AIR: Erykah Townsend AIR: Erykah Townsend Artist-in-residence Jul 5-Nov 30, 2022 Erykah Townsend Erykah Townsend, also known as E.T., is a multimedia conceptual artist from Cleveland, Ohio. Her paintings and objects are heavily influenced by pop culture. She quotes, “I use pop culture as a medium itself—exploring the spaces it fills in our lives and the inquiry of how real are the imaginary.” Her reflective and humorous narratives are interpretations of personal experiences, comments on consumerism and art history. Characters, icons, and objects depicted in her work play as avatars of her allegories and criticism, while they retain aspects of their original source. Townsend embodies her phrase “Substantially Inconsistent,” as she routinely explores different styles within the series in her practice, sustaining her urge to keep evolving. Laboriously inspired by the miscellaneous body of work by Andy Warhol, she embraces different media and visual depictions. Townsend received her BFA in painting from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020. Her work has been exhibited in the Akron Art Museum and Newsense Gallery in Cleveland. Find out more about Erykah Townsend at milkcrate.studio . The AIR program is generously sponsored by Margaret Cohen and Kevin Rahilly, with additional support from Char and Chuck Fowler. About moCa AIR: Developed to support and highlight the work of emerging or early-career artists in Cuyahoga County, moCa AIR allows the museum to work alongside artists through 5-month, long-form onsite engagements. Artists-in-residence receive an honorarium, program support, a dedicated studio space inside the museum, professional development opportunities, access to the museum’s production studios, and administrative support. During their time in residence, each artist will develop a site-specific project that activates a site in the building outside of the traditional gallery spaces with production funds provided by moCa. Related Exhibition ▶ Erykah Townsend: "Happy" Holidays

Jan 31, 2020-Jan 2, 2021 Margaret Kilgallen that's where the beauty is. Jan 31, 2020-Jan 2, 2021 ∆ Margaret Kilgallen, Money to Loan (Paintings for the San Francisco Bus Shelter Posters) , 2000. Mixed media on paper and fabric, 68 x 48 1/2 in (172.72 x 123.19 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Gift of the estate of Margaret Kilgallen and partial purchase with funds provided by The Judith Rothschild Foundation. Photo: Tony Prikryl ∆ Margaret Kilgallen, Money to Loan (Paintings for the San Francisco Bus Shelter Posters) , 2000. Mixed media on paper and fabric, 68 x 48 1/2 in (172.72 x 123.19 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Gift of the estate of Margaret Kilgallen and partial purchase with funds provided by The Judith Rothschild Foundation. Photo: Tony Prikryl ∆ Margaret Kilgallen, Money to Loan (Paintings for the San Francisco Bus Shelter Posters) , 2000. Mixed media on paper and fabric, 68 x 48 1/2 in (172.72 x 123.19 cm). Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Gift of the estate of Margaret Kilgallen and partial purchase with funds provided by The Judith Rothschild Foundation. Photo: Tony Prikryl Jan 31, 2020-Jan 2, 2021 Margaret Kilgallen that's where the beauty is. American artist Margaret Kilgallen (1967–2001) died at the young age of thirty-three, just as her work was gaining recognition and prominence. that’s where the beauty is. , brings to light the astonishing visual complexity of Kilgallen’s short career, highlighting the major themes that unify her multilayered practice. Kilgallen’s work brings front and center an aesthetic that reminds us we need not look only within the commercial mainstream or readily accessible narratives for inspiration and empowerment. Rather she celebrates the handmade, making heroes and heroines of those who live and work in the margins, and challenging traditional gender roles and hierarchies. Her work advocates for a quality of time, celebrating and emphasizing the impact that can come from hard work and individual expression. Organized by moCa’s Chief Curator Courtenay Finn for the Aspen Art Museum, that’s where the beauty is. is Kilgallen’s first posthumous museum exhibition, and the largest presentation of her work to date since her 2005 show, In the Sweet Bye & Bye , at REDCAT, Los Angeles. Working closely with Kilgallen’s estate, the exhibition re-creates versions of pivotal installations and presentations, including her first solo show at The Drawing Center (1997), her first museum exhibition, Hammer Projects: Margaret Kilgallen (2001), and her final installation, Main Drag , created for the exhibition East Meets West at the ICA in Philadelphia (2001). The show pairs key works of Kilgallen’s—now in the collections of the Hammer Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—with never before-seen works from the artist’s estate. Lead sponsorship provided by JOANN. Major support for the exhibition provided by an anonymous donor and the Murphy Foundation. Additional support provided by our WAVE MAKERS.

