In a statement demonstrating its commitment to artists and Downtown Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art plans to purchase the building it currently occupies on East Seventh Street and add a cafe, outdoor space and studios for its new artist-in-residence program.
“We want to make sure this institution will continue to exist and be sustainable for future generations,” museum director Ann Ellegood said in a recent interview.
Elgood said the museum's location has been integral to its identity since it moved from the west side (where it was called the Santa Monica Museum of Art) and rebranded under a new name in the Downtown Arts District in 2017. “This is literally a neighborhood named after artists, but it's increasingly becoming a neighborhood where artists aren't and can't afford to be here,” he said.
“How do we bring them back?” she added. “Studio space is becoming harder to come by in Los Angeles.”“
The building's $5 million purchase price was nearly covered by a $4.4 million naming donation from the Mohn Family Trust, which will be announced Saturday at the museum's spring charity event. (The building will be named the Mohn Family Building.)
“I don't think what they're doing is duplicative of what anyone else in town is doing,” Yarl Mohn, a venture capitalist who served as CEO of National Public Radio until 2019, said of the museum and the family's decision to donate. “This is a really important piece of the puzzle.”
Founded in 1988, the Institute has developed a devoted following as a venue for emerging and unknown artists to exhibit their work. The museum has been a pioneer in showcasing artists of color; William Pope L. had his first West Coast museum solo exhibition here, and Mickalene Thomas had her first U.S. museum solo exhibition here, which then traveled to the Brooklyn Museum.
In 2017, the museum moved to a former manufacturing building in downtown Los Angeles, and in 2019, Elgood succeeded longtime director Elsa Longhauser.
Considering the size of some museum construction projects, this project is modest in scale: $5 million, with an overall fundraising campaign of about $12 million (more than $7 million has been raised so far). The Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art has an annual operating budget of $3.5 million, no endowment, and a full-time staff of 12.
But for an institution of this size, the effort is significant. “We're not doing a $100 million expansion of our building,” Ellegood said, referring to the nearby Broad Museum's recent announcement, “but we are doing a campaign to help grow our institution, which is just as significant.”
Artists have come to appreciate the role the museum plays in the city's cultural ecosystem: The organization is “often on the front lines of trends and interests,” says Charles Gaines, an artist and executive director. “Larger organizations can't be as nimble.”
The institute is one of several notable small, artist-focused arts organizations in Los Angeles — others include Art+Practice, founded by artist Mark Bradford, and LAXART, which is changing its name to Brick and opening a new space in Melrose Hill on June 16th.
“Purchasing a building is the most important thing in terms of permanence,” said artist Rebecca Morris, who has a survey exhibition there in 2022. “You're building a home for artists to live in.”
The new residency program will initially focus on Los Angeles-based artists, but Ellegood said he hopes to eventually expand the studios and include both national and international artists.
At the rear of the building, developer AvalonBay Communities has created a museum plaza with artist studios, a landscaped pedestrian-only paseo that can be used for outdoor programs, performances and events, and a new north entrance through a 450-square-foot pavilion.
“How can we make this place more inviting and accessible,” said council member and artist Andrea Fraser, “so people can use it as a community space, rather than just come to see a show or attend a particular program?”
Parking has always been a challenge for the museum, with only eight spaces available. Under the renovation plan, the museum will convert the small parking lot into a gathering space with new café seating and encourage visitors to park in the nearby public lot on Industrial Street, which has space for about 160 cars.
The cafe, planned for the 7th Avenue side of the building, will feature a residency program that will allow up-and-coming chefs to test menus and collaborate with artists.
Elgood said the construction project represents the museum's progress and future goals. “It really sends a message that we're committed to this community and that we're not going anywhere,” she said.