspired by current exhibitions. This program is free and open to the public.

Public Programs

MOCA Public Programs offer a platform to meaningfully connect the community with current exhibitions and strengthen the museum’s mission to make contemporary art accessible to diverse audiences. The museum’s free public programs include panel discussions, performances, film screenings and interactive art installations.

Conversations at MOCA engages artists, curators and scholars through dynamic conversations and panel discussions, offering the public a deeper understanding of current exhibitions and the social challenges of the moment through the lens of the arts.

MOCA Moving Images explores new forms of visual expression in film and video.

Jazz at MOCA is South Florida’s longest-running free outdoor jazz concert series and one of the museum’s most beloved public programs. Since 1999, Jazz at MOCA has attracted audiences of 400+ to MOCA Plaza (rain or shine) on the last Friday of every month. Hundreds of concertgoers enjoy a free concert, public activations, and pay as you wish admission to the museum from 7 to 10 p.m.

Art on the Plaza, is a series of newly commissioned, temporary public artworks by Miami-based artists on MOCA Plaza. The program is made possible with major support from the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), and connects the museum’s entrance to the 125th Street corridor.

MOCA Mini Makers

MOCA Summer Camp

MOCA Sunday Stories

MOCA Makers

MOCA Teen Art Force

Paradise Court, Interactive Installation

Conversations at MOCA

Art on the Plaza, The Visible Invisible Curator-led Exhibition Tour

Jazz at MOCA

Jazz at MOCA

Art Basel Event for My Name is Maryan

WE NEED MORE SPACE :

Enhanced Public Presence

MOCA is set back from the street beyond a large plaza used for public events. By creating a new Gateway and reinforced identity along 125th Street, MOCA’s presence as the cultural heart of NoMi will be dramatically enhanced. The Gateway, with a permanent Band Stage, will help support many events on the plaza as part of the museum’s public programming. A redesigned entry sequence with a new Lobby and Entry Hall will create a more visible and accessible museum entrance and provide a community gathering space that is reflective of MOCA’s goal to be NoMi’s civic and cultural hub.

More Gallery Space

MOCA is committed to featuring art that reflects the diversity of its community, which consists of large Haitian and Hispanic diaspora populations as well as national and internationally-known contemporary artists. MOCA’s current configuration forces extended closures of several weeks during exhibition installations, limiting its ability to provide perpetual access to art and art experiences. Doubling MOCA’s gallery capacity to include 8,000 square feet of digitally wired exhibition space will allow MOCA to remain open to the public 52 weeks per year and drive consistent foot traffic to downtown North Miami. Expanding the exhibition space will increase MOCA’s capacity to present cuttingedge contemporary art that connects to the community, and will increase the average length of stay at the museum.

Access To Our Collection

Even before the new building opened, MOCA was one of the first museums in Miami-Dade County to assemble a collection that documented contemporary art. MOCA’s reputation for discerning curatorial vision immediately attracted the support of South Florida’s community leaders who have made pivotal donations to the museum’s collection. The collection consists of over 550 works by some of the most important contemporary artists in Miami and internationally, including Edouard Duval-Carrié, Purvis Young, Teresita Fernandez, Keith Haring, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Yoko Ono and Edward Ruscha. With additional galleries, MOCA will be able to present rotating collection-based exhibitions consistently throughout the year.

Museum

HERE’S HOW WE’LL USE IT.

More Education Programs

MOCA’s education department has served the youth of North Miami for over 20 years through art camps, workshops, and the museum’s celebrated Teen Art Force program for high school students. MOCA’s Pavilion Gallery, where education programs take place, is a separate ±2,000 square foot building on the museum’s campus that was originally designed to be a gallery space featuring local artists. A dedicated education wing with classroom space for 100 students will more than double current capacity. Including built-in digital capacity for live-streaming and interactive technology will allow for engaging on-site programming and expanded virtual offerings as a centerpiece of the institution, allowing for programmatic expansion that meets the increased demand of a growing community and beyond.

Flexible Program Space

MOCA seeks to increase programmable space with an inspiring, purpose-built multipurpose flex space for programs and large-scale events that includes built-in digital capacity for live-streaming. Incorporating interactive technology will allow the museum to present programs without interrupting exhibitions and general operations. This space will be appropriate for public programs including lectures, performances, screenings and artist activations as well as event rentals, galas and community events.

Administration Offices

In addition to programmable spaces, the museum needs additional administrative support spaces. The administrative offices were designed to house eight staff members, and currently house over fifteen. Further programmatic growth as called for in the strategic plan will require additional staffing resources in order to succeed. Some of these changes can be accomplished through interior renovations. The building is 25 years old and requires some environmental systems updates for continued functionality.

Existing Facility & Program

The existing architecture is important to the identity of the institution. However, at present, collection storage and staff offices are taking up critical space at the heart of the MOCA building – a space that was not originally intended to house an art collection.

Entry Sequence & Street Presence

MOCA’s siting 100 feet back from 125th Street and its lack of clear entry and signage make the museum unwelcoming.

MOCA’s current configuration forces extended closures of several weeks during exhibition installations, limiting its ability to provide perpetual access to art and art experiences. Education

The education department uses MOCA’s Pavilion, a separate ±2,000 square foot building on the museum’s campus originally designed as a gallery space, as well as the museum’s board room as a secondary space for summer camp.