Oct 19, 2018-Mar 24, 2019 Camel Collective Gated Commune + Grip Oct 19, 2018-Mar 24, 2019 ∆ Camel Collective, Gated Commune (still), 2018, single-channel stereo audio, 00:08:17. Courtesy of the artists. ∆ Camel Collective, Gated Commune (still), 2018, single-channel stereo audio, 00:08:17. Courtesy of the artists. ∆ Camel Collective, Gated Commune (still), 2018, single-channel stereo audio, 00:08:17. Courtesy of the artists. Oct 19, 2018-Mar 24, 2019 Camel Collective Gated Commune + Grip Gated Commune (2018) and Grip (2018) are two single-channel audio works by Camel Collective, the artistic partnership of Anthony Graves (1975, South Bend, IN) and Carla Herrera-Prats (1973, Mexico City, Mexico). Collaborating since 2010 as Camel Collective, Graves and Herrera-Prats work in video, sound, sculpture, performance, photography, and installation. Working with peers from a variety of professions, Camel Collective’s research-based projects investigate the contemporary state of labor and the myths of cultural production with a particular focus on marginal histories. Both works are monologues delivered by a female narrator in a flat intonation, reminiscent of how voiceover is used in essay films. Gated Commune is a meditation on two potential future tendencies in the built environment. The narrative juxtaposes the “neo-primitives” and the “futurists,” who employ two seemingly contradictory approaches to sustainable development and architectural innovation—one concerned with the incorporation of organic materials into the built world; other with the creation of new structures that are modelled after organic forms. Grip is one component of a suite of works that explores the often invisible labor related to artistic practice and performance. To “grip” is both a central method of human engagement with the world—one that begins in infancy—and the title given to people who prepare and secure lighting and rigging in the culture industry, which includes the making of video, film, and photography. The disembodied voice in Grip offers a complex transition from subject to object as she attempts to define the differences between the labor of bodies vs. that of inanimate objects, both of which are essential to industrialized image production. Gated Commune , 2018 Single-channel stereo audio 8:57 minutes Voiceover by Amanda Turner Pohane, sound mix by Nate Harrison Courtesy of Camel Collective Grip, 2018 Single-channel stereo audio 4:50 minutes Voiceover by Elaine Byrne, sound mix by Nate Harrison Courtesy of Camel Collective About the Artist Camel Collective Camel Collective has exhibited and performed at museums and galleries including MUAC, Mexico City, Mexico (2017); REDCAT Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2015); Trienal de Artes Frestas, Sesc, Sorocaba, Brazil (2015); the Bard Hessel Museum, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY (2014); Casa del Lago, Mexico City, Mexico (2013); Trienal Poli/Gráfica de San Juan, Puerto Rico (2012); Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA (2011); and Aarhus Kunsthalle, Denmark (2010). Camel Collective has also exhibited works at Black Ball Projects, Brooklyn, NY (2016); Yautepec Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico (2016); PARQUE Galeria, Mexico City, Mexico (2015); Cooper Gallery, Cooper Union, New York, NY (2014); Exit Art, New York, NY (2008); and Artist's Space, New York, NY (2006). The partnership was formed in 2005-2006 as a research group during a fellowship with the Whitney Independent Study Program that met to conduct research on labor, the politics of affect, and the history of artist collectives. Select Images

Date Title One sentence desciption + more Add a Title Add a Title Title + more Add a Title Add a Title Title + more Thu. May 21, 2026 In Response w/ Art Therapy Studio 6-7:30PM at moCa Cleveland $5 SIGN UP In Response invites you to engage contemporary art as a starting point for mindfulness, reflection, and meaningful connection at moCa Cleveland. Facilitated by Art Therapy Studio, each session begins with guided time in the galleries, where participants closely observe select works from the exhibitions on view and engage in thoughtful group discussion. Grounded in slowing down and intentional observation, the experience creates space for presence, curiosity, and shared insight. Following the gallery engagement, participants transition into an accessible, hands-on art-making experience focused on process rather than perfection, encouraging creative response, emotional awareness, and self-expression. Offered on the third Thursday of each month until July 2026, the series is designed to be welcoming to both first-time and returning participants, with a consistent structure that fosters ease and belonging. No prior art experience is needed; come as you are, and respond in your own way. A $5 reservation hold will be refunded at check-in. Please note: Eventbrite's processing fees are non-refundable.

