Caitlín Doherty, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville

In an interview with Invest:, Caitlín Doherty, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a Cultural Institute of the University of North Florida, talked about the institution’s achievements, particularly surviving and thriving through the pandemic, leading up to its approaching 100-year anniversary. MOCA’s focus on community engagement, diverse programming, and intentional collection acquisitions underscores its commitment to representing and serving Jacksonville. Doherty discussed MOCA’s use of technology for digital access and immersive experiences, its sustainability initiatives, and collaborations with various partners to enhance accessibility and impact.

What have been some achievements you are proud of since joining in 2017? 

I am proud that we not only survived the pandemic but survived thriving and with a clear pathway towards our 100-year anniversary. We were strategic in the momentum we were able to achieve, and as a result, this milestone anniversary does not stand alone as a singular year. It is made up of all the work that led to this moment and the accomplishment has really provided a renewed sense of energy and vitality for the museum team and the community we serve. 

Can you discuss the gift of artwork provided by Gordon W. Bailey? 

MOCA is an actively acquiring institution and we have a collection of about 1,200 works of art, predominantly from the 1960’s to the present day. For us, the collection is really the community’s collection, and we are the custodians that can utilize the art to nourish the community. By continually adding to the collection, we are able to broaden the art historical narrative through research opportunities in and beyond our city. As part of the University of North Florida, this provides research opportunities to our students as well. We also have an exhibition space where we regularly show works from our collection through exhibitions curated around different themes. As a hub for the community, we use the collection to shine a light on ideas pertinent to our day and use art as a vehicle to explore some of those ideas. 

One of the reasons this gift of artwork has been so significant is the way it has broadened the scope of our collection through its focus on underrepresented, and largely untrained artists who created works under extreme circumstances. Mr. Bailey’s donation adds strength to MOCA Jacksonville’s holdings of works by untrained artists and emphasizes our commitment to being a museum that fully represents Northeast Florida, offering access points to contemporary art that engage every member of our community. We are grateful for his decades-long advocacy of these artists. As we celebrate the museum’s 100th anniversary, the gifted works enable MOCA Jacksonville to better promote a broader understanding of the art of our time, ensuring that the museum’s collection, exhibitions, and programs will continue to inspire and advance dialogue and interest in contemporary art in all its facets. Many of the donated works will be on view as part of the upcoming exhibition: Fill My Heart With Hope: Works From The Gordon W. Bailey Collection. This exhibition kicks off the second half of our anniversary year and will be on view through March 23, 2025.

What strategies does MOCA employ to attract and retain diverse audiences? 

We have done a lot of intentional work to represent the community we serve. That includes things as simple as making sure we are attracting younger audiences, ensuring we are providing lifelong learning opportunities, and providing ways a variety of entry points into our exhibition content. For younger audiences, we offer various programs like seasonal camps and monthly art classes, as well as school-based programming like our Voice of the People literacy program and Meet Me @ MOCA, a free virtual school tour program for Title 1 schools that we were able to serve more than 6,500 students through this spring.

For teens, we offer an Emerging Artist portfolio building program, and volunteer opportunities through our Teen Teachers program that offers support for Summer Camp @ MOCA and our Teen Art Council which works with the museum team to create programming by and for our teen audience. They do extraordinary work in creating programs that our local teens want to be a part of. We now also have a college student sitting on our board from the University of North Florida, which allows a direct connection to the student body so we can stay on the pulse of what is pertinent to young minds in Jacksonville. 

We are also careful when it comes to collecting data, which we use to direct our communications strategies. We work to obtain surveys from at least 10% of our visitors. This self-reported data shows that our visitors over this past year have been representative of our local community, with each racial demographic category within 1.5% of the city of Jacksonville’s more recent census data. It is always our goal to be intentional about reaching and reflecting every part of our community. 

How are you leveraging technology and other digital platforms? 

We all became much more digitally oriented during the pandemic, but I was adamant that what we did should not just be a momentary response, but instead something that was sustainable far into the future. For that reason, we create a 360-degree virtual tour for every exhibition so anyone can experience our exhibitions from anywhere in the world. This is also incorporated into many of our teaching programs, which people can experience in person or in the digital space. We have also just recently launched a new, highly accessible website with the University of North Florida and utilize QR codes to ensure guests have quick access to expanded information and accessible versions of in-gallery content. 

Later this year, we will launch our first fully immersive tech-based installation in our Atrium Gallery. Raphael Lozano-Hemmer is based between Canada and Mexico and is creating an experiential work of art using heat seeking technology to bring the viewer into the work and create one-of-a-kind experiences for each visitor. This groundbreaking work is being created for our community and will be available right here in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. 

In what ways does MOCA approach sustainability? 

We are proud to have received a Frankenthaler Climate Initiative grant to complete a comprehensive study of our campus in order to create a guide map that will empower us to be greener moving forward. Some of the solutions are already being implemented, and additional infrastructure needs are being identified. We recently worked with the Registrars Convention where they used MOCA as a case study to look at environmental issues. The way we chill water, the way we freight and package work are some of the different ways to incorporate sustainability and contribute to it. 

On the programmatic side, every exhibition shines a light on ideas, with environmental issues among these themes. As we explore various issues through our exhibitions, we have found ways to tell the human, natural, and statistical story through the vehicle of art. 

What are some of the other collaborations or partnerships that are being leveraged to enhance the region? 

Our expansive approach to collaboration is one of our biggest successes. In the past couple of years, both Florida Blue and VyStar Credit Union have stepped forward to expand museum access to the community through our Free Museum Nights and Free Saturday programs. By offering free admission and expanding our hours of operation, these collaborations have allowed us to take a huge step in removing barriers to access. On top of that, we collaborate with a host of nonprofit organizations, public schools, art schools, and so on. 

Our Voice of the People program partners with Ortega Elementary to provide 4th grade students with a literacy-based curriculum that asks students to respond to artworks in our collection. Their descriptions then become part of the interpretive material in our galleries that are accessible when you scan our QR codes. It is an incredibly impactful program that has shown up to a 40% increase in student literacy scores. The list goes on and we are so proud of the different partners we get the opportunity to collaborate with to enhance our community. 

How do you envision MOCA evolving over the next 5-10 years? 

We are actually in the middle of revising our strategic plan right now, so this is timely. More than just celebrating the milestone, our 100th anniversary has been about positioning the museum for the future and elevating what we do. We continue to expand our connections and grow as a resource for the community, and we are a proud part of the University of North Florida. We are also a cornerstone of the city’s Downtown revitalization plan, which is moving at a remarkable pace with our new mayoral administration’s commitment to art and culture as a driver for the city’s success. We have recently received funding from the Tourist Development Council, which has recognized for the first time the potential for cultural tourism to be a major driver in bringing people to Northeast Florida. Their support has empowered us to advertise regionally and nationally for the first time, and to more than double the number of tourists who are visiting the museum. It is through initiatives like these that we are bringing the museum’s mission to a broader audience and will continue to grow our impact for many years.