Broad Blames Schimmel for Excesses at LA’s MoCA

Eli Broad’s interview in Los Angeles Magazine is getting attention for his frank comments about former director Jeffrey Deitch. But the harsher statement seems to be laying the blame for the museum’s slide into financial jeopardy at the feet of form Chief Curator Paul Schimmel:

At MOCA, […] you swooped in to save the museum but also chose a director, Jeffrey Deitch, who drove away artists and donors.

Look, before, at MOCA, we had a director who couldn’t control the chief curator. We took a chance on Jeffrey Deitch. He’s a populist. He did several great shows, like Art in the Streets. He created MOCAtv. But he didn’t have the stomach, frankly, to deal with trustees or raise money or do other things. He was not a manager.

Would you hire him again?

No.

Bullish About L.A. (Los Angeles magazine)