Indianapolis Contemporary, formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art or iMOCA, was a museum of

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, U.S. In 2020, the gallery's board voted to begin closing down operations, a result of financial strains caused by COVID-19.

History

Founded in 2001 as a “museum without walls”, iMOCA mounted exhibitions around the city. In 2004, the museum opened as a gallery in the historic Emelie Building in the Indiana Avenue Cultural District. In December 2009, iMOCA moved to a larger space in the Murphy Art Center in the Fountain Square Arts District. In 2014, the museum opened a second gallery space in The Alexander Hotel at CityWay. The iMOCA vacated the Murphy Art Center in late 2016. It continued to offer exhibits in The Alexander Hotel, Cat Head Press in the Englewood neighborhood,

Indiana Landmarks Indiana Landmarks is a private non-governmental heritage preservation organization focused on the U.S. state of Indiana. It is America's largest private statewide historic preservation organization. Founded in 1960 as Historic Landmarks Foundation ...

, and the

Hoosier Salon The Hoosier Art Salon Annual Exhibition is an annual juried art exhibition that features the work of Indiana artists and provides them with an outlet to market their work. The Hoosier Salon Patron's Association, the nonprofit arts organization tha ...

. In 2018, it announced that it would open a permanent museum in summer 2019 in of the old Ford assembly plant at 1301 E. Washington Street on the city's near east side. However, in January 2019 it cancelled plans for a permanent location and stated that it would again be a "museum without walls", with pop-up exhibits at various locations. Indianapolis Contemporary was the only Indianapolis institution entirely dedicated to showcasing contemporary artists. Since 2003, iMOCA had presented more than 40 exhibitions featuring the work of more than 75 local, regional, and international artists despite a modest exhibition budget. The museum had partnerships with other organizations such as the

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is a major American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra was founded in 1930 and is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown ...

and

Indianapolis Public Library The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis, Indiana, ...

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Museums in Indianapolis Art museums and galleries in Indiana Contemporary art galleries in the United States Modern art museums in the United States Art museums and galleries established in 2001 2001 establishments in Indiana Defunct museums in Indiana 2020 disestablishments in Indiana