The Los Angeles times reports that Los Angeles County Museum of Art in talks to take over the Museum of Contemporary Art. In a letter to the MOCA’s board, LACMA Director Michael Govan and the two co-chairs of his board made the case for taking over the museum. The LA Times reports that LACMA “would preserve MOCA’s two downtown locations and operate them under the MOCA name, according to people who have seen the letter but were not authorized to discuss it publicly.” MOCA has faced financial difficulties and a recent backlash to the departure of curator Paul Schimmel under Jeffrey Deitch’s leadership. (LA Times has the full story.)
KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis spoke with Jori Finkel of the L.A. Times and KCRW art critic Hunter Drohojowska-Philp:
Read more at the L.A. Times: Art marriage may yield L.A. mega-museum
Govan posted a statement to LACMA’s website, saying:
Combining LACMA and MOCA would strengthen both. LACMA’s mission is to share world-class art with the widest array of audiences possible. MOCA’s downtown location, extraordinary collection and devoted constituency, combined with LACMA’s modern art masterpieces, large audiences and broad educational outreach (especially in schools near downtown L.A.) would create a cultural institution that is much more than the sum of its parts. LACMA’s strong leadership, its history of fundraising, and its support from Los Angeles County and other donors will provide MOCA with the stability it deserves. (More here.)
MOCA MOBILIZATION STATEMENT, MARCH 7, 2013
MOCA Mobilization was formed during MOCA’s 2008 financial crisis in face of a potential merger with LACMA. In 2008 we wrote, “We are a vigilant public who care for the integrity and autonomy of MOCA. The Board of Trustees is the guardian of this great institution. It is the Board’s responsibility to insure the Museum’s financial health and preserve its programming and staff. We call upon the Trustees to maintain MOCA’s independence and to keep its collection intact and accessible to a wide and appreciative public.” Support was rallied and the merger was stopped.
Yet it is clear that since 2008, MOCA has not been independent – it’s been beholden to the terms of the agreement struck with Eli Broad and a weak Board of Trustees unable to raise sufficient funds to maintain the integrity of the Museum. The artists at the heart of MOCA were alienated and shut out of discussions regarding the future of the Museum and the curatorial staff depleted to two. MOCA is a diminished institution.
The Board of Trustees has failed a great Museum.