Museum of Contemporary Arts’ Sculpture Finds New Home at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts

The sculpture, Harlan, by sculptor James A. Rosburg that has graced the entrance to the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA) for over 15 years has found a new home at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (DA) and with the help of the Developing Artists Foundation (DA Foundation) it has been installed in the school’s Haskell Sculpture Garden on campus.

Rosburg’s creation was originally commissioned in 1994 by the Sherlon Investments Corporation based in Miami, Florida and placed at 555 Water Street in downtown Jacksonville. It was one of the first three-dimensional artworks downtown and helped kick-off the Jacksonville Cultural Council’s early efforts to increase awareness of the importance of Public Arts projects in the community.

On October 1, 2008, as a part of a downtown Jacksonville ArtWalk celebration and with the help of the city council it was donated to MOCA Jacksonville where it became a fixture until 2023.

The sculpture, Harlan, was dedicated to Rosburg’s grandmother who was born and raised in Harlan, Iowa where Rosburg still has relatives today. In a recent interview artist Rosburg shared, “My intention with every piece is to command space to the fullest, and I feel this work like all my work stands on its own and will continue to stimulate the public in various venues.” As he further shared, “I create sculptures in an exacting personal fashion revealing the power of durable materials. Shapes and forms are an expression of everyday life. I stretch preconceived ideas of how geometric concepts fit together to spark an alternative perspective. As a metal sculptor, I analyze and then simplify shapes, proving how intricate objects translate into fundamental elements. Utilizing aluminum, steel, and found objects, I create sculptures in an exacting personal fashion revealing the power of durable materials.” He stated that his greatest hope is that observers upon viewing his sculpture will view everyday shapes and forms with a fresh point of view. As a contemporary metal sculptor, Rosburg expresses complex ideas in the simplest forms as evident in his Harlan sculpture.

Rosburg was encouraged by his grandfather to pursue art and he uses many of the same tools that his grandfather did who was a builder of bridges. After earning a BFA degree from the University of Iowa, he worked with Chicago-based ConStruct Gallery and has since worked with notable contemporary sculptors, John Henry and Charles Ginnever to name a few. He opened his first independent studio in North Miami, Florida and currently works in the Tampa area.

Mr. Rosburg shared that he was happy to hear about the interest in one of his older works and that it is installed at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts…a school he stated that he has heard much about.

James Rosburg’s sculptures are in many private and university collections and he has completed numerous commissions throughout Florida, New York, Georgia, North Carolina and Italy. He currently is talking to Rollins College about a commissioned work and looking at working in clay and Birchwood.