
Maria Bell spoke to Kelly Crow at the Wall Street Journal to declare victory on LA MoCA’s $100m fundraising goal and pass the baton to Maurice Marciano and Lilly Tartikoff Karatz.
Ms. Bell said the museum now boasts one of the heftiest endowments in the country for its size, which may allow its leaders to focus more on showcasing its art—rather than defending its balance sheet.
“This means we can take off the table any questions about MOCA’s future,” she said. “The remaining questions are exciting ones concerning our upcoming exhibitions.”
The museum is also searching for a new director. Currently, the museum is being overseen by interim director Maria Seferian, but Ms. Bell said the museum is sifting through a batch of potential candidates and aims to name a permanent director later this spring.
“Will the new director need to raise funds? Of course,” Ms. Bell said, adding that the museum’s next goal will be to boost its endowment to $150 million. “But now at least we’ve got good ground under our feet.”
Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art MOCA Rebounds From Financial Woes (WSJ)