Arts and Entertainment
August 17, 2023
From: Museum Of Contemporary ArtMOCA RE-OPENS TO THE PUBLIC
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
Last Chance to View
Cecilia Vicuña: Sonoran Quipu
ON VIEW THROUGH OCTOBER 1, 2023 | GREAT HALL
Sonoran Quipu is a sprawling sculpture composed of found materials that invites viewers to consider the beauty and precarity of our world, and our interconnected relationship to the environment and each other by internationally celebrated artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña.
PROGRAMS CELEBRATING THE SONORAN QUIPU
Opening Reception: Sonoran Quipu at Tohono O’odham Community College
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 | 5-7PM
Join us to celebrate an extension of the Sonoran Quipu at the Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC) with newly commissioned quipu sculptures created by artists Heidi Blaine, Maria Celis, Amber Ortega, and Alaina Pierce.
This event will take place at the Tohono O’odham Community College located at Milepost 125.5, AZ-86, Sells, AZ 85634. Please note that TOCC is a one-hour drive from Tucson.
Presented in partnership with Tohono O’odham Community College.
Free Third Thursday with Sonoran Quipu of Encounters
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 | 5-9PM
Join us for a free evening at MOCA with galleries open late, live music by KXCI Community Radio DJs, food by Brujería Pupusería, and free beer by Barrio Brewing Company. Don’t miss this lively time to gather around art, music, and drinks!
Assembly: Sonoran Quipu of Encounters | 6PM
Join us for an open conversation in celebration of the Sonoran Quipu to consider together what we can do for the Sonoran Desert, and how we can help each other in our individual and collective work. The conversation will be guided by poetry, music, and movement.
NEW EXHIBITION OPENING THIS FALL
Keioui Keijaun Thomas: Magma & Pearls
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2023 | 7-9PM
SAVE THE DATE—Join us for the opening reception of Magma & Pearls: Oceans Rise and Fall Like Meteorites, the first solo museum exhibition by artist and performer Keioui Keijaun Thomas. The project builds on over a decade of Thomas’ work that explores identity, expands her embodied research about climate catastrophe, and imagines new ways to relate to the American landscape.
6-7PM | Members Preview with Curators Toast - RSVP here or become a member today!
7-9PM | Public Reception
MOCA IN THE COMMUNITY
Night Bloom Project: Sketching the Senses
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 | 5:30-7:30PM
MOCA Night Bloom recipient Sketching the Senses: The Sonoran Series invites the public to “The Monsoons”, the first in a series of four grant-funded sketching sessions at Las Milpitas Community Farm. Participants are invited to celebrate the visceral and cultural characteristics of the Sonoran landscape through an immersive drawing experience.
The drawing session will take place at Las Milpitas Community Farm, located at 2405 S. Cottonwood Ln., Tucson, AZ 85713. There is no cost to attend. For additional information and to RSVP, please visit Sketching the Senses website.
Performance: Raven Chacon’s Voiceless Mass by True Concord
OCTOBER 13-15 | 3PM & 7PM
MOCA collaborator True Concord Voices & Orchestra premieres their 20th anniversary season this October with Raven Chacon’s 2022 Pulitzer Prize winning work, Voiceless Mass. The first major work of Raven Chacon’s to be performed in Tucson, the debut of Voiceless Mass occurs in conjunction with While hissing, the artist’s exhibition at MOCA which presents two important bodies of work from the visionary artist and composer.
Performances will take place at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Lutheran Church of the Risen Savior in Tucson. For complete concert information and tickets, please visit Truce Concord’s website.
MOCA IN THE NEWS
MOCA Executive Director & Co-Chief Curator Julio César Morales was featured in an episode of Artistories, where he discusses his creative practice, curatorial endeavors, and his vision for MOCA. Listen to the full conversation on KXCI’s website.
Na Mira’s Subrosa exhibition at MOCA was recently reviewed in ArtReview. Check out the full review by Matthew Erickson here.