More than 400 turn out at the Geffen Contemporary to support troubled MOCA

About 450 people, including a number of prominent Los Angeles artists, crowded into the Museum of Contemporary Art's Geffen Contemporary space in Little Tokyo on Sunday afternoon, drawn to a hastily arranged rally of sorts in support of MOCA, spurred by recent reports of dire financial problems that threaten the existence of the downtown museum.

Others found out about the event, organized by artists Cindy Bernard and Diana Thater, through the heavily trafficked Facebook page created for their MOCA Mobilization, which describes itself as "an independent community group formed to support the Museum and its staff." 

Speakers included George Baker, UCLA associate professor of art history, who was previously scheduled to speak on conceptualism in art in California but instead got swept up by the mobilization; Los Angeles Cultural Affairs chief Olga Garay; and artist Richard Jackson. Former MOCA curator Julie Lazar and artist Alexis Smith made impromptu remarks stressing the importance of the museum to the world of contemporary art.

Because of the long line still waiting outside the Geffen at the scheduled start time of 3 p.m., the speakers did not begin their remarks until about half an hour later to make sure everyone could get inside to be part of what we'll call the "MOCA Mobe." A museum spokeswoman said that a little more than $4,000 was collected at the door, mostly in admission fees but also including 21 new memberships.

Though $4,000 is a nice return for an afternoon at the Geffen Contemporary, that amount will not put a dent in the museum's financial problems, which will require millions to assuage.

A handful of MOCA representatives were on hand, including chief curator Paul Schimmel and board member Blake Byrne, but they refused to reveal any of the past week's boardroom secrets and would acknowledge only that they were here to show the flag for the artists and the museum.

Or, perhaps, show the arm band: After the event, MOCA grant writer Elizabeth Jordan could be found outside with a gaggle of friends who were all wearing "SAVE MOCA" armbands made by Jordan, fashioned of torn white cloth and lettered with a black Sharpie marker.

Indeed, in her opening remarks Bernard cautioned the crowd that the museum officials present were on hand as a "source of support, not information" -- and added that though audience members would get a chance to offer brief comments at the end of the speeches, there would be no Q & A. UPDATE: An earlier version of this item incorrectly attributed this quote to Thater.

Bernard's warning did not, however, prevent one audience member from shouting out a pointed question that was on many minds on Sunday and went unanswered: "Where is [museum Director] Jeremy Strick?"

Photographer and video artist Judy Fiskin probably didn't know why Strick wasn't there, but she could speak to why she was: "I'm just here to be with my fellow artists and express our dismay at what's happening," she said. "MOCA really is the core of the contemporary art world in Los Angeles... without MOCA we are going to go back to being provincial, it's MOCA that brought us out of that state."

The speakers' podium was set up in front of a Chris Burden installation called "Exposing the Foundation of the Museum," which looks just like it sounds: Three 9-feet-deep excavation pits that lay bare what's underneath the museum floor, with wooden steps going down inside.

Some attendees could not help but draw the connection between the deep trenches in the floor and the fact that MOCA has dug itself into a major financial hole.

At the podium, artist Richard Jackson put a positive spin on it: "The piece exposes the foundation that 30 years later works fine," he said. "I think we should just get people to fill it all back up with money."

Off the podium, another attendee was less charitable. Upon seeing chief curator Schimmel standing in one of the pits with a few others before the event began, he cried out in mock dismay: "Schimmel has just disappeared underground!"

Photographer, writer and critic Allan Sekula of CalArts indulged in a little gallows humor to make his point: "The best thing that artists who have work in the MOCA collection could do is to collectively commit suicide so the value of their work would go up -- people on the board who just want to cash out by giving up the collection would come out much better," he joked.

But seriously, Sekula added: "Strictly in market terms, a dead artist is more valuable than a living artist -- but in cultural terms, unless you have a community of living artists, institutions are nothing more than mausoleums." He gestured at the very-alive crowd gathered in the gallery. "I think that's what this, here, manifests."

--Diane Haithman

Photos: Diane Haithman/Los Angeles Times

 

Comments

[Exeterite]

Sekula's gallows humor about suicide-as-funding-vehicle for MOCA's woes is not only unfunny, it's completely off-base. It is largely myth that artists' deaths boost art market values. The greatest likelihood is that even notable artists fall into rather swift obscurity, with corresponding plummeting values of their works at market --that is, if they were fortunate enough to have achieved a secondary market for their art in the first place. As proof, look at any Sotheby's or Christie's contemporary auction catalog from the 80s or even 90s and try - just try - to figure out who half those artists were.

