[Now RESCHEDULED.]
Now hitting art journalists’ e-mail boxes around the country:
MOCA BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ANNOUNCE NEW DIRECTOR
| WHEN: | MONDAY, JAN 11, 2010 10:30am |
| WHERE: | MOCA Grand Avenue Eli and Edythe L. Broad Reception Hall 250 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012 |
| WHO: | Maria Bell, MOCA BOARD CO-CHAIR David Johnson, MOCA BOARD CO-CHAIR Eli Broad, MOCA FOUNDING CHAIRMAN Hon. Jan Perry, COUNCILWOMAN, NINTH DISTRICT, CITY OF LOS ANGELES, AND PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL New MOCA director |
| WHAT: | Following an extensive worldwide search, the Board of Trustees of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) will announce the appointment of its new director. |
It’s a mystery! Who could it be? Mike Boehm of the LA Times reports tonight that three names are in the air, none of whom strikes me as the right choice (for different reasons): dealer Jeffrey Deitch (too commercial), New Museum director Lisa Phillips (too new at the new New), Lars Nittve (not a rousing success as founding director of the Tate Modern).
Maybe they’ll surprise us. I won’t even begin to speculate, having been notably clueless in picking Philippe de Montebello‘s successor at the Metropolitan Museum.
Then again, I do hear Michael Brand is suddenly available!
UPDATE: Mike Boehm has updated his article to suggest that Deitch is likely the one. Here’s the kicker:
Deitch did not respond to a request for comment. An assistant at
Deitch’s gallery said he was in Los Angeles to attend meetings.
To which we all say, “Hmmmm…” I would also say a few other things, but let’s wait till the news actually hits.