TUCSON, AZ.- MOCA Tucson announced the appointment of Laura Copelin as Interim Executive Director and Chief Curator. Laura officially assumed her new role in February and will be responsible for carrying forward MOCA’s mission to inspire new ways of thinking through the cultivation, exhibition, and interpretation of contemporary art.

“I could not be more excited about the addition of Laura Copelin to the MOCA team and Tucson’s arts community. Coming from West Texas, Laura has the unique perspective of programming in desert lands along the United States-Mexico border, and her expertise and professionalism come to MOCA at exactly the right time,” said Board President Kira Dixon-Weinstein.

Laura’s background uniquely positions her to expand on the contributions MOCA has made to southern Arizona’s art community since the museum opened in 1997. Copelin remarked, “I am honored to join the talented team at MOCA Tucson, and grateful to be a part of Arizona’s vibrant creative landscape. It is inspiring to be in a space that was founded by artists, in a city where activism, social justice, and ecological concerns are central to the cultural conversation. I am eager to learn from the artists, scientists, organizers, and the many communities that make Tucson singular and special.”

Prior to joining MOCA, Laura served as Executive Director and Curator at Ballroom Marfa, a non-profit contemporary art space in Far West Texas. She was with the organization for five years and will continue to serve as Ballroom’s Curator-at-Large through her current show with Solange Pessoa––Longilonge, and a forthcoming exhibition with Carolina Caycedo and David de Rosas titled The Blessings of the Mystery. Before her time in Texas, Laura was the Assistant Curator at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (now the ICA LA) under Director Elsa Longhauser; and received dual degrees in Arts and English from UCLA.