[derek Berghaus]

Why don't all the concerned artist put their work up for a hugely publisized fundraser to raise money and donate all the profit to MOCA

[M.Oberhofer]

MOCA Trustees have been criticized repeatedly over the years for
short sightedness.
Marcia Weisman must be hurling thunderbolts from above now!

[FedUpWithInsiders]

It's hopefully a good sign that Paul Schimmel and Blake Byrne were in attendance. As many local art dealers know privately, Mr. Byrne is one of several high profile collectors who make millions of dollars per year flipping recently acquired contemporary works at auction. They use their status on the MOCA team to get preferential treatment on the most in-demand works, and then 1-3 years later those works grace the catalogs at Sotheby's, Phillips and Christie's.

I'll acknowledge that they are also generous with their money and patronage to MOCA, but they have many more millions on hand to help out. I expect each MOCA trustee/board member to contribute at least $1 Million each before the public is asked to contribute two cents.

[tide]

if all the artists want to help. organize a huge art auction and match the 30 million broad is giving.

[Donald Frazell]

Those contemporary artistes are now not well known because they were not any good, as very little of Contemporary art has done anything worth remembering, all entertanment for the spoiled and rich. If you disappear when dead, its becaue you had nothing to contribute. Artistes always think the world owes them something, no, you owe the world. You get to sit and play and pretend your life has meaning, without actually knowing anything abuot it, or doing something to make it better. Toys do not last, and should not.

you can count the number of contemporary artists that have done anything on one, maybe two hands. And they were realy modern artist like later Hockney, who became more Matisse like, and acoupla germans, but mostly vain nonsesne all about marketing ones career, from Warhol to Hirst.

contemporary art is dead, if it ever was alive, no great arist ever graduated from an art school. Those who can do, those who cant teach in the arts, mediocrity and self absorbed preciousness have overrun the art world, and you wouldnt know great art if it hit you in the head. Been on blogs where NO ONE knows the difference between a modigliani adn a Morandi, let alone a chardin and a Cezanne.

Sad. MoCA is filled with crapo, seel the littel good modern stuff it has from the Panza collection to LACMA, and jsut go away, we got better things to deal with. You know, life.

[confused]

I received several circulated emails about the Sunday afternoon meeting last week. Even until after I read this article, I'm still confused about the purposes of this meeting, which didn't offer any solutions, nor did it raise any public awareness. It was like going to a family, whose house was about to collapse, and telling the family to save the house and offering them a dollar.

Did the meeting accomplish anything on Sunday? What was the point of it? It looks more like offering condolences to me than offering support.

[FrazellIsAnIdiot]

Culture Monster - Can you please delete Donald Frazell's aged, ancient, long-winded, indecipherable rants? They don't contribute anything to the discussion at hand. If Mr. Frazell doesn't like contemporary art he doesn't have to see it. There are plenty of museums in town for him. I should note that the artists he does like were equally scorned in their day, probably in similar rants as his.

[NotConfused]

Confused - All grassroots efforts must begin with first steps. This seems to have been an early meeting of the minds. People are now joining forces, sharing contacts, and will soon create a more coherent long-term strategy. It doesn't happen out of the blue or by osmosis. I would like to see a dedicated well-funded website, with key leadership, strategies and a mission statement that can quickly respond to the MOCA situation. We are all awaiting the MOCA board's response to Eli Broad's $30 Million challenge and then can move forward. One can't expect a meeting like this to have garnered any concrete results. People must first meet, join up, network, and now new alliances and strategies will continue to blossom. Give it a little time.

[takeit2m]

Not Confused has it right- Initially all that artists and community members can do is express support for the autonomy of the museum. The board of trustees is just that- a group entrusted to do what is right. this meeting was a way for community members to express that what they think is right is not in line with what some members of the board have floated as a solution- specifically the merger of MOCA with another instutution. Christopher Knight already said as much in his opinion and Eli Broad seems to concur, so hopefully the added community pressure will push this off of the table. There were in fact quite a number of people in attendence who CAN do something to directly influence the board members.

Confused- You can also read about this meeting in the New York Times. How do you figure that no public awareness was raised?

MOCA already has an auction and artists contribute (proportionally to income) waaayy more than their share.
Don't forget that an auction requires buyers.
Furthermore, the huge money you read about at the art auctions isn't money that's going to artists, it's money that's going to art collectors that bought the work of artists for much much less. The problem isn't someone like Blake Byrne who turns auction profits into support, it's someone who doesn't.

Maybe a part of the long term solution is in the tax codes.
I personally have no idea how the tax codes benefit someone who's making multi-million dollar contribuitions to an instituition.
I do know that for artists you are allowed to write off the cost of your materials. not labor not overhead, and yet we continue to contribute our work because we recognize the importance of Instituitions to a city like Los Angeles.

