Center on Contemporary Art

Not to be confused with Centre of Contemporary Art in New Zealand.

The CoCA gallery is located in the Tashiro Kaplan Building in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square as of September 2016.

The Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) is a non-profit located in Seattle, Washington. CoCA was founded in 1980 by a group of artists, art patrons and arts activists. Since its inaugural exhibition (James Turrell's "Four Light Installations", 1982, at the Lippy Building in Pioneer Square^[1]), CoCA has provided continuous programming that presents work by both established and emerging artists. CoCA originally existed without a permanent gallery space, and the organization has since inhabited numerous locations in Seattle. Its most recent location, as of September 2016, is the Tashiro Kaplan Building in historic Pioneer Square, CoCA estimates that it has exhibited over 2,000 artists in approximately 200 shows.^[2] This includes artists such as R. Crumb and Peter Bagge in Misfit Lit: Contemporary Comic Art,^[3] collectives such as Neue Slowenische Kunst,^[4] authors such as William S. Burroughs,^[5] and performers such as Karen Finley.^[6] Today, CoCA "serves the Pacific Northwest as a catalyst and forum for the advancement, development, and understanding of Contemporary Art",^[7] a mission achieved through exhibitions, artist residencies, publications and discussions.

Operations

Members, staff, donors and volunteers work to exhibit international, national and local artists in a gallery setting, create events and host annual programs. CoCA launched their Archives Project^[8] in 2013 as a way to preserve, catalog and share the printed materials, slides, video and other materials gathered over the organization's history.

CoCA is a tax-exempt non-profit run by a working Board of Directors.^[9] As of August 2016, its president is Miguel Edwards.^[10] The vice president is Sara Everett. The chair is Tina Gonsalves; vice chair is Lorrie Cardoso. The treasurer is Dan Hawkins. The secretary is Talia Silveri Wright. The director and curator is Joseph Roberts. Directors are Joseph Bisacca, Kalindi Kunis, Todd Lawson, Travis Monroe, Michele Osgood, David Ruggiero, Jackie Schultz and Kate Vrijmoet. On the Advisory Board, Ray C. Freeman III acts as advisor and publisher, and David Francis acts as advisor and curator at large. As of August 2016, Nichole DeMent^[11] is CoCA's Executive Director, and Caroline Parry is Administrative and Program Associate. As of August 2016, the Archives Project is headed by Anna R. Hurwitz as Project Director and Joel Irving as Lead Archivist.

Exhibitions

Annual programs include the Northwest Annual,^[12] the 24-Hour Painting Marathon and Auction,^[13] and the Annual Members' Show. The Northwest Annual was originally under the Seattle Art Museum until CoCA took over the program in 1989. The group exhibition showcases current work by local artists of various mediums selected by a juror. Past Northwest Annual jurors include visual artists Leon Golub and Nancy Spero in 1989,^[14] painter and sculptor Kerry James Marshall in 1999,^[15] and Canadian visual artist Ken Lum in 2004.^[16] At the 24-Hour Painting Marathon & Auction, originally titled "They Shoot Painters, Don't They?", CoCA invites artists to create work in one day, then auctions the artworks. CoCA also founded and produced Heaven & Earth, a group show of outdoor, temporary installations in Carkeek Park inaugurated in 2009 until the exhibit went independent in 2015.^[17]

1981–1990

1981

Performance by Laurie Anderson

1982

Lecture series with speakers Robert Irwin, Germano Celant, Kathy Halbreich and Jo-Anne Birnie-Danzker^[18]
Four Light Installations, James Turrell^[1]
"CoCA presents a Saturday afternoon of something like nothing you've ever seen before" sponsored by Anne Gould Hauberg, Linda Farris, Anne Gerber, Cathy Hillenbrand and Chuck Rynd

1983

Molissa Fenley: Eureka, Voyager, Molissa Fenley
Public Comments with Terry Allen, Lauren Ewing, Edward Kienholz, Nancy Reddin Kienholz, Komar and Melamid, Tad Savinar, Peter Shelton and Krzysztof Wodiczko^[19]

1984

Performance by Jim Pomeroy^[20]
Lecture series with speakers John Torreano, Martha Schwartz, Susan Larsen Stelarc and Howard Fox^[21]
Four Windows: A Peekshow with curator Barbara Noah and artists Linda Beaumont, C.T. Chew, Alan Lande, Artofficials^[22]

1985

CoCA Folio with artists William T. Wiley, Richard Posner, Nancy Spero and Elaine Reicheck^[23]
Neo York/Seattle

1986

Porn in the U.S.A. panel discussion with moderator Robert Costa and panelists Lydia Lunch, Linda Jordan, Cathy Hillenbrand, Ena Swansea, Selma Waldman, John Copoulos^[24]
Underground Seattle
Survival Research Laboratories with performers Mark Pauline, Matt Heckhert, Eric Werner^[25]
Souvenirs, performance by The Girl Artists (Char Breshgold, Kathy Clark, Christina DeGennaro, Susan Martin, Lisa Siegel)
Feminists & Misogynists Together At Last with curator Robert Costa and performers Lydia Lunch and Clint Ruin^[24]
Concert by Einsturzende Neubauten^[26]

