MOCA Offers Last Look + Public Programming for its Exhibition “My Name is Maryan” This September
Due to popularity, The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA)’s groundbreaking exhibition “My Name is Maryan” was extended to October 2, 2022.
Curated by Alison M. Gingeras, the exhibition is a monographic presentation of four decades of paintings, sculptures, drawings and film by the iconoclastic, ground-breaking Polish-born artist Maryan. Drawing upon new scholarship and a trove of never-before-exhibited works, “My Name is Maryan” is the first retrospective to holistically examine all periods of Maryan’s life and work. Throughout the museum, Maryan’s extraordinary biography and prolific oeuvre represent a deeply moving monument to the perseverance of the human spirit and power of art to work through traumatic loss. Credited as being among the first artist-eyewitnesses to directly depict their experiences of the Shoah, Maryan's unique approach to figurative art strove to solidarity across cultures and generations.
The public is invited for a last look of the exhibition before it travels to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
MOCA is pleased to offer a robust series of education and public programming revolving around “My Name is Maryan” throughout the month of September. Programming includes:
Conversations at MOCA: Memory and Identity: A Reflection on My Name is Maryan | Wednesday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Conversations at MOCA is an ongoing public lecture series, aimed at bringing forward discourse on a variety of topics to engage our community of voices. This Conversation is part of the ongoing public programming around the ground breaking exhibition My Name is Maryan.
The Polish-born artist who came to be known as Maryan grew up in a traditional, working-class Jewish family, before being captured by the Nazis and imprisoned at various forced labor camps, as well as the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. The sole survivor of his family, the young artist shed his name after the War and became Maryan in a radical act of self-definition. His iconoclastic, ground-breaking work, presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, speaks simultaneously of traumatic loss and the resilience of the human spirit.
Participants are invited to join a walk-through of this powerful exhibition followed by an inspiring conversation, as a panel of scholars explores the multiple and profound connections between Maryan’s biography and oeuvre and the concepts of identity and memory. Panelists include Dr. Helen Sachs Chaset, Board Member, Miami Dade Holocaust Survivors; Dr. Luna Goldberg, Education Manager, Jewish Museum of Florida, FIU; and Dr. Rebecca Friedman, Director, Wolfsonian Public Humanitites Lab, FIU. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Martin Palouš, Director, Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy at FIU. This event will be co-sponsored by Ruth K. and Shepard Broad Distinguished Lecture Series.
· Cost: Free
· RSVP: For more information, please click here.
My Name is Maryan – Docent-Led Exhibition Tour | Sunday, Sept. 11 and 25, 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Register for a tour led by MOCA docent Dr. Helen Sachs Chaset. Dr. Chaset is an educator with more than 45 years of experience in administration, professional development, and program development. She is also a board member of Miami-Dade Holocaust Survivors, the Jewish Community Services of South Florida and the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education. Dr. Chaset is the daughter of two Holocaust Survivors and was born in a displaced persons camp in Hannover, Germany.
· Cost: All tours are free with admission. Admission to the museum is $10. Admission for students, seniors, and visitors identifying as disabled is $3. Admission is free to MOCA members, children under 12, North Miami residents, city employees, veterans, and caregivers accompanying people who are disabled.
· RSVP: For more information, please click here.