VIRGINIA MOCA MOVES INTO BIGGER HOME
By Butch Maier / Photo Above: The new Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 5811 Wesleyan Drive in Virginia Beach. The inaugural exhibition, Nina Chanel Abney: The Pursuit of Happiness, is on display until Aug. 16. / PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA MOCA
A chilly April wind welcomed philanthropists, political guests, and media members to the new home of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art on the Virginia Beach campus of Virginia Wesleyan University—since renamed Batten University. Philanthropist Joan Brock, always looking to help, noticed an attendee. “Can I ask you a question?” she said. “Where is your coat?”
It took much more than a coat of paint to transform the new Virginia MOCA. Located adjacent to the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, the museum expands programmable space by 20 percent and significantly enhances exhibition, education, and event capabilities.
“It is so special to have all of you here this morning for the very first time in our new home,” said Alison Byrne, executive director of the Virginia MOCA. “Thank you all so much. Thank you for being here and for your support of our museum and our creative community. It means a great deal to stand in this space surrounded by so many people who made this day possible.”
The new museum features: expanded galleries capable of accommodating larger and more complex exhibitions; ARTlab, a dedicated hands-on education space designed for learners of all ages; flexible studios for workshops and public programs; and event areas suited for lectures, performances, weddings, and community gatherings. The building reinforces the museum’s role as a cultural and educational resource for K–12 students, university students, artists, and the broader public.
“This new museum is not simply a building—it’s a shared vision that we’ve made real together,” Byrne said. “It reflects what happens when a community comes together around the idea that art matters and creativity matters—and that access to both of those can shape who we are and who we become. Virginia MOCA is a place for connections, for curiosity, for learning. A place for both quiet moments and very big, shared energy. Somewhere you can come as you are and find something that speaks to you.”
Distinguished political guests at the preview event included: Congressman Bobby Scott; Ben Green, regional outreach representative for U.S. Sen. Mark Warner; Diane Kaufman, regional director for Eastern Virginia for U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine; Virginia Delegate Alex Askew; Kim Wimbish, director of constituent affairs for Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott; Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer; and Virginia Beach City Council members Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, Worth Remick, Michael Berlucchi, Cash Jackson-Green, David Hutcheson, and Stacy Cummings.
“This opening represents a significant investment in the future of contemporary art in our region,” Byrne said. “Our new home provides the scale and infrastructure to present ambitious exhibitions while expanding educational access and community engagement.”
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
5811 Wesleyan Drive, Virginia Beach
Tuesday-Sunday,
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Butch Maier
