LACMA Makes Formal Proposal to Acquire MOCA

Image: MOCA.org

Michael Govan, Director of the Los Angles County Museum of Art, and the two co-chairs of his board made a formal proposal to acquire the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in a February 24 letter, according to The Los Angeles Times. 

Publicly struggling with “financial troubles and staff and board defections,” the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) reportedly initiated a request for a proposal years ago, but only last month was an official proposal sent by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to begin discussions.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the letter proposed that LACMA would “preserve MOCA’s two downtown locations and operate them under the MOCA name.” In return, LACMA agreed to “raise $100 million for the combined museums as a condition for completing the deal.”

Though no one was willing/able to discuss the minute details of the proposal, Govan characterized the proposal as “friendly and cooperative.”

“Combing the two museums…would create one of the largest and most significant art museums in the U.S.,” he said. “MOCA has a great brand, a great history, and its art collection is known and loved internationally.” He added that all of the influential exhibitions that stem from MOCA are “worth not only preserving but celebrating as assets of the community.”

MOCA has not yet responded to LACMA’s proposal.

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