Art + Politics 2025

MOCA Jacksonville presents Art + Politics, an exhibition that explores the intersections of art, storytelling, and social solidarity. Printmaking students from the University of North Florida (UNF) and Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), worked collaboratively on the FSCJ campus during the 2025 Blocktoberfest to print large-scale woodblocks using a steamroller. The selected prints exhibited here reflect the dialogues that emerged as the young artists came together to gain new understanding and ideas through respectful and open conversation.

The themes explored by students in the exhibition speak to fear, prejudice, depression, and exclusion, emotions we have all felt. Students explore how concerns about environmental instability, displacement, and systemic biases, shape our communities. Some students respond from personal experience; others consider our collective well-being. In a polarized moment, common ground can feel distant.

Yet these artists are taking steps toward building that common ground. Through their bold, large-scale prints, they confront challenging issues with clarity and care. By engaging with differing perspectives, they build empathy and imagine a more connected future.

Art + Politics reminds us that creativity can open space for dialogue, deepen understanding, and spark meaningful change. These works offer hope and affirm the power of art to connect and transform.

Special thanks to FSCJ professor Patrick Miko.