Administration

In addition to programmable spaces, the museum needs more administrative support spaces. The administrative offices were designed to house eight staff members, and currently house over fifteen.

Proposed Facility & Program

The museum needs to keep up with the growing goals and mission of the institution, and with some updates the architecture can meet MOCA’s mission, vision, and expanding programmatic offerings.

New Entry Sequence & Street Presence

A new Entry Hall and Gateway will create a community gathering space that is reflective of MOCA’s goal to be a civic and cultural hub.

New Gallery & Extended Hours of Operation

Doubling MOCA’s gallery capacity to include 8,000 square feet of digitally wired exhibition space will allow MOCA to remain open to the public 52 weeks per year and drive consistent foot traffic to downtown NoMi.

New Multi-Purpose Flex Space

MOCA seeks to increase programmable space with an inspiring high-tech flex space for programs and largescale events.

New Education Suite

A dedicated education wing with space for 100 students and state of the art digital assets will more than meet the increased demand of a growing community and beyond.

New Administration Suite

An upgraded office suite will support the additional staffing resources in order for program growth to succeed.

125th Street Museum

MOCA’s 1996 facility designed by Gwathmey has a striking architectural composition that is important to the identity of the institution. However, with increasingly limited space and setback behind a large plaza along the busy 125th Street corridor, the museum needs to expand its facility and increase its prominence in order to meet its mission and the needs of the community. Using the proposed massing the museum can sensitively expand beyond the existing facility and celebrate the Gwathmey icon.

125th Street

The proposed expansion features a redesigned Entry Sequence into the Pavilion that includes new and renovated public spaces; additional massing on the first and second floors to provide space for a second Gallery, an expanded Education Suite and programs, a new Multi-Purpose Flex Space and Terrace, and new Administration and Support spaces. A prominent Gateway for the museum will stand against the 125th Street corridor along with The Box, a MultiPurpose Band Stage & Event Support to further activate the Plaza.

4

•

• Reception Hall

• Museum Shop

• Restrooms

The museum can sensitively expand beyond the existing facility and celebrate the Gwathmey icon.

Reception for Cecilia Vicuña MOCA Gallery

Proposed 1st Floor Plan

1

• New Public Face on 125th Street

• Support for Exterior Events

2 ‘The Box’ (NEW)

• Multi-Purpose Band Stage/ Event Support

3 Ticketing Lobby (RENOVATED/NEW)

4 Reception Hall & Shop (RENOVATED)

5 Temporary Gallery (EXISTING)

6 Permanent Gallery (RENOVATED/NEW)

7 Education Suite (RENOVATED)

8

1 Multi-Purpose/Flex Space for Special Events (NEW)

2 Terrace for Exterior Events (NEW)

3 Administration Suite (NEW)

1&2.

Update to Public Face

DURING CONSTRUCTION

Community Expansion

New Entrance opens, Existing Gallery remains in use

Renovate & Expand to provide for:

5. Reception Hall & Shop (1st Floor)

6. Expanded Education Programs (1st Floor)

7. New Gallery (1st Floor)

8. Multi-Purpose Programming (2nd Floor)

9. Administration & Support (2nd Floor)

Relocate existing program off-site:

- Art Storage permanently relocated off-site

- Administration temporarily relocated off-site

- Education operations to be considered: limited onsite programming in gallery, on plaza or off-site.

Update to Infrastructure

Administration & Education move in, New Gallery opens

10. Create temporary bypass access to New Gallery

11. Existing Gallery closes for renovation & modernization

12. Rehabilitation of Exterior Spaces

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami would like to thank:

The Museum’s Board of Trustees for their leadership, vision, and support.

William M. Lehman, Jr.Chairman

Mayor

Philippe Bien-Aime

Dr. Laura P. Alonso-Gallo

Christopher Carter

Akiva Gross

Peggy Hollander

Melissa Hunter Davis

Mireille Louis Charles

Jared Margolis

Dr. Rudolph Moise

Cherrie Nanninga

Marc Napolitano

Dr. Laurinus Pierre

Sebastien Alfred Scemla

The North Miami Mayor & City Council for their longstanding support & partnership.

Philippe Bien-Aime, Mayor

Alix Desulme, Ed.D., Vice Mayor, D4

Kassandra Timothe, MPA, Council

Mary Estimé-Irvin, Council

With a special thank you to the Museum’s own Leadership and Staff.

Scott Galvin, Council D1

D2

D3

Theresa Therilus, Esq., City Manager

Chana Sheldon, Executive Director

T.J. Black, Deputy Director

Credits & Copyrights

NoMi & MOCA Photography

Pages 24,25 Photos of MOCA Plaza courtesy of the North Miami CRA

All photos not listed above are property of MOCA & Davis Brody Bond

Renderings

Pages 2,22,26,30 Renderings by Unmarked

Proposed Projects & Developments

Page 10 Illustrations of improvements are part of the City of North Miami Downtown Concept Plan, 2014

Page 10 Renderings of proposed projects courtesy of the North Miami CRA and www.northmiamifl.gov

All Drawings & Ideas shown in Envisioning the Future of the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami are the intellectual property of Davis Brody Bond & the Museum of Contemporarty Art North Miami, 2022.

Reception for Cecilia Vicuña MOCA Gallery

This vision document is a collaboration between the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami and Davis Brody Bond Architects and Planners.