Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville

 

Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville

I recently traveled to Florida, along the way I stopped in Jacksonville to enjoy the beach and the city. I came across this museum and decided to go inside for this weeks blog! This was a very cool. multi-level museum that featured contemporary artist with all different levels of experience. My first stop was on the 5th floor where the Artist-In-Residence exhibit is. The artist's name is Dustin Sims, he is a student at the University of North Florida (UNF). 

The 5th Floor

Nature Re:Wired

Dustin Sims

Sims found his true passion of creating art after 20 years of military service. His military career allowed for Sims to travel around the world, seeing many cultures and wonders of nature. Through his art he uses technology artifacts to create animal sculptures that express the beauty of natures design. With the evolution of technology humanity has tried to mimic natures designs and functions. Sims has found a away to express the relationship between nature and technology.

As I walked though this exhibit it was so interesting to see the different ways that Sims used different artifacts in his pieces. I found camera lenses as eyes and a fishing reel as the body of a spider. 

The 3rd Floor

After exploring the 5th floor it was time to move onto the 3rd level of the museum. This exhibit included many different artists and mediums. I really enjoyed my time walking throughout, these are a few that stuck out to me. 

The artist of this piece is Mary Joan Hinson. This collection was created in 2025 and includes 14 unique pieces. The mediums used through include modeling paste, graphite, Yupo paper, alcohol ink and stretched silk. 

When I looked at this piece for the first time I found it to be beautiful. I interpreted it as the story of a performance or even the end of a career. The white canvas with modeling paste felt like movement to me. They are smooth but textured, getting ready for the dance. The canvas's with alcohol paint and a vibrant purple color felt like the music, more intense like a beat in a song. You have the ballerina drawn in difficult poses and positions that I can't even fathom holding for any amount of time. It really felt like a story, and the flowers placed below, which every perform hopes for at the end of a successful performance. I am not a dancer but this pieces evocated emotion of something you've worked hard to accomplish, coming to an end. 

The Forest re:Framed

By: Doug Eng

This pieces really stuck out to me because it is nature they I do not get to see in Michigan. The Spanish moss that drapes from the trees everywhere is so beautiful and can be a little haunting. Eng medium of choice for this was recycled frames and inkjet prints. This piece stood out to me because I really liked arrangement and the title. It looks like you are seeing this scene from a window, a few pieces are missing but you can map together in your mind how everything connects.