[Donald Frazell]

NO more tax breaks for bad art, that which has no bearing on the lives of 99.9% of Angelenos. Art used to matter, people fought over it, now, it is ignored, or just absurdly childish attempts to get a rise out of the adults. Which we look at disgustedly, and move on like nothing had ever happened, because nothing has in the last forty years. Forget this Playground for the rich and spoiled, sell what little quality work it has, pay off debts, and lease the main MoCA to the Peterson Auto Museums and put in a lowrider exhibit, far better paintiners using air brushes than art school "installation". LOL!!!

[Donald Frazell]

Its amazing how artistes think money comes out of thin air, just throw it in the pit! Fill it up!. How incredibly precious, juvenile, and lazy. You want it, pay for it. If it means that much to you it will survive, with NO public funds. Enough has been wasted already.

Wasting money digging that damn pit, like any of you artiistes actualy got sweaty witha shovel digging it, wasting money to hir a contragor to di, all teh while the workers snikkering at the easy money they are getting, for nothing. Working, thats what artistes like to pretend they do, just paint, something inexpensive and useful, something someone can pu on their wall and grow with. Good art never gets stale, which iswhy you all do this dumbass money pit thing,. Its incredibly stupid, wasteful, and naive, but as it will soon be gone, no one will have to think about how dumb it really is. Just put a few pics in a book and its all good. Except the decadence of wasting energy, and money. And then you drive off in Prius' after all this useless waste. Hypocrites.

Read my Imperial Clothing article, google me, and face the truth. Real people love it, even the yoga set knows it is the truth. But you cant handle the truth, its not in your interest, now is it?

LOL!! Dont know whether to laugh or cry, so much to be done, so much wasted on so few.

[Michael Newberry]

I couldn't agree more with Donald.

I had nauseous experience of seeing the Paul McCarthy exhibition at MOMA. Take it all and bury it, and hope in several years something fresh and living grows out of it.

Michael Newberry

[takeit2m]

Hey Frazell, Why don't you get to work instead of wasting everyone's time here. You wonder why you are marganilized, It's not because you are the only person who actually knows what quality is. It's not because you are a misanthrope who hates his community. Well, maybe it's that. But it's because your comments don't really have anything to do with the situation at hand and they don't make sense.

I'd be happy to use your own words against you. You say contemporary artists don't create anything as the workers snigger. How did those workers get there? That's called job creation A-hole. And artists buy materials and eat in restaurants and pay for parking and have families. That's just a few of the ways that contemporary art has a benefit to this city even for people who don't like it, such as yourself. You obviously don't understand thing one, so get bent. and learn to spell.

[Arora]

Frazell, the guy who'd like to see MOCA go auto gallery, can take his crap detectorship to the annual L.A. auto show where I'm sure he'll find plenty of greed inspired metal to wrap his caustic tongue around.

[Diane Law]

Mr. Frazell's comments may have been very "heady". Unfortunately, I had difficulty focusing on his thought process because his misspellings and run-on sentences were such a distraction. Wait! Perhaps he was attempting to "artistically" express (by example) why competence matters. Did I get his message?

[Donald Frazell]

Its called waste, making holes that go nowhere, that lead to nothing, that have no meaning except to entertain children, and amuse their parents. Real work leads to productivity, to energy, to usefullness. Contemporary art leads to self absorbed waste. You are out of your lague son, dont even try. Just read, and learn. When you grow up you can speak, children are meant to be seen and not heard, which is what Contemporary Art has become, look at me mom!! Saying absolutely nothing.

Not one more public dime for the amusement of the rich.

Imperial Clothinbg, read it, its influence has started, Time and even Winklman has an article that finally realizes the cult of personality must go. Its all marketing, entertainment for the decadent. Art must return, it is now needed.

for the people, of the people, that they may prosper, and flourish upon the earth.

[Donald Frazell]

And I like auto shows. I am rather practical myself, but it doesnt hurt anyone, done with private money, makes money if someone wants to buy it, just not my thing, but a beautiful auto is a piece of work to behold. Contemporary art is apiece of trasht to be buried, and forgotten, which has happened to all early CA, and is continuing. Modern art will return, or something that takes up where it was, and actually deal with real issues of humanity, not vanity.

Art collegia delenda est
Art colleges must be destroyed.