designExplorr: Design Learning Challenge Workshop May 11, 2024 FREE for all ages SIGN UP NOW Design Learning Challenge workshops unlock your creativity as you approach problems with design solutions. This workshop was developed by designExplorr, an organization devoted to helping youth find their way to creative careers. Workshops start every 30 minutes, 12-4PM If you have questions or if there are additional access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive, please contact access@mocacleveland.org . 1-2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. About designExplorr. designExplorr is a social impact organization aiming to address the diversity gap within the design profession by expanding design education and raising awareness among community partners. More at designexplorr.com . FAMILY FUN ON moCa Saturdays supported by PNC. About FREE for all ages SIGN UP NOW Design Learning Challenge workshops unlock your creativity as you approach problems with design solutions. This workshop was developed by designExplorr, an organization devoted to helping youth find their way to creative careers. Workshops start every 30 minutes, 12-4PM If you have questions or if there are additional access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive, please contact access@mocacleveland.org . 1-2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. About designExplorr. designExplorr is a social impact organization aiming to address the diversity gap within the design profession by expanding design education and raising awareness among community partners. More at designexplorr.com . FAMILY FUN ON moCa Saturdays supported by PNC. FREE for all ages SIGN UP NOW Design Learning Challenge workshops unlock your creativity as you approach problems with design solutions. This workshop was developed by designExplorr, an organization devoted to helping youth find their way to creative careers. Workshops start every 30 minutes, 12-4PM If you have questions or if there are additional access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive, please contact access@mocacleveland.org . 1-2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. About designExplorr. designExplorr is a social impact organization aiming to address the diversity gap within the design profession by expanding design education and raising awareness among community partners. More at designexplorr.com . FAMILY FUN ON moCa Saturdays supported by PNC.

