Which Way, L.A.?
LACMA's Future and the Zumthor Building
LACMA's 50th anniversary gala on Saturday revealed $675 million of new art and a crowd that included Hollywood celebrities. We talk with Director Michael Govan about changes he's made and his vision of LACMA's future, including a controversial new building -- no longer being called, "The Blob."
By Warren Olney • • 25m ListenLA County's Museum of Art celebrated its 50th year on Saturday night. The gala revealed $675 million worth of new art and a crowd that included Hollywood celebrities — a far cry from the establishment types that inaugurated the institution five decades ago. We talk with Director Michael Govan about changes he's made and his vision of LACMA's future, including a controversial new building -- no longer being called, "The Blob."
Also, a precious heritage won't be sold to the highest bidder: arts and craft made in Japanese-American internment camps during World War II.
Photo: Model of Peter Zumthor's proposed new building for LACMA
In this episode
2 storiesFifty Years of LACMA
When Michael Govan took over LA County's Museum of Art in 2006, it was a bastion of old money. This past Saturday night, the 50th birthday gala demonstrated how much he has made it the darling of the entertainment industry. Nobody disputes LACMA's renaissance over the past 10 years.
Read the story17 minJapanese Internment Art Will Not Be Sold to the Highest Bidder
It took the threat of a legal injunction, but a rare collection of arts and crafts from Japanese-American internment camps will not be auctioned off after all. After Pearl Harbor, 120,000 Japanese-Americans — two thirds of whom were citizens — were held in 10 so-called "relocation camps" until the end of World War II.
Read the story8 min
