Art Center Welcomes Internationally Recognized Curator

Marco Island Center for the Arts invites the community to a special evening with internationally recognized curator Jade Dellinger, Director of the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida Southwestern State College, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 5:30 PM. 

In celebration of the 100th birthday of pioneering American artist Robert Rauschenberg, Dellinger will present an illustrated Distinguished Guest Art Talk titled “Bob Rauschenberg in Florida and The Moon Museum: Apollo XII’s Secret Art Mission.” The program explores one of the most intriguing—and little-known—intersections of contemporary art and space exploration. 

Dellinger will delve into the remarkable story of the Moon Museum, the first known work of “Space Art,” secretly sent to the lunar surface aboard Apollo XII in 1969. This covert project featured miniature drawings by Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Forrest Myers, David Novros, and John Chamberlain—an artistic time capsule unknown even to the astronauts themselves. 

The talk also highlights Rauschenberg’s deep connection to Florida. After attending the Apollo XI launch, he purchased his first property on Captiva Island in the late 1960s, where he lived and worked until his passing in 2008. The program coincides with the centennial of Rauschenberg’s birth on October 22, 2025. 

The evening will include a screening of PBS WGCU’s mini-documentary Rauschenberg 100, followed by a Q&A moderated by Tom Hall, Arts Reporter for WGCU Public Media. 

Jade Dellinger has served for more than a decade as Director of Exhibitions and Collections at Florida Southwestern State College, overseeing the exhibition and scholarly programs at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery and Annex. His international curatorial work spans collaborations with major museums in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and South America, with exhibitions featuring artists such as Yoko Ono, Keith Haring, Laurie Anderson, Guerrilla Girls, Ann Hamilton, and William S. Burroughs. 

At the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, Dellinger has presented his research on Bob Rauschenberg and The Moon Museum: Apollo XII’s Secret Art Mission at museums, galleries, and universities across Georgia, Venezuela, Ukraine, Slovenia, and beyond. 

The evening is free to attend with your RSVP online at marcoislandart.org or by calling 239-394-4221.