Oct 8-Nov 7, 2020 Paul Ramírez Jonas Public Trust Oct 8-Nov 7, 2020 ∆ Paul Ramírez Jonas, Public Trust , 2016. Marquee, table, sacred and civic texts, oaths, 950 promises from private individuals, 84 promises from public figures, graphite and paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist and Now and There. Photo: Field Studio ∆ Paul Ramírez Jonas, Public Trust , 2016. Marquee, table, sacred and civic texts, oaths, 950 promises from private individuals, 84 promises from public figures, graphite and paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist and Now and There. Photo: Field Studio ∆ Paul Ramírez Jonas, Public Trust , 2016. Marquee, table, sacred and civic texts, oaths, 950 promises from private individuals, 84 promises from public figures, graphite and paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist and Now and There. Photo: Field Studio Oct 8-Nov 7, 2020 Paul Ramírez Jonas Public Trust Artist Paul Ramírez Jonas’s interactive artwork Public Trust (2016–ongoing) invites participants to examine the value we grant to our words through the promises we make to each other and to ourselves. All ages are asked to make a promise, which is recorded in a drawing they can keep, and as part of the declaration, they are called on to swear—in a manner consistent with their own beliefs—that they will keep their word. Each promise is also published on a large marquee outside the museum alongside daily pledges from news headlines made by politicians, scientists, economists, and weather forecasters. Presented as part of moCa Cleveland’s exhibition F as in Frank , a show that will unfold as a series of chapters throughout 2020 and 2021, Ramírez Jonas’s Public Trust will be installed outside moCa on Toby’s Plaza from October 8 through November 7, 2020. Activated during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election (on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 12–4PM), the piece offers us the opportunity to collectively shape an artwork about the promises and acts of speech that keep a society together. moCa’s exhibition F as in Frank brings artists together to reflect on the power of being frank. Defined as the willingness to speak candidly, openly, and honestly, the word “frank” reinforces the power that comes from communicating directly and sincerely to address uncomfortable truths. Thinking through the exhibition framework in an expanded way the show unfolds slowly over time, raising poignant questions about love and loss, the construction of power, our environment, and what the future holds.

Jan 28-Jun 5, 2022 Aram Han Sifuentes Who Was This Built to Protect? Jan 28-Jun 5, 2022 ∆ Aram Han Sifuentes, U.S. Citizenship Test Sampler (Made by non-citizens who live and work in the U.S.) , 2013-ongoing. Installation view. Cotton thread, sequins, beads, photo transfers, patches, felt, yarn on linen,11 x 8.5 in each (27.94 x 21.59 cm). Courtesy the artist. Photo by Hyounsang Yoo ∆ Aram Han Sifuentes, U.S. Citizenship Test Sampler (Made by non-citizens who live and work in the U.S.) , 2013-ongoing. Installation view. Cotton thread, sequins, beads, photo transfers, patches, felt, yarn on linen,11 x 8.5 in each (27.94 x 21.59 cm). Courtesy the artist. Photo by Hyounsang Yoo ∆ Aram Han Sifuentes, U.S. Citizenship Test Sampler (Made by non-citizens who live and work in the U.S.) , 2013-ongoing. Installation view. Cotton thread, sequins, beads, photo transfers, patches, felt, yarn on linen,11 x 8.5 in each (27.94 x 21.59 cm). Courtesy the artist. Photo by Hyounsang Yoo Jan 28-Jun 5, 2022 Aram Han Sifuentes Who Was This Built to Protect? As an immigrant and daughter of a seamstress, Korean American artist Aram Han Sifuentes (she/they) uses sewing as a medium to investigate citizenship, protest, and belonging in the United States. With a practice rooted in the collective, her work is used to center disenfranchised communities, particularly dispossessed immigrants of color. Who Was This Built to Protect? developed over the course of Getting to Know Aram Han Sifuentes, the artist’s long-term, long-distance residency with moCa. It centers around a set of six large-scale red silk curtains with white text that spans the museum’s Gund Commons. These curtains, entitled Messages to Authorities (Go Away!) (2021), are modeled after Red Cards created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center with language that outlines the rights and protections held by all people under the U.S. Constitution, regardless of immigration status. Underscoring how language can act as a barrier to citizenship, Who Was This Built to Protect? places Messages to Authorities (Go Away!) directly in conversation with the U.S. Naturalization Test questions through a selection of U.S. Citizenship Test Samplers (2012-ongoing), needlework samplers of U.S. Naturalization Test questions