MOCA Set to Host Exhibition of Works by Acclaimed Overtown Artist Purvis Young in Honor of Black History Month
Greater Miami Convention and Vistor’s Bureau Multi-Cultural Department Co-Sponsors Reception
MIAMI – The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami, will host an exhibition of fine works by acclaimed artist Purvis Young entitled “Under the Bridge, Beyond the Beach and Above the Muck: The Art of Purvis Young.” The exhibit will be on view from February 12- March 12, 2015 at MOCA, located at 770 NE 125 Street.The late Young was a self-taught Overtown artist who portrayed the African American experience in the South. His claim to fame was his 1970 outdoor paintings on Goodread Alley in Overtown. Young’s works have been collected by various entertainers and can be found in art museums nationwide.
The exhibition presents the generous gift of art given to MOCA from former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and philanthropist, Ruth Shack in memory of her late husband, Richard Shack, founding President of the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami Board of Trustees.
The opening reception, co-sponsored by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau “The Art of Purvis Young” will kick off the exhibition of the famed Overtown artist at MOCA’s 1st Gallery, Thursday, February 12 from 6-9 p.m. Admission will be $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and students. MOCA members will be granted complimentary admission. North Miami residents can call 305-893-6211 to activate MOCA membership.
“The transformative power of art and what happens around it are what creates the possibility of harmony and new opportunities to form,” Dr. Keisha Abraham says about the art from the Overtown neighborhood.
In honor of black history month, MOCA will also hold contemporary dialogues about different experiences facing the global black community. The “Blacks In Miami” lecture will be held by FIU Assistant Psychology Professor Marvin Dunn on Sunday, February 15 from 3-5 p.m. The “Blacks In Cuba” lecture will be held by CUNY adjunct Assistant Worker Education professor Rosemari Mealy along with Cuban-native Professor Gisele Cabral on Saturday, February 28 from 6-8 p.m. Both lectures will be held at the MOCA Pavilion.
For more information on the exhibition, visit www.mocanomi.org.
