Est. 2020
History
Artists Harry Gould Harvey IV and Brittni Ann Harvey grew up native to the South Coast region of Massachusetts. They established their studios in Fall River full time in 2020 after years working and showing both across the United States and abroad. In October of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for community space was paramount. Both artists felt the need to have their art practices extend beyond the solitude of the studio, and as a result their individual work gave way to the collaborative social practice that is the Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art (FRMoCA).
The nature of FRMoCA from the beginning of its inception was experimental. The initial exhibition location was on the ground floor of an active textile mill, a setting very relevant to the industrial history and still current manufacturing reality of the city. A positive response from the community and youth of the city and region catalyzed the project to continue and develop.
In October 2023, FRMoCA moved to its permanent location at 44 Troy St. in Fall River. This current space provides the platform for FRMoCA’s exhibitions, supplemental programming, and youth engagement. Always free and open the public.
Mission
The Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art (FR MoCA) connects the global contemporary art world to the working class community of Fall River, MA through exhibitions, educational outreach and artistic research. FR MoCA views the role of art in society as a crucial social science at the forefront of new ideas. We work to preserve space for the artistic process and its outputs as a means of creating discourse in relation to place and the community, as well as gain new insights into pedagogy, ecology, technology and conflict as they relate to local industrial and lived realities.
FR MoCA is a fiscally sponsored, non-profit organization located at 44 Troy St. in Fall River, MA. We work in collaboration with UMass Dartmouth’s Early College Program and other area schools.
Educational Outreach Initiatives
We welcome students from various regional schools to FR MoCA for guided tours and educational workshops. Notably, classes from institutions like RISD, UMASS Dartmouth, MASS Art, and Durfee High School have visited in the past.
FR MoCA's Directors co-teach a Social Practice course at New Bedford High School and Durfee High School as part of UMASS Dartmouth's Commonwealth Collegiate Academy (CCA). The CCA aims to help XPS juniors and seniors earn at least thirty (30) transferable credits over two academic years and one summer session. FR MoCA is a key component of this course, integrating the museum's social practice and programming into the curriculum.
We also provide internship opportunities for credit to local college students, having hosted interns from institutions such as MASS Art and RISD. In Spring 2024, we are extending internship opportunities to UMASS Dartmouth students to support our new museum location.