and answers made by U.S. non-citizens during artist-facilitated workshops. Han Sifuentes repeats these questions on moCa’s Kohl Monumental Staircase, a game of one step forward, two steps back to test civic knowledge and illustrate the often-performative labor non-citizens must endure to prove their worth. An unflinching critique of U.S. governmental practices, Who Was This Built to Protect? highlights roadblocks on the path to citizenship and encourages audiences to question bureaucratic systems, those who constructed the systems, and for whom the systems are designed to benefit. About the Artist Aram Han Sifuentes Aram Han Sifuentes Aram Han Sifuentes (b. 1986, Seoul, South Korea) is a fiber, social practice, and performance artist who works to claim spaces for immigrant and disenfranchised communities. Her work often revolves around skill sharing, specifically sewing techniques, to create multiethnic and intergenerational sewing circles, which become a place for empowerment, subversion and protest. Han Sifuentes earned her B.A. in Art and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her M.F.A. in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been a recipient of a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, Map Fund, Asian Cultural Council’s Individual Fellowship, 3Arts Award, and 3Arts Next Level/Spare Room Award. Her project, Protest Banner Lending Library, was a finalist for the Beazley Design Awards at the Design Museum in London in 2016. The artist’s work has been exhibited at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago Cultural Center, Asian Arts Initiative, Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum, and the Design Museum. Aram is the inaugural artist in moCa’s Getting to Know You residency and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Date Title One sentence desciption + more Add a Title Add a Title Title + more Add a Title Add a Title Title + more Thu. July 16, 2026 In Response w/ Art Therapy Studio 6-7:30PM at moCa Cleveland DUE TO AIR QUALITY ALERT: TONIGHT'S EVENT IS CANCELLED PLEASE NOTE: Due to the air quality advisory, tonight's event is cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience to those who registered. Please join us next season as Art Therapy Studio will return on the third Thursday of the month for a deeper dive into that season's exhibitions. ______________________ In Response invites you to engage contemporary art as a starting point for mindfulness, reflection, and meaningful connection at moCa Cleveland. Facilitated by Art Therapy Studio, each session begins with guided time in the galleries, where participants closely observe select works from the exhibitions on view and engage in thoughtful group discussion. Grounded in slowing down and intentional observation, the experience creates space for presence, curiosity, and shared insight. Following the gallery engagement, participants transition into an accessible, hands-on art-making experience focused on process rather than perfection, encouraging creative response, emotional awareness, and self-expression. Offered on the third Thursday of each month until July 2026, the series is designed to be welcoming to both first-time and returning participants, with a consistent structure that fosters ease and belonging. No prior art experience is needed; come as you are, and respond in your own way.

Studio Access w/ Manabu Ikeda Mar 30, 2024 Experience the artist create onsite at moCa as he develops a new monumental artwork over the course of the Winter/Spring season. About Experience the artist create onsite at moCa as he develops a new monumental artwork over the course of the Winter/Spring season. Experience the artist create onsite at moCa as he develops a new monumental artwork over the course of the Winter/Spring season.

Jan 30-Aug 2, 2026 KING COBRA When You Are Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Jan 30-Aug 2, 2026 ∆ KING COBRA, When You Are Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea , 2022. Silicone, urethane foam, pearls, hair weave, epoxy resin, beads, razor blades, fluorescent lights, steel, 67 x 156 x 42 inches. ∆ KING COBRA, When You Are Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea , 2022. Silicone, urethane foam, pearls, hair weave, epoxy resin, beads, razor blades, fluorescent lights, steel, 67 x 156 x 42 inches. ∆ KING COBRA, When You Are Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea , 2022. Silicone, urethane foam, pearls, hair weave, epoxy resin, beads, razor blades, fluorescent lights, steel, 67 x 156 x 42 inches. Jan 30-Aug 2, 2026 KING COBRA When You Are Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea KING COBRA’s When You Are Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her most significant and monumental work to date. Suspended within a 13-foot cage of fluorescent