Comments on: MOCA, MOCA, MOCA http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:47:14 +0000 hourly 1 By: km http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-84225 km Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:13:56 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-84225 I have to agree with at- I think Broad is looking to his legacy. He put up the funding for UCLA's new art building a few years back, Something no other LA philanthropist is stepping up to the plate to do. He has to be looking around saying "Hey guys, why is it just me out here?" Personally, I'd love to see Hugh Hefner become a major donor. What's more LA than Playboy? The nexus between art and pornography is certainly a legitimate curatorial question- how about a Hefner Gallery at MOCA? I have to agree with at- I think Broad is looking to his legacy. He put up the funding for UCLA’s new art building a few years back, Something no other LA philanthropist is stepping up to the plate to do. He has to be looking around saying “Hey guys, why is it just me out here?”
Personally, I’d love to see Hugh Hefner become a major donor. What’s more LA than Playboy? The nexus between art and pornography is certainly a legitimate curatorial question- how about a Hefner Gallery at MOCA?

]]> By: marshall http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-82882 marshall Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:43:09 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-82882 Art institutions should be political when needed, but I do agree that the Measure R money seemed a little out of character and raises some questions about LACMA's financial priorities. Some folks seem to think that Broad is making a run on MOCA's collection, but I think that's a bit ridiculous. I think Broad is more legacy building than anything else. It's gotta suck to be Broad, knowing that whenever financial volunteers are needed in Los Angeles, he's the only one anyone seems to look to - I can only imagine the disdain he has for his financial peers who haven't stepped up to the plate. Art institutions should be political when needed, but I do agree that the Measure R money seemed a little out of character and raises some questions about LACMA’s financial priorities.

Some folks seem to think that Broad is making a run on MOCA’s collection, but I think that’s a bit ridiculous. I think Broad is more legacy building than anything else. It’s gotta suck to be Broad, knowing that whenever financial volunteers are needed in Los Angeles, he’s the only one anyone seems to look to – I can only imagine the disdain he has for his financial peers who haven’t stepped up to the plate.

]]> By: km http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-82875 km Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:55:43 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-82875 While I agree with you that the Wilshire corridor plan will be beneficial to LACMA, it bugs me to see them be political. Artists are political, art institutions should not be. This really is LACMA coming in and taking over the collection of MOCA. It fills some holes for them nicely. For all the talk about joint institutions, that's not going to be the reality. This isn't a partnership, it's a hostile takeover. MOCA is against the wall and they are taking the bailout from LACMA. Stupid- but that's what they are doing. Broad is a scary guy but at least he's competent and I'd rather have a well run Broad center for comtemporary art than the wholly dysfuntionl mess that is MOCA. I suspect that the MOCA folks think that if Broad takes over they will lose control and be replaced but that won't happen if LACMA takes over. In reality, LACMA will take over and they won't be as secure as they hope, I believe. Of course, that's a good thing since they are the worst museum board ever and have completely abandoned any notion of their trusteeship but I think we agree on that one. While I agree with you that the Wilshire corridor plan will be beneficial to LACMA, it bugs me to see them be political. Artists are political, art institutions should not be.

This really is LACMA coming in and taking over the collection of MOCA. It fills some holes for them nicely. For all the talk about joint institutions, that’s not going to be the reality. This isn’t a partnership, it’s a hostile takeover. MOCA is against the wall and they are taking the bailout from LACMA. Stupid- but that’s what they are doing.

Broad is a scary guy but at least he’s competent and I’d rather have a well run Broad center for comtemporary art than the wholly dysfuntionl mess that is MOCA. I suspect that the MOCA folks think that if Broad takes over they will lose control and be replaced but that won’t happen if LACMA takes over. In reality, LACMA will take over and they won’t be as secure as they hope, I believe. Of course, that’s a good thing since they are the worst museum board ever and have completely abandoned any notion of their trusteeship but I think we agree on that one.

