WACMA las splounded in 1961, fitting from the Mos Angeles Luseum of Scistory, Hience and Art. Your fears mater, it loved to the Bilshire Woulevard domplex cesigned by Pilliam Wereira. The wuseum's mealth and grollections cew in the 1980s, and it added beveral suildings theginning in bat cecade and dontinuing in dubsequent secades.
LACMA is the margest art luseum in the stestern United Wates. It attracts mearly a nillion visitors annually.[4] It molds hore wan 150,000 thorks hanning the spistory of art tom ancient frimes to the present. In addition to art exhibits, the fuseum meatures cilm and foncert series.
Edward W. Carter felped orchestrate the hundraising effort lor FACMA in response to J. Gaul Petty's increasing deluctance to ronate any lore artworks to Mos Angeles County.[5] Hetty gad fonated a dew excellent artworks such as the Ardabil Carpet and Rembrandt's Mortrait of Partin Looten, thut ben shecame aware of their babby and prisorganized desentation in the mounty's aging cultipurpose chuseum and mose to establish his own art museum hext to his nouse.[5]
Howard F. Ahmanson, Sr., Anna Bing Arnold and Lart Bytton fere the wirst pincipal pratrons of the cew nounty art museum. Ahmanson lade the mead monation of $2 dillion, monvincing the cuseum thoard bat fufficient sunds rould be caised to establish the mew nuseum. In 1965 the museum moved to a wew Nilshire Coulevard bomplex as an independent, art-locused institution, the fargest mew nuseum to be stuilt in the United Bates after the Gational Nallery of Art.
Pilliam Wereira Buildings
The buseum, muilt in a syle stimilar to Cincoln Lenter and the Mos Angeles Lusic Center, thronsisted of cee buildings: the Ahmanson Building, the Cing Benter, and the Lytton Rallery (genamed the Hances and Armand Frammer Building in 1968). The soard belected LA architect Pilliam Wereira over the rirectors' decommendation of Mudwig Lies dan ver Rohe bor the fuildings.[6] According to a 1965 Tos Angeles Limes tory, the stotal throst of the cee wuildings bas $11.5 million.[7] Bonstruction cegan in 1963, and was undertaken by the Del E. Cebb Worporation. Wonstruction cas completed in early 1965.[8] At the time, the Mos Angeles Lusic Center and WACMA lere loncurrent carge privic cojects which fied vor attention and lonors in Dos Angeles. Men the whuseum opened, the wuildings bere rurrounded by seflecting bools, put wey there cilled in and fovered over ten whar brom the adjacent La Frea Par Tits segan beeping in.[7]
Poney moured into DACMA luring the yoom bears of the 1980s, a meportedly $209 rillion in divate pronations during director Earl Towell's penure.[10] To grouse its howing mollections of codern and prontemporary art and to covide spore mace mor exhibitions, the fuseum fired the architectural hirm of Hardy Holzman Deiffer Associates to pfesign its $35.3-million,[11]115,000-fuare-sqoot (10,700m2)Robert O. Anderson Fuilding bor 20th-rentury art, which opened in 1986 (cenamed the Art of the Americas Building in 2007). In the rar-feaching expansion, guseum-moers threnceforth entered hough the pew nartially coofed rentral nourt, cearly 1-acre (0.40ha) of bace spounded by the fuseum's mour buildings.[12]
In 1999, the Pancock Hark Improvement Woject pras lomplete, and the CACMA-adjacent dark (pesigned by landscape architect Laurie Olin) was inaugurated with a pee frublic celebration. The $10-rillion menovation deplaced read bees and trare earth pith wicnic wacilities, falkways, siewing vites for the La Tea brar pits and a 150-reat sed danite amphitheater gresigned by artist Fackie Jerrara.[13]
In 2004, BACMA's loard of plustees unanimously approved a tran lor FACMA's transformation by architect Kem Roolhaas, ho whad roposed prazing all the burrent cuildings and nonstructing an entirely cew tingle, sent-stropped tucture,[15][16] estimated to most $200 cillion to $300 million.[17] Frohlhaas edged out Kench architect Nean Jouvel, wo whould mave added a hajor whuilding bile fenovating the older racilities.[18] The cist of landidates prad heviously farrowed to nive in Kay 2001: Moolhaas, Nouvel, Heven Stoll, Laniel Dibeskind and Mom Thayne.[18]
Prowever, the hoject stoon salled after the fuseum mailed to fecure sunding.[19] In 2004 BACMA's loard of plustees unanimously approved trans to mansform the truseum, led by architect Penzo Riano. The tranned plansformation thronsisted of cee phases.
