MOCA

That’s the acronym for the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland.

The museum is at 11400 Euclid Ave., in a cool neighborhood called Uptown (seen here from inside the museum). Its four floors feature changing exhibitions that catch your eye and make you think. At least that’s been my experience. Its website has information about current and upcoming exhibits.

I haven’t visited MOCA with any children, but I’ve noticed there is a space for kids to make art if they’re more interested in doing than looking. That’s a great idea. It keeps them from getting bored and – who knows – might be helping to mold some artists of the future.

Speaking of kids, everyone 18 and younger is admitted free, so MOCA is an affordable family activity. The highest admission fee is $9.50, but there are ways to get a break. The easiest is to visit on the first Saturday of the month, when everyone is admitted free. If you’re not sure whether contemporary art is your thing, this is a low-risk way to check it out. I’ve gone to MOCA on a few first Saturdays and it was busy but not overly crowded. If you want to make more of a commitment while still saving money, you can buy a membership.

MOCA also is one of the institutions included in the Circle Pass discount. More about that in a future post.

Getting there: There are on-street and off-street parking options near the museum, at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road The meters are for two hours, and I learned the hard way that they mean it. The first time I visited MOCA, I returned to my parking space a few blocks away eight minutes late and found a $25 ticket on my windshield.

On subsequent visits, I have taken RTA. I ride the Red Line from the Triskett rapid station on the West Side, where I buy an all-day pass ($5.50 at this writing) that’s good until 3 a.m. the next day. I can take the Red Line to the Little Italy station, then walk about four blocks up Mayfield to the museum. But last time I visited MOCA, the Red Line was having problems, so my friend  Tonya and I got off at Tower City, walked outside to Public Square and got on the Health Line, the bus that runs down the center of Euclid Avenue. No extra charge, thanks to our all-day passes. We got off just one block east of the museum. Pretty convenient, and no worries about parking tickets.

While you’re in the neighborhood, walk a couple of blocks east to the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Reinberger Gallery at 11610 Euclid Ave. The art school’s gallery is showing a free exhibit called The Great Lakes Research as part of FRONT International through Oct. 7. It also offers other free exhibits featuring professional and student artists throughout the year.