tubes, a bisected male Great White shark—constructed from silicone, beads, synthetic hair, and ink applied with a tattoo machine—appears to hover between life and decay. With razor blade teeth, its diseased skin glistens with wounds but is also studded with sparkling gems, a fusion of the grotesque and the beautiful. COBRA further transforms the environment with audio and red lighting, creating a strangely charged space that harkens more to blood than to blue water. This artwork reflects on Black lives lost during the Middle Passage, when enslaved Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to North and South America. Ship captains would threaten to throw slaves overboard into shark-infested waters as a way to enforce fear, ensure submission, and limit revolts. Caught, caged, and dissected, COBRA’s diseased shark has a body in its bowels, reminding us of this traumatic history. It serves as a terrifying memorial to those who made the impossible choice of sea over shackles, along with those forced into slavery and those who carry their stories and memories forward. Lead support provided by Dick & Doreen Cahoon About the Artist KING COBRA KING COBRA KING COBRA, known online as the silicon don, lives and works in Philadelphia. COBRA has created corporeal sculptures—that utilize glass alongside silicone, beads, crystals, rubber, synthetic hair, mysterious goo, and other materials—to explore the frequently suppressed and traumatic histories of medical exploitation of the Black body, as well as diseases spread by White Europeans during the transatlantic slave trade. Her most recent solo exhibitions include WHITE MEAT at JTT Gallery NY(2023), REVOLTED at the New Museum NY(2022), Pale in Comparison at The SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA (2022) and Steal Kill and Destroy: A Thief Who Intended Them Maximum Harm -HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark (2021) In addition to her sculptural practice, she is a body modifier and filmmaker. Tattoo is an extension of her explorations in flesh, mark making, and the relationship between image physical pain. Installation Images

Studio Access w/ Manabu Ikeda Mar 31, 2024 Experience the artist create onsite at moCa as he develops a new monumental artwork over the course of the Winter/Spring season. About Experience the artist create onsite at moCa as he develops a new monumental artwork over the course of the Winter/Spring season. Experience the artist create onsite at moCa as he develops a new monumental artwork over the course of the Winter/Spring season.

Clotilde Jiménez LISTEN ON APPLE LISTEN ON SPOTIFY LISTEN ON I HEART + more Born in 1990 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Clotilde Jiménez now lives and works in Mexico City. He earned his MFA from The Slade School of Fine Art and his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Add a Title Add a Title Title + more Talks ↓ All Events moCa NOW moCa Saturday Parties Talks This episode is hosted by DJ Hellerman. Produced by DJ Hellerman and Tom Poole. Edited by Tom Poole. Consulting Producer and Audio Engineering by Adam Zucarro. +more on the exhibition Clotilde Jiménez: Shapeshift 62 min. Episode Guest: Clotilde Jiménez Born in 1990 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Clotilde Jiménez now lives and works in Mexico City. He earned his MFA from The Slade School of Fine Art and his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Episode Host: DJ Hellerman DJ Hellerman is the Deputy Director & Senior Curator at moCa Cleveland. A Northeast Ohio native, Hellerman holds an M.A. in Art History from Case Western Reserve University and began his career at the Progressive Art Collection. Prior to his work at moCa, he held the positions of Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia, PA, Curator at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, Curator of Arts & Programs at the Everson Museum in Syracuse, New York, and Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Burlington City Arts in Burlington, Vermont. This episode is hosted by DJ Hellerman. Produced by DJ Hellerman and Tom Poole. Edited by Tom Poole. Consulting Producer and Audio Engineering by Adam Zucarro. +more on the exhibition Clotilde Jiménez: Shapeshift This episode is hosted by DJ Hellerman. Produced by DJ Hellerman and Tom Poole. Edited by Tom Poole. Consulting Producer and Audio Engineering by Adam Zucarro. +more on the exhibition Clotilde Jiménez: Shapeshift Artist Clotilde Jiménez’s exhibition Shapeshift is at moCa Cleveland through January 4, 2026. In this podcast, Jiménez talks about the evolution of his work, the use of color in his collages (and on the set of Seinfeld ), the legacies impacting him, and the ones he wants to create moving forward. LISTEN ON APPLE LISTEN ON SPOTIFY LISTEN ON I HEART WATCH ON YOUTUBE LISTEN ON AMAZON