Fixing MOCA’s money troubles

The director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jeremy Strick, increased spending from $15.6 million annually to $21.2 million annually in the last six or seven years. He went through all of the unrestricted funds ($20 million) and “borrowed” another $7.5 million from restricted funds (the endowment). Where were the trustees while this spending was taking place? Why didn’t someone put a stop to this irresponsible spending?

This is what happens when persons are put in charge of organizations who understand the art form of a business but have little concept of the business side. Aside from that, why wasn’t the chief financial officer or accountant for MOCA calling attention to the profligate spending that was taking place? How can trustees and administrators suddenly find out that the organization is broke?

The trustees should resign: They are responsible for this disgrace.

Get a director and a board of trustees that understand how to run a business as well as continue to build the collection while generating the income in order to do so.

Robert L. Fox

Pacific Palisades

--

MOCA is in decline, and I am in total agreement with Christopher Hawthorne that this is a design-related issue [“In Need of a Reborn Identity,” Dec. 22]. I was an eager early attendee of the museum, and now I rarely visit.

The reason is very simple: Museums need to have a critical mass to become a “destination.” After the grand openings are over and a few highly publicized shows have closed, the reason for attending becomes largely one of friends or family come to town and one needs to spend an afternoon with them. The museum has to be large enough to occupy several hours of time and have a nice lunch. Downtown MOCA is too small and doesn’t have a decent restaurant. If it did have a restaurant, it should be up in the tower to take advantage of its prestigious location and view. Sadly, the little coffee shop is down in a hole with a view of an empty little courtyard.

Geffen is almost large enough, but has no restaurant, and is off where one never feels quite secure parking and getting in. Frank Gehry did a nice job of rehabbing the building, but it still has a “temporary” look. I’m always amazed that it is still open. I’ve always thought that the Hammer museum should have shared a location with MOCA, but they made the same mistake: too small and no restaurant.

Reading on in the same day’s paper, I came upon Mitchell Landsberg’s story on the “arts school with no name” debacle [“District’s New Arts School an Expensive Social Experiment”]. It suddenly occurred to me that there may be an answer to all these problems, and that Eli Broad, who I believe has good intentions, could mastermind and fund the solution.

Simply turn the new school into MOCA! It could be fabulous! The only thing needed to complete it would be some lighting in the galleries and a restaurant at the end of the “spiral ramp to nowhere.” The restaurant could have a great view of downtown, and the school is large enough to house the whole MOCA collection. The outdoor spaces would look great with sculptures everywhere.

The Geffen could then become the art school, saving the school system millions, and the downtown MOCA could be annexed by the Colburn music school to be used for small performing rooms. Everyone would be happy!

Russell K. Johnson

Los Angeles