[By Erin Long · Photographs courtesy JMOMA ]

The Art & Soul of Jacksonville

With a new name, new vision, and a not-so-new building, the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art (JMOMA) is breathing new life into a once-neglected downtown and transforming itself into the art and soul of Jacksonville. Just over a year ago, the museum first occupied its new space on the corner of Duval and Laura Streets, but already it is clear that this was the right move for JMOMA and the City of Jacksonville. Driving through downtown Jacksonville, there are visible signs of revitalization everywhere. The sounds of pounding hammers echo through the streets as a sea of yellow hard hats move across a cityscape decorated with construction cranes and scaffolding. In the middle of it all, hangs the colorful JMOMA sign -a sign that a renaissance is taking place in the River City.

It's a trend happening all across America. From Seattle, Washington to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the arts are playing a major role in revitalizing forgotten downtowns. Historic buildings become museums, abandoned brown spaces evolve into usable green spaces, and public art, galleries, theatres and performing arts venues combine to draw visitors back to urban areas. So when Jacksonville's Museum of Modern Art was in need of a new home and a way of reenergizing its own image, it looked to downtown.

There were several advantages to relocating downtown. For one, the timing was right. Having outgrown its location in a suburban office park, the 80-year-old visual arts organization needed a new space that would increase its visibility in the community. The museum had recently changed its name to the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art to better reflect its collection, and museum leaders were eager to firmly establish JMOMA as one of the premier fine art facilities on the First Coast. A move downtown also met important economic goals of the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, entities dedicated to spurring economic development by redeveloping vacant space in the downtown area. The move would also achieve a national objective of Federal Community Development Block Grant Section 108 to eliminate slum like conditions in urban areas. For the museum, a downtown location was an opportunity to increase its accessibility by moving right into the heart of the city.

In 1999, JMOMA acquired the historic Western Union Telegraph Building, which had been vacant and neglected for eight years. Built in 1931 to serve as the Western Union Telegraph Company's Jacksonville headquarters, the five-story historic structure was designed by the architectural firm of Marsh and Saxelby and is one of the city's best examples of Art Deco architecture. Facing Hemming Plaza, an open green space, the building sits adjacent to the newly renovated Jacksonville City Hall. JMOMA is on the route of the city's Skyway Express monorail system, and within several blocks of other cultural institutions including the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Ballet, the Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum, and the Florida Theatre. The location was perfect in terms of visibility. It also places the museum closer to a major portion of its educational outreach constituency, children residing in the city's urban core.