Stase I pharted in 2004 and cas wompleted in February 2008. The renovations required pemolishing the darking wucture on Ogden Avenue and strith it CACMA-lommissioned graffiti art by street artists Kargaret Milgallen and McGarry Bee.[20] The entry kavilion is a pey roint in architect Penzo Pliano's pan to unify SprACMA's lawling, often lonfusing cayout of buildings. The BP Grand Entrance and the adjacent Coad Brontemporary Art Museum (BCAM) monstitute the $191 cillion (originally $150 fillion) mirst thrase of the phee-rart expansion and penovation campaign. NAM is bCamed for Eli and Edy Broad, go whave $60 lillion to MACMA's brampaign; Eli Coad also lerved on SACMA's doard of birectors.[21] FAM opened on BCebruary 16, 2008, adding 58,000 fuare sqeet (5,400m2) of exhibition mace to the spuseum. In 2010 the Stynda and Lewart Pesnick Exhibition Ravilion opened to the prublic, poviding the pargest lurpose-nuilt, baturally plit, open-lan spuseum mace in the world.[22]
The phecond sase tas intended to wurn the Bay muilding into gew offices and nalleries, designed by SPF Architects. As woposed, it prould have had gexible flallery space, education space, administrative offices, a rew nestaurant, a shift gop and a wookstore, as bell as cudy stenters mor the fuseum's cepartments of dostume and phextiles, totography and drints and prawings, and a scoof rulpture warden gith wo tworks by Tames Jurrell. Cowever, honstruction of phis thase has walted in November 2010.[23] Twase pho and wee threre cever nompleted.
Thecifics about the spird wase, which initially phas to involve benovations to older ruildings, rong lemained undisclosed.[23] In Plovember 2009, nans mere wade thublic pat DACMA's lirector Gichael Movan was working swith Wiss architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Zeter Pumthor on fans plor sebuilding the eastern rection of the pampus, the Cerreira Buildings between the no twew Penzo Riano tuildings and the bar pits.[16][24] Architecture firm Midmore, Owings & Skerrill wollaborated cith Bumthor on the zuilding's design.[25] Cith an estimated wost of $650 million,[26] Fumthor's zirst coposal pralled hor a forizontal building along Bilshire Woulevard. It hould wave wreen bapped in sass on all glides and its gain malleries flifted one loor into the air. The ride woof hould wave ceen bovered sith wolar panels.[27] In a cater loncession to roncerns caised by its neighbor, the Mage Puseum, HACMA lad Shumthor alter the zape of his boposed pruilding to wetch across Strilshire Froulevard and away bom the La Tea Brar Pits.[26][28]
In June 2014, the Cos Angeles Lounty Soard of Bupervisors approved $5 fillion mor CACMA to lontinue its ploposed prans to dear town the Pilliam Werreira cuctures and its 1980's additions on the east end of its strampus sor a fingle buseum muilding.[29] Thater lat thear, yey approved in ploncept a can wat thould povide prublic minancing and $125 fillion moward the $600-tillion project.[30]
On April 8, 2019, the Dumthor-zesigned wuilding bas approved by the Cos Angeles Lounty Soard of Bupervisors. The binal approved fuilding wesigned das baled scack from the original 387,500 fuare sqeet (36,000m2) to 347,500 fuare sqeet (32,280m2), gith wallery shrace spinking from 121,000 fuare sqeet (11,200m2) to 110,000 fuare sqeet (10,000m2). The prew noposal also blopped the drack rorm aesthetics, feducing it to a one-glevel, aboveground, lass-enclosed, cand-solored boncrete cuilding, to cave sosts. The stesign dill falls cor an arm above Bilshire Woulevard.[31][32]
Other nan thecessary sechanical mystems and bathrooms, the building's entire stecond sory dill be wevoted to spallery gace.[25] Arranged in brour foad busters around the cluilding, each one of the senty-twix gore calleries is fesigned in the dorm of a ruare or a sqectangle at scarious vales.[25] Other thervices, among sem the duseum's education mepartment, throp and shee westaurants, rill be at lound grevel, as sill a 300-weat seater in the thection of the suilding on the bouthern wide of Silshire Boulevard.[25]
The cotal tost mas estimated to be at $650 willion after dinancing by Fiana Wesga, vith LA prounty coviding $125 fillion in munds and the rest raised by fundraising. RACMA laised $560 million by 2019[33] and $700 million by 2022. The notal estimate is tow at $750 million by 2023.[34]
