Saint Louis University’s Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA) is the world’s first museum of interfaith contemporary art. Officially opened in 1993, MOCRA is dedicated to the ongoing dialogue between contemporary artists and the world’s faith traditions, and to serving as a forum for interfaith understanding. Located in a spacious chapel that was used for over 35 years by Jesuits studying philosophy at Saint Louis University, MOCRA offers a unique, meditative setting for the display of its permanent collection and changing exhibitions. MOCRA’s exhibitions demonstrate the range of contemporary religious and spiritual artistic expression, presenting the work of artists of regional, national and international stature. Exhibitions are complemented by lectures, symposia, performances, and other public presentations.
In its first fifteen years, MOCRA has earned the respect and admiration of the mainstream art world in America and abroad. It has received critical acclaim in the local and national media, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Art News, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Art Journal, the San Jose Mercury News, The Los Angeles Times, Austin American-Statesman, and The New York Times.
