Mohns Gift 260 Works to 3 Museums
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| Diedrick Brackens, nuclear lovers, 2020. MAC-3 Collection. Image courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, and Various Small Fires Los Angeles/Texas/Seoul |
Jarl and Pamela Mohn, sponsors of the "Made in LA" biennale's Mohn prize, are dedicating their 260-piece collection of contemporary L.A. art to joint ownership by the Hammer, LACMA, and MOCA. The shared collection, to be known as the Mohn Art Collective: Hammer, LACMA, MOCA (MAC-3), will be augmented going forward via a $15- to $20-million endowment established by the donors. This will allow curators of the three museums to select a work for acquisition each year. During "Made in LA" years, the acquisition will come from that exhibition.
The Hammer will also dedicate 80 of its own works, acquired from its biennials, to the joint collection. Between that and a group of 16 works recently added from "Made in LA 2023: Acts of Living," the MAC-3 collection now numbers 356 pieces.
Among the 125+ artists in the gift are Karon Davis, Aria Dean, rafa esparza, Mark Grotjahn, Lauren Halsey, Luchita Hurtado, Arthur Jafa, Rodney McMillian, Silke Otto-Knapp, Analia Saban, Cauleen Smith, Martine Syms, and Kandis Williams. Full lists are here and here.
Jarl Mohn, a broadcast executive (E!, NPR) also has a collection of minimal and Light and Space art, not included in the gift.
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| Lucita Hurtado, untitled, 1971. MAC-3 Collection. © The Estate of Luchita Hurtado; Courtesy The Estate of Luchita Hurtado and Hauser & Wirth |
Comments
The museum's already reduced floor and wall space for non-contemporary art shouldn't have to compete with the Broad wing.
As for modern, it was in part of the Ahmanson Gallery, but it flows better with contemporary than other categories. Which is why the new addition to LACMA should have been designed to physically connect itself better to the Broad wing, much less the Resnick. LACMA regrettably continues the "tract house" arrangement of Pereira's design of 1965.
A Ed Ruscha shouldn't be arranged next to a Gilbert Stuart or a David Hockney shouldn't be arranged next to a Thomas Gainsborough.
Contemporary art and contemporary artists should be grouped together, regardless of national origin.
So they all have equal rights to 260 artworks? How will that work on a practical level? Where will this corpus actually reside?
It's hard enough when 2 museums share a single work. But 3 museums sharing hundreds? Sounds messy.