This has been a rough couple of years in the Los Angeles musuem world, replete wiht power struggles, board rebellions, curators euphemistically resigning, and the public wondering what the hell is going on. At least the city gained one very huge rock. From outside the LA bubble, the New York Tmes put it this way:
“The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, which has been battered in recent months with defections of board members, criticism of its direction and precarious finances, would merge with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art under a proposal by the latter museum.
“Lacma’s director, Michael Govan, and its board’s co-chairmen, Terry Semel and Andrew Gordon, proposed the union in a letter dated Feb. 24,according to The Los Angeles Times. Were the two institutions to merge, it said, it envisioned Lacma’s keeping its two downtown locations and operating under MOCA’s name.“If not us, who?” Mr. Govan said in a telephone interview on Thursday afternoon. “MOCA is a wonderful institution with a great history. Combining the two museums would create one of the largest museums in the country.”
“Lacma is not MOCA’s only suitor. The University of Southern California is also said to be interested in acquiring the museum.”