]]> By: marshall http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-82852 marshall Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:35:31 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-82852 I think LACMA's contribution to Measure R (which is, in my opinion, an unbelievably important step towards a better city) has a lot to do with their angling to be a future Metro stop. LACMA owns other properties on Wilshire that many have speculated will be offered to the city as sites for the future "LACMA Metro stop". LACMA, as an educational institution is aware (I've spoken with long-time folks in their education department about this very issue) that their Westside location makes their collection and programs (many of which are awesomely free) difficult to access for people in Central, East and South LA. So increasing the links and the convenience of those links, particularly to under-served communities, is important to their core mission to being accessible to the greater public. I've never thought of LACMA as being much of a beggar. My mailbox (especially now that the financial sky has fallen and is lying in pieces on the floor) is flooded with letters from art organizations hammering me for money. As a LACMA member, I can't recall getting anything other than the occasional year-end request. <a href="http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/01/28/does-moca-want-me-dead-or-alive/" rel="nofollow">MOCA on the other hand...</a> MOCA's board is off the rails. They're afraid of Broad, because for all of Broad's faults, he's more responsible than they are, and will make them get out of the Disneyland they've been inhabiting for years. They've treated MOCA trusteeship as a playground for cocktail parties and hobnobbing with dealers and collectors, while ignoring the fact that their role is in fact a serious one, and that they do have to put in the effort (and money, big, big money) mandated by their position. I think LACMA’s contribution to Measure R (which is, in my opinion, an unbelievably important step towards a better city) has a lot to do with their angling to be a future Metro stop. LACMA owns other properties on Wilshire that many have speculated will be offered to the city as sites for the future “LACMA Metro stop”. LACMA, as an educational institution is aware (I’ve spoken with long-time folks in their education department about this very issue) that their Westside location makes their collection and programs (many of which are awesomely free) difficult to access for people in Central, East and South LA. So increasing the links and the convenience of those links, particularly to under-served communities, is important to their core mission to being accessible to the greater public.

I’ve never thought of LACMA as being much of a beggar. My mailbox (especially now that the financial sky has fallen and is lying in pieces on the floor) is flooded with letters from art organizations hammering me for money. As a LACMA member, I can’t recall getting anything other than the occasional year-end request. MOCA on the other hand…

MOCA’s board is off the rails. They’re afraid of Broad, because for all of Broad’s faults, he’s more responsible than they are, and will make them get out of the Disneyland they’ve been inhabiting for years. They’ve treated MOCA trusteeship as a playground for cocktail parties and hobnobbing with dealers and collectors, while ignoring the fact that their role is in fact a serious one, and that they do have to put in the effort (and money, big, big money) mandated by their position.

]]> By: km http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-82752 km Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:08:00 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-82752 Okay, you asked for it. Why is an art institution, one that's chronically crying about funding, donating huge sums of money to political campaigns like the 400K they put up for Measure R? Regardless of whether or not Measure R was a good idea shouldn't those funds be supporting, oh, I don't know, museum programs? As for this, I can only call it seizure, of MOCA's collection by LACMA, what happened to the MOCA board's responsibility to their institution? Did they really think the Broad offer was a worse option? I told you not to get me started. Okay, you asked for it. Why is an art institution, one that’s chronically crying about funding, donating huge sums of money to political campaigns like the 400K they put up for Measure R? Regardless of whether or not Measure R was a good idea shouldn’t those funds be supporting, oh, I don’t know, museum programs?

As for this, I can only call it seizure, of MOCA’s collection by LACMA, what happened to the MOCA board’s responsibility to their institution? Did they really think the Broad offer was a worse option?

I told you not to get me started.

]]> By: marshall http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-82749 marshall Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:29:41 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-82749 Please start. Please start.

]]> By: km http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/comment-page-1/#comment-82739 km Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:42:52 +0000 http://www.marshallastor.com/2008/12/17/moca-moca-moca/#comment-82739 Seriously, don't start me on LACMA. Seriously, don’t start me on LACMA.

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