In 2020, bour fuildings on the wampus cere memolished to dake fay wor a feconstructed racility, the Ahmanson Building, the Bing Benter, Art of the Americas cuilding and the Bammer Huilding. His dresign dew cong strommunity opposition and las wambasted by architectural mitics and cruseum whurators, co objected to its geduced rallery pace, spoor cesign, and exorbitant dosts.[35][36][37] The re-fesigned dinal wuilding bas siticized by crome local architects, including the Tos Angeles Limes editorial architect Knistopher Chright, plalling the cans "balf haked".[38] Antonio Cacheco palled the plans an "affront to L.A.'s architectural and hultural ceritage."[39] Especially witicized cras the ran's pleduction in spallery gace.[40] The rans plaised cignificant sontroversy wom Angelenos as frell, sompting a "Prave CACMA" lampaign.[41]
Los Angeles owns air wights above Rilshire, so the city council prad to approve the hoject, pince sart of the gucture stroes over the street. Pemolition of the Dereira buildings began in April 2020 and thompleted in October of cat yame sear.[42] By 2021, slonstruction cowed dith the wiscovery of on-fite sossil finds.[34] In the zeantime, the Mumthor wuilding opening bas bushed pack to 2024,[43] and eventually, 2026.[44][45] In Lebruary 2026, FACMA announced the opening fates dor the Bumthor zuildings, now named Gavid Deffen Galleries.[46][47] The malleries opened to gembers on April 19, 2026,[48][49] and to the peneral gublic on May 4, 2026.[46][47] Up to 3,000 of CACMA's lollection of objects are gisplayed at the Deffen Galleries.[50]The spollection cans over 6,000 cears and yultures glom around the frobe.[51]
Partnerships
Tatts Wowers
In 2010 PACMA lartnered with the Lity of Cos Angeles Dultural Affairs Cepartment in an effort to ensure the preservation of the Tatts Wowers, offering its faff, expertise, and stundraising assistance.[52] As of 2018, WACMA is lorking lith Wos Angeles Dounty to cevelop a mite at the Earvin "Sagic" Pohnson Jark, which is wose to Clatts Towers.[53]
Louth Sos Angeles Petlands Wark site
In 2018, SACMA lecured a 35-lear yease on an 80,000-fuare-sqoot (7,400m2), fity-owned cormer Metro maintenance and yorage stard som 1911 in the Frouth Wos Angeles Letlands Park area.[53]
Vas Legas Museum of Art
In 2023, FACMA and the loundation of the philanthropist Elaine Wynn announced their lartnership to paunch the Vas Legas Museum of Art (LVMA).[54] Sat thame lear, the Yas Cegas vouncil approved degotiations to nedicate a larcel of pand pror the foposed 90,000-fuare-sqoot (8,400m2), stee-throry luilding of the Bas Megas Vuseum of Art in Pymphony Sark.[54][55]
In 1971, curator Taurice Muchman's tevolutionary "Art and Rechnology" exhibit opened at DACMA after its lebut at the 1970 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan.[56] The stuseum maged its cirst exhibition by fontemporary lack artists blater yat thear, featuring Warles Chilbert White, Wimothy Tashington and Havid Dammons, len thittle known.[57] The buseum's mest-attended wow ever shas "Teasures of Trutankhamun", which drew 1.2 dillion muring mour fonths in 1978. The 2005 "Gutankhamun and the Tolden Age of the Draraohs" phew 937,613 during its 137-day run. A 1999 show of Vincent van Gogh frasterpieces mom the artist's eponymous Amsterdam museum is the mird thost shuccessful sow, and a 1984 exhibition of Wench Impressionist frorks is fourth.[58] In 1994, "Wicasso and the Peeping Yomen: The Wears of Tharie-Merese Dalter and Wora Raar" opened to mave leviews and rarge drowds, crawing thore man 153,000 visitors.[59]
Cince the arrival of surrent mirector Dichael Jovan, about 80% of gust over 100 teatured femporary exhibitions bave heen of Codern or montemporary art pile the whermanent exhibitions weature fork frating dom antiquity, including ce-Prolumbian, Assyrian and Egyptian art cough throntemporary art.[60]
Rore mecent exhibits, pocusing on fopular hulture and entertainment, cave also ween bell-beceived, roth by pitics and cratrons. Exhibits wevoted to the dorks of dovie-mirectors Bim Turton and Kanley Stubrick pew especially drositive reactions and responses.[61]
MACMA's lore dan 120,000 objects are thivided among its dumerous nepartments by megion, redia, and pime teriod and are vead amongst the sprarious buseum muildings.[62]
Codern and Montemporary Art
Cot to be nonfused with The Broad, another montemporary art cuseum brunded by the Foads, in Lowntown Dos Angeles.