[Donald Frazell]

Probably not, art school grads have issues understanding more than one thing at a time. While real art is all about relationships, the more the better, when they can beomce simplified and layerd andinteracting and as one. it approaches truth.
But then, thats modern art, not the simplemindedness of contemporary. If you mind cant follow what I wrote, then spell check it, and if still confused,well, you just are confused. sorry, but that is not my issue. Its yours.
Study will do that, put aside your art for awhile, no one graduating any school knows anything, jsut had some basics intalled, or lies in art. Real life will bring revelations, skill, adn experience,if you work at it.
Only art students actually think they know something when they graduate with their MFA, the most worthless piece of paper in the world, Toilet tissue at least has purpose.
Do MDs think they can save the world when they graduate? No, they intern, and slowly learn the relalworld, a job that never ends, and we peak at late in life, if we work. My son is in this position after garduating Annapolis, a much harder and better school than any art academy, but he has humility, and knows he is jus now approaching being a man at 24, serving his country, doing something real. And then serving man when he is done. He will find peace adn contentment.
What have the arts done lately? Served themselves. And so angry in their uselessness

Art collegia delenda est

[takeit2m]

Stop hitting yourself Donald Stop hitting yourself.

[teenagerobot]

Publishing the phrase "Art colleges must be destroyed" constitutes a threat against the local schools and the students and teachers working in them. Mr. Frazell should be removed from this blog immediately for making violent threats against specific targets.

[Donald Frazell]

LOL!!! And artistes AREN'T completley self absorbed and weak, frail, scared little children? LOL!!! Get over your precious self, gol get a job, adn realize death comes to all of us oneday. Death to colleges is a take on Pliny the Elders famous, for those who actually know something of history or anything else. Cartago delenda est. Carthat musut be destroyed, as carthage was rebuilt after the Second Punic war(Hannibals for you ignorant children).

The Academy of the late nineteenth century has been rebuilt, in a new way to take the battering truth can give it. You are its children, without talent, knowledge, or fortitude. You know, character. And character is neccessary for god art, as Purpose is everything.

As the Post Impressionists tore down that old academy, so the rot from the debris of this latest Gilded Age of decadence shall bring new growth, once again dealing with the real world, not the tiny inbred forces of reactionary Art. For that is what you are, tame, weak, asking no questions of value to a real world in search of meaning, and Purpose. You have none, or if you do, will see the fall of its patrons as opportunity, those who created both this economic disaster and the arts, and get back to exploring our world, Finding ways to approach truth, and find both god, and peace of heart that has always been Arts goals.

Back to your meaningless "work:. For those who can do, those who cant toe the line and create fluff to assuage the powers that be. Those that brought us into a Depression. Those who seek to glorify mankind, and not himself, wil now flourish in the rotted decay of the past. You.

Imperial Clothing Art collegia delenda est

[MMMcCarthy]

I think that all this talk needs to be funneled into a place of use...go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46490296653
(you can see it even if you're not a facebook member)
The MOCA Mobilization committee is trying...you can HELP!!!!

[vaporgirl]

I agree w/Teenagerobot. I thought these comments were moderated. I don't understand why one writer, Donald Frazell, is allowed to spam this blog. It really gets in the way of useful discussion.

[Donald Frazell]

There is no discussion in the arts anymore, its all the same PC garbage excusing anything as art, as the academies teach it. So they can make money. They sell the idea that anyone can be an artist. Like any other field, some are more talented than others, and then some work harder too. Those who do both, and make art of use to society, by spending deaces learning who we are, our past, our hearts become artists. To fulfill arts purpose, to visualize the web of life, of which art is but one thread, no more or less important than any other.

But artistes want to think they are "special", and they are in the "education" kind of way. And so make themselves useless. Art must have purpose to exist. Saying it is anything makes it nothing. All words are but symbols and must have definitions to exist. There are many forms of art, contemporary art is therapy, fetishes, playgrounds where games are created of such little use few can or want to play them.

Real art is like basketball, then those with no athletic ability come up with weird games no one wants to play, so they can be called the best at what they do. Curling. Rhythmic gymanstics. Downhill snowboarding(halfpipe is kinda cool, and atheltic.) If you make something irrelevant enough, anyone can make a name in its tiny community. This is the tate of contemporary arts, no one gives a damn. Those with real creative skills ahve gone into movies and design, applied arts. Fine arts are dead. We are talking creative arts anyway, those of the soul. Michelangelo, Cezanne, Braque. Klee, Miles Davis, Coltrane.

What you all do is none of these, not even Fine arts, which are there to pleasure the rich by decorating their homes. Your pickled critters and woven nipples are playthings, where those with too many homes store their trophies of society gatherings, Irrelevant toys. Soon to be just footnotes of the Society page, nothing to do with culture, which finds the common thread which weave us together. That is art, that whcih defines who WE are, humanity, and out striving to be more, to reachfor God. A concept you fear to deal with. But is the essence of who we are, what we are to do, where we must go. Gauguins cry, and all true artists.

Where do you stand?

Art collegia delenda est