1987

Residency and exhibition by Donald Lipski^[27]
CoCA Cabana^[28]
California Needs Foods with curator Martha Winans and artist Judith Barry^[27]
Video Babies and the Mountain with curator Martha Winans and artist Nam June Paik

1988

Seattle: Before and After^[29]
Michael Tracy: Terminal Privileges with curator Edward Leffingwell and artist Michael Tracy^[30]
St. Eom in Pasaquan with curator Tom Patterson and artist Eddie Owens Martin^[31]
At-The-Edge with curator and panelist Beth Sellars; panelist Roger Manley; artists Joseph Schneider, Clarice Dreyer, Russell Rosander
Reading and panel lunch with author William S. Burroughs; host Stephen Bernstein; panelists Tom Patterson, Roger Manley, Beth Sellars, Mia McEldowney, Ed Wicklander, Merrilee Tompkins^[5]
Stations ov Thee Cross : A Dematerialisation ov Easter with curator of local video shorts Bruce Pavitt and performer Psychic TV^[32]

1989

Northwest Annual juried by Leon Golub and Nancy Spero^[33]
CoCA Cabana, California Sushi^[34]
Re/Search: Modern Primitives with hosts/curators V. Vale and Andrea Juno, host/artist Leslie Gladsjo, and performers Madame Lazonga and Captain Don^[35]
Counterfeit Masterpieces of Twentieth Century Art^[36]

1990

Northwest Annual juried by Benny Andrews^[37]
Low Technology: Artists Made Machines^[38]
Sound Vision^[39]
A Carnival of Misplaced Devotion with Survival Research Laboratories^[40]
Art Asylum Party hosted by Linda Lu Cannon and Elizabeth Dunn
Puppetry, Warner Blake
Not Funded by the NEA/Piercing Visions in the Shadows with performers Lamar Van Dyke, Leslie Gladsjo, V. Vale, Andrea Juno, Annie Sprinkle and David Wojnarowicz

1991–2000

1991

In/Site with curator Mary Ann Peters and artists Beliz Brother, Connie Zehr and Guadalupe Garcia^[41]
Misfit Lit: Contemporary Comic Art^[3]
Natural Selection with curator Nancy Weekly and artist Christy Rupp
Urbanscrape with artist John Stamets
In Public with artists Daniel Martinez and Cris Bruch, and The Night Gallery curated by Larry Reid^[42]
CoCA Cabana, Performance Cabaret with performers Ann Magnuson,^[43] Harry Kipper, Iconoclast, Mark Pauline, Susy Schneider and Sky Cries Mary

1992

Northwest Annual juried by Paula Cooper^[44]
Performance by Taylor Mead^[45]
Vernacular Photography with curator Rod Slemmons and artists Kenda North and Mark Barnes^[46]
Carnival Culture and CoCA Museum Store^[47]
Decolonizing the Mind: End of a 500 Year Era with curator Joe Feddersen and artists Gail Tremblay, Elizabeth Woody, Ernie Pepion, James Lavadour, Susie Bevins, Truman Lowe and Juane Quick–to–See Smith
From Media to Metaphor: Art About AIDS curated by Independent Curators International (local component curated by Carl Smool) with artists Ross Bleckner, Kathe Burkhart, Nancy Burson, Steven Evans, General Idea, Félix González-Torres, Gran Fury, Keith Haring, Adrian Kellard, Peter Kunz-Opfersei, Rudy Lemcke, Robert Mapplethorpe, Paul Marcus, Duane Michals, Donald Moffett, Frank Moore, Ellen B. Neipris, Diane Neumaier, Nicholas Nixon, Bebe Nixon, Gypsy Ray, Rod Rhodes, Jane Rosett, John Sapp, Dui Seid, John Shane, Rosalind Solomon, Masami Teraoka, Doug (Bruno) Hammett, Max Torque, Kathy Vargas, Brian Weil, David Wojnarowicz, Thomas Woodruff, Juan Alonso, Fried Birchman, Tom Cantwell, Cheryl Comstock, Marita Dingus, Michael Ehle, Kevin Harvey, David Hartz, Sylvain Klause, Mary Molyneaux, Nancy Morrow, Barbara Quah, Grego Rachko, Kathy Ross, Harriet Sandowicz, Tom Schworer, T. Ellen Sollod, Tom Thein, David Wickland, Peter Toliver, Mike Walsh, Alice Wheeler^[48]

1993

CoCA Cabana, A Tropical Cabaret
Neue Slovenische Kunst with curator Larry Reid and artists IRWIN, Laibach and Red Pilot Theater Group^[4]
Off Course^[49]
Urgent Nostalgia^[50]

