MOCCA - Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, (MOCCA), was officially founded from the former Art Gallery of North York in 1999 with a mandate to exhibit, research, collect, and promote innovative art by Canadian artists whose works engage and reflect the relevant stories of our times. MOCCA currently exists as a not-for-profit, arms-length agency of the City of Toronto’s Culture Division.

MOCCA’s relocation into downtown Toronto in January 2005 is central to achieving a bold vision. In the heart of one of North America’s most dynamic arts communities, our facility is modest in scale, impressive in design and functions effectively as a nucleus of energies for the production and exchange of creativity, ideas and innovation.

MOCCA’s exhibition program reflects a dynamic yet balanced approach to presenting the wide range of ideas and media being explored by established artists at advanced stages of practice, and emerging artists who have demonstrated strong promise and exceptional commitment. In addition, MOCCA includes work by non-Canadian artists in group exhibitions, thereby creating a global context for the Canadian cultural voice.

MOCCA maintains and builds upon its permanent collection, currently holding approximately 400 works of art by more than 150 Canadian artists, acquired through purchase and donation. The collection includes seminal works by some of Canada’s most important artists.

MOCCA also presents exhibitions and special projects off-site - in the community, across the country and abroad. In the last three years alone MOCCA has presented more than 40 exhibitions and projects, in eight countries, (U.S.A., China, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Taiwan), including Canada, featuring work by over 200 contemporary Canadian and international artists. MOCCA’s objective of forging a network of contacts and partnerships, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, has widened the breadth and scope of opportunities for Canadian artists and the communities, institutions and agencies that support them. It is MOCCA’s belief that this local-to-global investment in Canadian arts and culture will strengthen our ability to serve the artistic, cultural and general public communities of Toronto, Canada and beyond.