The Star has landed.
Or more precisely, the “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” sculpture by famed artist Frank Stella has taken its place on a sidewalk in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.
The three-story tall sculpture is visible up and down Laura Street and from next-door James Weldon Johnson Park, making it a signpost for the museum’s entrance and a public display of the contemporary art on exhibit at MOCA.
This year’s city budget provided $500,000 to help MOCA purchase the sculpture, equating to about 10% of the total cost for acquisition and installation, according to a grant agreement between MOCA and the city. The museum also raised millions of dollars in private support.
Photos of Frank Stella sculpture Stacked Stars installed outside MOCA
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Contractors with Patrick Alan Contracting and Transportation LLC installed Frank Stella’s sculpture Stacked Stars, outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville Thursday April 9, 2026 in downtown Jacksonville, Fla. The sculpture, which was installed inside the museum in 2024, was commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the museum. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
MOCA Director Caitlin Doherty and Senior Curator Ylva Rouse were among those watching the methodical work that went into preparing the second star on April 9 so a crane could lift it high against the front wall of the museum and lower it painstakingly for workers to make the connection to the bottom star.
Doherty said it’s been interesting to watch the reaction of people walking down the sidewalk as the sculpture has taken shape piece by piece this week.
“There’s a palpable sense of something special is emerging and something magical,” she said. “And what’s more magical than two stars literally challenging you to look to the heavens and dream? What more could we ask for downtown Jacksonville?”
The Museum of Contemporary Arts Jacksonville installed a sculpture titled “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” on the Laura Street sidewalk in front of the museum entrance in downtown Jacksonville. A crew of workers used a crane to put the top half of the sculpture in place on April 9, 2026. Famed artist Frank Stella created “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” that was his last major work before he died in 2024.
Museumgoers might be familiar with “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” from when MOCA showcased it in the museum atrium in 2024 during MOCA’s 100th anniversary celebration. The sculpture is the last major work by Stella before he died in May 2024. Two other sculptures in his “Star” series are installed in New York City at Hudson Yards and at the Museum of Modern Art.
MOCA describes Stella as “one of the most influential contemporary artists of his time” for his six-decade body of work. “He further blurred the distinction between painting and sculpture in baroque works that seemed to leap off the wall.”
The “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” sculpture carries out that theme with a design that leans away from the building toward the street.
Meng Ngo, instructs where a ratchet strap should be connected as contractors with Patrick Alan Contracting and Transportation LLC installed Frank Stella’s sculpture Stacked Stars, outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville Thursday April 9, 2026 in downtown Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Rouse said it’s been about four years since MOCA first approached Stella, who was featured in other art exhibitions in Jacksonville over the years, about contributing to the 100th anniversary celebration. “And he surprised us by saying, ‘I’d love to do something special for you,'” Rouse said.
Stella designed the sculpture to it could be disassembled after the centennial celebration and moved to a storage location. This week, the pieces were bolted back together by Patrick Alan Contacting and Transportation, which also did work when the sculpture was inside the museum.
Rouse said displaying it outside MOCA connects the museum in a visible way with downtown Jacksonville as other cities have done with outdoor sculptures.
Foreman Tony Jolly, left and Orlando Sanchez, right, connect a strap to a section of a sculpture as contractors with Patrick Alan Contracting and Transportation LLC installed Frank Stella’s sculpture Stacked Stars, outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville Thursday April 9, 2026 in downtown Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
“And what better beacon than the stars,” she said. “Let’s meet under the stars.”
A star is born: New sculpture celebrates 100th anniversary of Jacksonville museum
Like the stars at night, “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” will be illuminated by lights embedded in the circular concrete foundation built for it.
Jeff Sauls of Atlantic Coast Contractors, the Jacksonville company that oversaw the installation, called it a “legacy project” for the company because of the connection the concrete foundation has to the art. Sauls, who is director of concrete construction for Atlantic Coast, said he feels the same way on a personal level.
The Museum of Contemporary Arts Jacksonville installed a sculpture titled “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” on the Laura Street sidewalk in front of the museum entrance in downtown Jacksonville. A crew of workers used a crane to put the top half of the sculpture in place on April 9, 2026. Famed artist Frank Stella created “Jacksonville Stacked Stars” that was his last major work before he died in 2024.
“This is something that when the kids and grandkids visit the museum, they’ll have something attached to the museum where they can say, ‘Grandpa did that.'”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: MOCA Jacksonville installs outdoor sculpture by Frank Stella
