Financially strapped MOCA announces layoffs

More financial woes for the Museum of Contemporary Art:  The cash-strapped institution announced today that it is reducing its staff by 20% as well as cutting operating expenses. The plan is to reduce expenses by approximately $4.4 million a year.

The cuts will result in the elimination of 32 jobs -- 16 full-time and 16 part-time -- across all museum departments.  A statement from the museum says the departments of marketing and programming will be most affected.

MOCA's chief executive officer, Charles E. Young, said in the statement: "It is my responsibility to lay a new foundation for the museum's long-term financial stability based on efficient and accurate financial management.

"In addition to making these vital cuts today, we are committed to supporting MOCA's on-going and aggressive fundraising and to the recruitment of new and dedicated MOCA trustees so we can together continue the exceptional mission of MOCA."

-- Diane Haithman

Photo: MOCA's Grand Avenue museum. Credit: Lori Shepler/Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[Brady Westwater]

Matt publishes an art magazine called COAGULA. There is no Caligula Magazine. Clearly, both literacy and any knowledge of history are dead in certain local circles.

[Donald Frazell]

My bad, its Coagula, not Caligula. But you are not an arts magazine, its a life style rag. There is no room in art for gossip, and inidivdual worhip. Or is there ever art in art colonies, again, that is about separating from the world, not visualizing it. Get out more, art is everywhere, its motifs and sources anyway. We have a job to do, a purpose, hanigng wiht other like minded people does not enrich ro broaden ones outlook on life, it stiffles it, just a reassuring environment for those who dont want to, or cant, face reality.

Those days are over, the Age of Excess no more, where such places could exist. Responsibility, Maturity. Fertility. And that means growth and vitality, art colonies are not fertile ground, they are daycare centers. Get out, there is much to see and live. Contempt art is dead.

art collegia delenda est

[GleasonIsMyGuru]

Actually, I believe there IS a Caligula magazine, but it's NSFW. And Mr. Frazell, while I am no art historian, from my meager readings I believe that immaturity, gossip, frivolity, and individual worship in the arts has been around as long as art has existed, both fine art, dramatic art, all arts. It's not just the contemporary art world that is so shallow and vain. The same behavior existed with the impressionists and modernists, but the media and blogs weren't around to publish it like today. So while I agree with you about much of the quality of contemporary art, especially the architecture pretending to be art so prevalent at MOCA, in this case we disagree.

art stupidis as stupiddoes

[Mat Gleason]

Just note that amidst the rich debate, disagreement and provocative stances in this thread, art world insiders Cindy Bernard and T Kelly Mason are the ones clamoring for this diversity of voices to be silenced. These two have the most to lose from institutions like MOCA being transparent and open to public scrutiny and challenge.

[Gina Kelly]

I would say this is a sad moment for MoCA. Many people, some who have worked with expertise for more than 15 years have lost their jobs. As a former employee I am deeply saddened and even more disappointed by the lack of courteous regret here in the forum. I'm sure it's more important to voice your opinions, but it sounds like some of you don't even know what your opinions are based on. Matt Gleason, the best thing about MoCA is that even with all of your "art knowledge" Dan Graham is having a show. His work is important, and pretty great, and influential, and because of this show, you have an opportunity to interact with that. It's not about what you know, it's about how we interact. MoCA is there to offer you the opportunity. I, for one, hope you take it.

My condolences for MoCA staff at large. It's been a hard year for many reasons, not all financial, and my heart is with you all.

[Gleasonhasstanding]

If MOCA has been soooo sucessfull ,why is it in financial trouble?
Pages have been written on this subject to no avail and no conclusion.
In todays Los Angeles only a small % of the population of our
Balkanized city have any interest in High Art Culture,even though
Los Angeles Artists are acclaimed across the world their work
is rarely honored in their home town. Its the street criminal taggers
in L.A. that wrongly seem to get the misplaced respect of the 60% of our
current population that have no interest in museums unless there are
free drinks and no admission!

[GleasonisRight]

Mat Gleason is, of course, right. What makes some of you people think that because there is dissent or, as you say "lack of courtesy" (I disagree), among the people complaining on this message board, that somehow we lack compassion for those laid off? I am deeply saddened that anyone lost their jobs at MOCA, or at Chrysler, Macy's or Starbucks. Especially when the wealthy, multimillionaire CEOs and MOCA board members get to walk away with their millions intact, and in most cases with golden parachutes and bonuses larger than the combined yearly salaries of all those poor souls let go. Your anger is displaced. You should be marching and picketing in Beverly Hills and Brentwood, at City Hall, in front of the local BMW and Mercedes Benz dealers. Nine MOCA board members left several weeks ago, but we're just finding out now. Why? Because they wanted to distance themselves from embarassment and shame while the heat was still on. Whether layoffs or new board members, MOCA's troubles can't be cured with a bailout or new management alone - they need to scrap everything they know and everyone who's been part of the problem - and yes, EVERY planned show for 2009 - and start over fresh. Unless they remove the cancer it will continue to grow.

[Mat Gleason]

TO Poster GINA: Please read the comments again, I did not criticize the choice of the Dan Graham show, in fact I am looking forward to it.

[Slangevar]

To poster Mat Gleason: Don't apologize.

My husband and I saw the Dan Graham opening last night and thought it was possibly the most disappointing MOCA exhibit we've ever seen.

Sure, Graham's work is important, but it just doesn't work inside of a museum setting. Dan Graham doesn't seem to have a perspective himself... his work is interesting because it reflects (and sometimes distorts) the everyday life and people around it.

But we don't come to museums to see everyday life... we come to be exposed to new voices, ideas and perspectives. All Dan Graham's work did was reflect a lot of disappointed, bored faces.

You want to know the most interesting part of the exhibit? Watching all of the confused (and sometimes angry) people exiting the gallery, grumbling and heading straight for the bookstore in search of something meaningful.