Archives for December 2008

Robert Anderson's portrait of President Bush, National Portrait GalleryAt least he still has his sense of humor:"I suspected there would be a good-size crowd once the word got out about my hanging," President Bush told some 500 people who attended today's private ceremony to unveil his and his wife Laura's portraits, which will go on public view tomorrow in the permanent … [Read more...] about The Hanging of President Bush (at the National Portrait Gallery)

Watch Out for Those Claws! Michael Govan behind the LACMA Lobster at the opening of Broad Contemporary Art MuseumAs I mentioned in my previous post, Michael Govan, CEO and director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, wants to emphasize that merger talks between his institution and the financially moribund LA MOCA occurred because "MOCA came to us." Trying to counter … [Read more...] about More From Michael About MOCA: Govan Optimism vs. Broad Cash

Michael Govan, CEO and director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, who has taken a lot of heat for his rescue plan that others (including me) have criticized as an inappropriate takeover bid, called me yesterday to explain his side of things.In a wide-ranging interview, he emphasized that MOCA had approached him for a proposal, not the other way around. He added that he … [Read more...] about Michael Govan: MOCA-Style Financial Meltdown “Would Never Happen” at LACMA

This hit my inbox at 4:40 p.m., Los Angeles time, from a press spokesperson for LA MOCA:The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees is continuing to review the options presented to the full board today. MOCA anticipates making a further announcement as early as next week regarding the outcome of these discussions. I guess they may not be interested in waiting to hear from … [Read more...] about News Flash: LA MOCA Board Update

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio VillaraigosaShould a city's mayor assemble a panel to help determine a privately run museum's future?LA's Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa thinks so. In a letter sent today to the co-chairmen of LA MOCA's embattled board, the major called for a 30-day delay in deciding what to do about the two rescue options offered by Eli Broad and by the Los Angeles County … [Read more...] about LA Mayor to Convene “Expert Panel” to Review MOCA Options

In his memo to the J. Paul Getty Trust's staff, informing them that financial shortfalls will necessitate a job freeze and other cost reductions, Getty president James Wood revealed:Our endowment ended the 2008 fiscal year [ending June 30] at $5.98 billion and, since that time, with financial markets deteriorating further, the value of the endowment has declined roughly … [Read more...] about Tale of the 2008 Getty Financials: Negative Income, $3.71-Billion “Alternative Investments”

Museum of Arts and Design's Wharton Esherick cherrywood low table, 1960, sold yesterday for $24,000 (with buyer's premium)As we continue our cranky coverage of Deaccession December, let us not forget the disposals at Bonham's by the newly relocated and reopened Museum of Arts and Design, New York. Although Bonham's press release had announced that the sale was scheduled for … [Read more...] about MAD Deaccessions: 24 of 44 Lots Sold by Museum at Auction

It's more than just a bake sale.Some 3,200 MOCA-philes have signed a petition against the proposed merger with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The petition has been delivered by the grassroots group, MOCA Mobilization, to MOCA's board. This is the same group that held a rally at the museum's Geffen Contemporary building on Nov. 23, which was attended by prominent LA … [Read more...] about MOCA Mobilization: 3,200 Signatories Oppose the Urge to Merge

Michael Govan [Michael Govan gives CultureGrrl his side of the story here.] The Los Angeles County Museum of Art calls its proposal for rescuing the financially moribund MOCA a "merger" and "partnership." It's more like a takeover bid, and not a particularly friendly one. MOCA's crisis received its first public airing almost a month ago, but LACMA dropped its bomb … [Read more...] about Raider of the Lost Museum: Takeover Bid by Govan for MOCA UPDATED

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 … [Read more...] about My Q&A with LACMA About MOCA Proposal: Combined Board and a Contemporary “Art Leader” UPDATED

You thought you might know today how MOCA's board will address the museum's dire financial crisis?Think again.This just in from the MOCA board:In light of ongoing discussions with potential partners, the MOCA Board of Trustees convened today and will meet again on Thursday, Dec. 18. We are grateful for the generosity of the Broad Foundation and the interest and efforts of LACMA … [Read more...] about MOCA’s Poker Face: Board Meets Again Thursday

In a surprising (to say the least) development, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has posted on its website some general information about its proposed partnership with MOCA, which is still being pondered, as I write this, at a closed meeting of MOCA's board.What I like about the proposal is the plan to allocate space for MOCA's important but insufficiently displayed … [Read more...] about LACMA-MOCA: Can this Gizmo Work?

Charles James, "Dress, Evening," 1952, Silk. Gift of Mrs. R. A. Bernatschke, Brooklyn MuseumNOTE: This erroneous post was based on false assumptions, created by the lack of transparency in the museums' official announcement. A very belated corrective post, describing the systematic deaccessions of many items from Brooklyn's "transferred" collection, is here.Another financially … [Read more...] about Brooklyn Does It Right: Transferring, Not Selling, Its Costume Collection CORRECTED

Cookies to the Rescue!What did we mommies do when we wanted to show support for our children's school?We held a bake sale! (Baking's not one of my talents. I brought the soda.)So some inspired wags have timed a bit of pastry patronage to take place outside the financially starved LA MOCA right before today's crucial board meeting that may determine its fate. Trustees may want … [Read more...] about Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures: The MOCA Bake Sale

Richard Caton Woodville, "War News from Mexico," 1848A comment appended yesterday to LA Times art critic Christopher Knight's recent Culture Monster blog post on the National Academy deaccessions mentions that this month's disposals by the Academy weren't its first. But it doesn't identify the previously sold paintings. I know about (but have not yet written about) the most … [Read more...] about Prior National Academy Deaccession: “War News from Mexico”