The Board of Trustees has failed a great 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. Yes 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. Yesterday, it released a statement that stated: Govan's vision will do the worst thing possible to that status: LACMA will make it dull.īack in 2008, a group of artists formed the organization MOCA Mobilization to stop this very same thing from happening, stating the board of trustees should keep the museum alive independently. MOCA, despite a chequered past, has been inspiringly distinct. He may bring back the illusion of rigor that the academic crowd craves and he may bring it to financial health by absorbing it into the LACMA base. Govan's track record assures us one thing should he actually acquire MOCA. People accused Jeffrey Deitch of dumbing down MOCA when he brought in “Art in the Streets”, but this assessment ignores many stupid MOCA curations over the years. LACMA's contemporary art programming has conformed to a dull, narrow range of upscale values and vain allegiance to art theory only because it makes them look smart.

Los Angeles-based art critic Mat Gleason dissected Govan's post on LACMA's Unframed blog for Huffington Post's Arts and Culture, ending with the biggest reason he thinks the merge sucks - it will make MOCA boring: We've gathered reactions from a few outspoken souls on the Internet putting in their two cents. Yet not everyone agrees with LACMA director Michael Govan's handling of things either. For one, MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch continues to receive criticism for recent exhibitions, and last year, board members started leaving left and right. Well, it's apparently not everyone's dream come true. Basically, LACMA would help MOCA financially sustain itself while keeping its name. The art world is abuzz with news about the possible merging of art museum titans Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Lacma or moca museum