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Merger plan proposed for stricken LA museum
2008-12-17
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Los Angeles's prestigious Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) could be merged as it wrestles with a funding crisis partially blamed on the recession-hit US economy, according to officials. Under a plan proposed by the non-profit agency that runs the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), MOCA's board would be absorbed. MOCA boasts important works by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein among its permanent collection and is situated in three centers in Los Angeles. However the museum has suffered deeping financial turmoil in recent years. The New York Times reported earlier this month the facility had spent 44 million dollars of its 50 million dollar endowment. Under the merger plan proposed by LACMA, the troubled museum would retain its independence while slashing operating costs. "A merger of board leadership, including some of MOCA's founders and artists, could provide a unique platform for the preservation and growth of MOCA's programs, under MOCA's name, with expanded facilities ... " said Andrew Gordon, chairman of the board of LACMA. MOCA receives only minimal government funding, relying on donors to pay about 80 percent of its costs. However as tough economic times have hit, gifts have dried up, driving the museum to borrow from its endowment fund.
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