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Jeffrey Deitch's new project: LA MOCA's Geffen Contemporary The membrane between the commercial and nonprofit artworlds has become considerably more permeable in recent years. As recently as 10 years ago (in connection with the Brooklyn Museum's "Sensation" exhibition, for example), it was considered inappropriate for museums to receive financial backing from dealers for … [Read more...] about Dealer-to-Director: Why Jeffrey Deitch is Wrong for LA MOCA UPDATED

You can read tomorrow's Wall Street Journal piece today: Elevating American Indian Art. And don't miss the slideshow, particularly the eighth image---the Arikara shield of a buffalo bull that curator Gaylord Torrence called, "probably the most important object that I will acquire."Here's my own inadequate photo:Not in the article is what Torrence told me about the "ambiguous … [Read more...] about Now Online: My WSJ Piece on Nelson-Atkins American Indian Galleries

Candace Jackson of the Wall Street Journal gets an early shot at talking to Jeffrey Deitch in his new capacity as director-designate of LA MOCA.Here's the part I'm interested in:Asked about possible conflicts, Mr. Deitch, who has been in the art business since the mid 1970s said, "there are too many long term relationships to be completely restrictive. We will do what … [Read more...] about Deitch Speaks! (to the Wall Street Journal)

Remember when I posted the above image, as a clue to where I would be traveling?I later reported you about the other places that I had visited during that trip, but never mentioned my first stop, where I was on a top-secret(!) mission for the Wall Street Journal.Tomorrow my article on the new American Indian galleries at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City will at last … [Read more...] about Coming Tomorrow: My WSJ Appraisal of Nelson-Atkins’ New American Indian Galleries

Jay Benzel, editor of the NY Times' ArtsBeat blog, responds to Department of No News: LA MOCA Appointment Still Stalled:In your post about Carol Vogel's item Monday in the "Arts, Briefly" column, you say that the item was "pulled" from ArtsBeat. That is not the case. It ran online, as nearly all Sunday-for-Monday "Arts, Briefly" items do, only in the "Arts, Briefly" column, … [Read more...] about BlogBack: NY Times “ArtsBeat” Editor on Today’s LA MOCA Coverage

The rumor is now reality. LA MOCA has just issued a press release announcing the appointment of dealer Jeffrey Deitch as the museum's new director, replacing Charles Young, the interim CEO. Deitch even gets the Glenn Lowry and Michael Govan seals of approval, as if to head off criticism that appointing a commercial dealer to lead a nonprofit art museum is unseemly or even … [Read more...] about It’s Deitch (by press release): LA MOCA Press Conference Tomorrow

Dewey Beats Truman? The returns aren't in yet.No word yet on when, if or who, regarding LA MOCA's announcement of its new director, which was to have occurred at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time today. But at least, thanks to Mike Boehm of the LA Times, we now know the subject matter of the mayoral press conference that supposedly conflicted with the planned announcement: The reason … [Read more...] about Department of No News: LA MOCA Appointment Still Stalled

This just in from the press office of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art: Due to a scheduling conflict with a Mayoral press conference, this event [the announcement of the museum's new director] scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2010, at 10:30am has been postponed. New information will be forthcoming.You know what I always tell you: When I know more, you'll know more. … [Read more...] about LA MOCA Annoucement Glitch: Postponed Due to Mayoral Musings

Jerry Saltz[UPDATE: My own critical analysis of of Deitch's now confirmed appointment is here.]A good way to influence opinion is to be first. An early comment, especially from a respected source, catches the attention of other pundits, who may feel qualms about striking out in the opposite direction.Lacking my caution about opinionating on a development that hasn't even … [Read more...] about Jerry Saltz’s Deitch Project: Preemptive Strike for Dealer’s LA MOCA Candidacy

[Now RESCHEDULED.]Now hitting art journalists' e-mail boxes around the country: MOCA BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ANNOUNCE NEW DIRECTOR WHEN: MONDAY, JAN 11, 2010 10:30am WHERE: MOCA Grand Avenue Eli and Edythe L. Broad Reception Hall 250 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012 WHO: Maria Bell, MOCA BOARD CO-CHAIR David Johnson, MOCA BOARD CO-CHAIR Eli Broad, MOCA FOUNDING … [Read more...] about Lose One, Gain One: LA MOCA to Announce New Director on Monday UPDATED

The sun sets at Michael Brand's Getty Museum.The LA Times' art critic, Christopher Knight, who has just posted his first take on the Getty management turmoil, ponders the deleterious effect on art museums of "revolving door" directorships.Knight writes:In the museum world, it takes at least two or three years [as director] just to begin to see a glimmer of the fruits of one's … [Read more...] about The Getty’s Revolving Door: Harmful Brew of Instability and Secrecy

J. Paul Getty Museum's Los Angeles campusThe terms of Getty Museum director Michael Brand's severance package are hiding in plain sight in the Compensation Disclosure section of the Getty Trust's website, as was helpfully pointed out to me this evening by the Getty Trust's vice president for communications, Ron Hartwig.Scroll down to p. 5, "Senior Management Compensation," … [Read more...] about Getty Benefits: Michael Brand’s Severance Pot Was Recently Sweetened

In case it wasn't "interesting" already, this just in from David Ng of the LA Times (who couldn't get departing Getty director Michael Brand to comment about his reasons for leaving):Brand, who turns 52 on Saturday, said he would continue to receive his salary until December, when his contract expires. He said he would also have access to the Getty-owned museum … [Read more...] about More on Michael Brand’s Resignation: Now It Gets Interesting

The Getty Museum[My first post on Brand's resignation is here. The Getty's press release announcing his departure is now online.]The Getty Museum's PR people have just forwarded to me the statement from director Michael Brand to his staff, in which he expresses his great appreciation for their work and never once acknowledges the Getty Trust's president and former director of … [Read more...] about Michael Brand’s Statement to Staff: Reading Between the Lines

Michael BrandThis is a shocker. The press release is not online at this writing. [UPDATE: It's now here.]Here are the highlights:GETTY MUSEUM DIRECTOR MICHAEL BRAND STEPS DOWNLOS ANGELES - James N. Wood, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, announced today that Dr. Michael Brand has elected to step down as director of the J. Paul Getty Museum at the end of January. He … [Read more...] about News Flash: Michael Brand Precipitously Steps Down from Getty Directorship, Effective End of This Month