1994

Northwest Annual juried by Joel-Peter Witkin^[51]
Kustom Culture with curators C.R. Stecyk and Bolton Coburn, and artists Ed Roth, Kenny Howard, Robert Williams, Mike Kelly;^[52] event: Kustom Kulture Klimax with the Mono Men & The Del Lagunas
Random Access - curators Jane & Edward Galore; artists: Patrice Caire, Clair Colquitt, Mark & John Bain, James Acord, David Galbraith, Teresa Seemann, Kurt & Debla Geissel, Joel Kollin, Holly Bine^[53]
Cult Rapture -^[54] curator Adam Parfrey; artists: Dr Jack Kevorkian, Joe Coleman, Paul Loffoley, Robert N. Taylor, Rodney Vanworth, Dick Kramer, George Highman, Leilah Wendell, Charles Manson, Rex Diablos Church, Charles Krafft, Jeffrey Dixon, Unarius, Partridge Family Temple, Universal Order, Christian Patriots^[53]
COCA/KCMU Halloween Dance Party and Costume Ball^[53]
Grand Opening Gala Party and Preview of CoCA Holiday Store^[53]
Spy By Night — Adventures in International Espionage^[53]
"They Shoot Painters, Don't They?" 2nd Painting Marathon & Auction - artists: Lisa Buchanan, Ed Fotheringham, Ken Kelly, David Kane, Charles Krafft, Bill Elston, Doug Parry, Drake Deknatal, Bill Turner^[53]

1995

Northwest Annual - juror: Laura Trippi
Kunstkabinette - curator: Sean Eldwood; artists: Portia Munson, Connie Catch, Jeffry Mitchel, Nole Giulini, Marita Dingus, Dan Eskanzi, Fred Gibbons, David Ireland
Home Remedies and Magnificent Obsessions - curator: Susan Purves; artists: Thomas O'Day, Wilbur Hathaway, Juniper Tedhams, Janice Kerbel, Jeanne Voltura, Germaine Koh, Raymond Materson, Scott MacGregor
Folie a Deux - curator: Susan Purves; 86 artists from around the nation
They Shoot Painters, Don't They? (3rd) - Lisa Buchanan, Lauri Chambers, Shawn Ferris, Mr. Fotheringham, Rolon Bert Garner, Jef Gunn, Victoria Haven, Harold Hollingsworth, David C. Kane, Marc Lindsay, Dave McGranagham, Joe Park, Doug Parry, Colin Schutz, Jason Starkie, Friese Undine
Folie Fini Soiree
The Garden of Virtue and Vice - artist: Timothy Siciliano
CoCA Museum Store

^[53]

1997

Square Painting / Plane Painting - curators: Lauri Chambers, Rhonda Howard; artists: Barnett Jacqueline, Berthot Jake, Borysewicz Alfonse, Dunn John, Frecon Suzan, Hara Keiko, Henry Mary, Denzil Hurley, Jones C.Roberts. May E. Dan, Mogensen Paul, Nozkowski Thomas
The Project Room - performers: David Nechak, Dust
The Project Room - performers: Sarah Chase, Cake
The Critics ambaraass [sic?] themselves! performance event- hostess: Susy Schneider; critics: Greg Burkman, Jim Demetre, Roger Downey, Sheila Farr, Eric Fredericksen, Gillian Gaar, Cyd Gillis, Regina Hackett, Clark Humprey, Matthew Kangas, Tom McTaggart, Matthew Richter, Michael Romano, Anna Woolverton
J. Steensma - A Retrospective - guest curator: Matthew Kangas; artist: J. Steensma
They Came Here First - curator: David C. Kane; performers: Randy Jones, Roland Baker, Wally Shoup, Rob Angus, Jeff Greinke, Lesli Dalaba, Dennis Rea; projections: George Soler
Man in Black ball opening party
Burningpoint - curator: Astrid Larsen; artists: Wise Fool, Steve Rife, Magenta, Pryodesiacs, Fire Drake, Peter Toms, Kitty Center, Toby & Doug Haire
They Shoot The Painters, Don't They? (5th)- artists: Joshua Abrams, Trio of Jac Chartier, Carol Bolt and Martha Parish, Susan Dorey, Mia Dovi, Joan Englemeyer, Shawn Ferris, Mr. Fatheringham, Geoff Garza, Jeff Gunn, Gail Grinell, Harold Hollingsworth, Marc Lindsay, Darcy McGrath, Jason Starkie, David Tupper, Freise Undine, Dan Webb
The People's Choice, Seattle's Most Wanted Painting - artists: Komar & Melamid
Reverse Archaelogy - artists: Featuring RIGGA (collective): Ean Eldred, James Harrison, John Kashiwabara, Peter Nylen
The 1997 Northwest Annual - jurors: Komar & Melamid
CoCA Museum Store