Barbara Pflaumer, press spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has responded by e-mail to my queries about LACMA-MOCA.
Here are my Q’s and her A’s, in full:
Q: Does LACMA’s proposal to MOCA involves a single board and a single
director? If yes, does that mean the departure of [current MOCA director] Jeremy Strick?A: Combined board for the two museums with a strong professional and curatorial figure/art leader who would lead MOCA. [CultureGrrl comments: “Art Leader” is not the same thing as “Director.” The Strick question was conspicuously ignored in the answer. Michael Govan, LACMA’s director, is above all a contemporary art specialist. It would appear that he wants to run this show. My guess is that MOCA’s chief curator, Paul Schimmel, could be the unnamed “strong curatorial figure.”]
Q: Where would the money come from to rescue MOCA under your plan?
A: Raised by private supporters
Q: Does LACMA have donors already committed for the LACMA-MOCA partnership?
A: Yes, but we are not at liberty to go into detail at this juncture
Q: Is Eli Broad still on board with the $30-million offer, if the
partnership is consummated?A: Ask MOCA. [Actually, I’ve asked Broad, through his spokesperson. No response yet.]
Q: Are there any other details that you can share with me on the
proposed arrangement?A: No.
Q: Was your formal proposal presented to MOCA’s board for the first time at
today’s board meeting?A: Yes.
Q: Is the proposal still under consideration, to be discussed by MOCA’s
board on Thursday?A: Yes.
UPDATE: Michael Govan talks to Diane Haithman of the LA Times here. This piece makes it appear that a LACMA-MOCA merger would be an alternative to the Broad offer, not a beneficiary of it. Indeed, Broad made it clear, in a statement his office sent to me today, that he wants MOCA to remain “headquartered on Grand Avenue.” Govan seems to suggest that the Grand Avenue space might be secondary to the Geffen Contemporary under his auspices.