Melody Kanschat, president of LACMA, stepping down in May

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art said Thursday that Melody Kanschat, who has served as president and chief operating officer since 2005, will be stepping down from her position in May. In a statement sent by the museum, Kanschat said that she was leaving the museum "to fully explore my own career interests."

The museum said that, in the next few months, it will implement its leadership transition plan, reorganizing its administration under a team that will report to Michael Govan, who is the museum's director and chief executive officer.

Kanschat has worked in various roles at LACMA for 22 years, including as the museum's executive vice president for administration and external affairs and in the marketing, membership and development divisions.

During her tenure, Kanschat has helped to oversee the expansion of the LACMA campus, including the high-profile additions of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum in 2008 and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion in 2010. However, leaders have since decided to halt further expansion until they have raised an additional $100 million in donations on top of the $320 million in cash and pledges given so far.

LACMA was hard hit during the recent recession, with its endowment taking a dip. The museum also had to mothball certain exhibitions and implement a hiring freeze. In June, the museum reported that it expected to finish the fiscal year with a $300,000 surplus and that it had adopted an operating budget for the 2010-11 year that boosted spending by about 11%.

Kanschat's tenure has not been without controversy. In 2009, the museum's decision to end its weekend film series was met with a loud public outcry, including a critical letter from Martin Scorsese. The film series has since been spared the chopping block, but in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in June, Kanschat said the "film program is still in jeopardy."

Kanschat assumed her current role in 2005, taking over from Andrea Rich.

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 -- David Ng

Photo: Melody Kanschat. Credit: LACMA

 

Comments

[Anonymous]

As a long time LACMA staffer it has been a pleasure to work for and with her. She is a great coach and mentor. Her common sense and financial wisdom helped us get through the recession and continue to serve the communities of Los Angeles. LACMA will continue to grow with visionary leadership by Michael Govan. But Melody will certainly be missed!

[Donald Frazell]

How about making do with watcha got? Ya know, be creative and all that. I know that is a novel "concept", but just paint the buildings of the LA Times Courtyard, a few thousand bucks and you enliven a drab and liveless area. Instead of wasting gobs of money on tearinbg them down and buidling a serile behemoth of pseudo intellectualism, try improvising. That is where organic creativity thrives. .

I have shown how, certainly can be done differently, but think and actually try FEELING with the eyes for once. I know that is radical, and color frightening to your delicate natures. But look at the boring and dull monstrosity above, enrichen the atrium with banners, colored walls and pillars, an elevetor like the Bradbury buildings up the middle instead of an adolescent jungle gym.

Try it, you just might like it. Its called Creative Art.
Click my name below.

Have a nice day!

[Debra Levine]

Film is alive and well at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The next step is to give our de facto film curator the dignity and respect at Wilshire and Fairfax that he commands internationally: please re-hire Ian Birnie as LACMA film curator.

Debra Levine, Save Film at LACMA

[anonymous]

Melody is the only person in LA who could actually get a street light removed (at Wilshire and Oxford) then get it replaced and get a crosswalk implemented in a three-month span. Please Melody, I know you need a break, but stay in LA and go run the Department of Transportation for LA! Show them how to get stuff DONE!

[Anonymous]

I have worked for LACMA for 11 years and do LOVE Melody, her work ethic but much more the person that she is. I know she will be missed very much by a lot of staff and great staff personal that will be leaving LACMA because if her leaving. PLEASE reconsider and stay for 1 more year.

We LOVE you here at LACMA.