L.A. Museums' Collections Grow Despite Poor Economy

Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11, 2009 — As Los Angeles art museums face the future in a down economy, building their collections may not be the highest priority, but it's a big worry.

Will art acquisition funds dwindle to nothing? Will once-dependable patrons stop writing checks when curators pass the hat for art purchases? Will potential art gifts go to market? Will more museums pool resources to make joint purchases, as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Fowler Museum at UCLA recently did to buy a huge tapestry-like construction made by African artist El Anatsui using metal castoffs?

No one knows, and not only because it's impossible to predict the length and force of the ongoing financial storm. Cash donations for acquisitions can be expected to plummet, but gifts of art are less predictable. In good times and bad, artworks come to museums in various ways — from friends and complete strangers.

And despite the gloom that descended last fall, 2008 turned out to be a surprisingly good year for local collection growing.

At the Museum of Contemporary Art, the grim economy compounds a long-festering financial debacle that led to the recent departure of Director Jeremy Strick. Still, the collection grew by 141 works, including 50 pieces donated by New York collectors Dorothy and Herbert Vogel, sculptures by Lynda Benglis and Hans Haacke, mixed-media constructions by Mike Kelley, a painting by Peter Saul and a conceptual installation by Lawrence Weiner.

LACMA gained 4,747 works, including 3,500 photographs amassed by L.A. collectors Marjorie and Leonard Vernon and a 46-piece holding of rare Oceanic art compiled by a Detroit foundation. Among other recent arrivals are Japanese guardian-animal sculptures, Native American ceramics, a 15th century Italian painting by Cima da Conegliano, a suite of late 19th century drawings by Belgian Expressionist James Ensor and "The Illegal Operation," a 1962 installation by Edward Kienholz.