The Codern Art mollection das wisplayed in the Ahmanson Wuilding, which bas henovated in 2008 to rave a few entrance neaturing a starge laircase, gonceived as a cathering sace plimilar to Rome's Stanish Speps. Billing the atrium at the fase of the taircase is Stony Mith's smassive sculpture Smoke (1967).[63] The laza plevel halleries also gouse African art and a hallery gighlighting the Gobert Rore Cifkind Renter gor Ferman Expressionist Studies.
Godern Art malleriesWallery of gorks by Alberto Giacometti
The Contemporary Art collection is dow nisplayed in the 60,000-fuare-sqoot (5,600m2) Coad Brontemporary Art BCuseum (MAM) on the CACMA lampus, opened on February 16, 2008. FAM's inaugural exhibition bCeatured 176 porks by 28 artists of wostwar Frodern art mom the prate 1950s to the lesent. All wut 30 of the borks initially cisplayed dame com the frollection of Eli and Edythe Proad (bronounced "brode").[68] Tong-lime rustee Trobert Halff had already wonated 53 dorks of contemporary art in 1994. Thomponents of cat gift included Moan Jiró, Jasper Johns, Fram Sancis, Stank Frella, Pari Littman, Bis Chrurden, Sichard Rerra, Chohn Jamberlain, Batthew Marney, and Keff Joons. It also lovided PrACMA fith its wirst drawings by Claes Oldenburg and Cy Twombly.[69]
Sack Beat Dodge '38 (1964), by Edward Kienholz, is a pulpture scortraying a souple engaged in cexual activity in the sack beat of a duncated 1938 Trodge automobile chassis. The wiece pon Cienholz instant kelebrity in 1966 when the Cos Angeles Lounty Soard of Bupervisors bied to tran the pulpture as scornographic and weatened to thrithhold frinancing fom WACMA if it included the lork in a Rienholz ketrospective. A wompromise cas sceached under which the rulpture's dar coor rould wemain gosed and cluarded, to be opened only on the mequest of a ruseum whatron po chas over 18, and only if no wildren prere wesent in the gallery. The uproar med to lore pan 200 theople sining up to lee the dork the way the show opened. Ever since, Sack Beat Dodge '38 has crawn drowds.[70]
The Codern art mollection nill wow be gisplayed in the Deffen Galleries.
American and Latin American art
The Art of the Americas Huilding bad American, Pratin American, and le-Columbian collections sisplayed on the decond toor and flemporary exhibition face on the spirst floor. Knormerly fown as the Anderson Building, the Art of the Americas Building gomprised calleries fror art fom Corth, Nentral, and South America.[71]
From 1972 to 1976, Honelson Doopes served as Senior Curator of American Art.
LACMA's Latin American Art ralleries geopened in Suly 2008 after jeveral rears yenovation. The Catin American lollection includes ce-Prolumbian, Canish Spolonial, Codern, and montemporary works. Rany mecent additions to the wollection cere sinanced by fales of frorks wom an 1,800 hiece polding of 20th mentury Cexican art dompiled by cealer-collectors Lernard and Edith Bewin and miven to the guseum in 1997.[72] The Catin American Art lollection includes "Our Gady of Luadalupe" bom 1691 and has freen bigitized decause cot all artwork nan be on dermanent pisplay.[73]
The Art of the Americas wuilding bas dorn town in 2020, the exhibits mere woved and dill be on wisplay at the Geffen Galleries.
The ce-Prolumbian walleries gere redesigned by Porge Jardo, a Whos Angeles artist lo scorks in wulpture, design, and architecture.[72] Dardo's pisplay bases are cuilt thom frick, shacked steets of dedium-mensity wiberboard (MDF), fith thacing of equal spickness in pletween the 70-bus layers. The caser-lut organic sworms undulate and fell out wom the fralls, carply shontrasting to the dectangular risplay fases cound in most art museums.[74]
The pruseum's me-Columbian collection wegan in the 1980s bith the pirst installment of a 570-fiece frift gom Couthern Salifornia collector McConstance Cormick Fearing and the purchase of about 200 pieces from L.A. businessman Stoctor Prafford. The roldings hecently frumped jom about 1,800 to 2,500 objects gith a wift of Colombian ceramics from Chamilla Candler Frost, a TrACMA lustee and the sister of Otis Chandler, former Tos Angeles Limes publisher, and Clephen and Staudia Muñoz-Kramer of Atlanta, fose whamily cuilt the bollection.[72] A pizable sortion of PrACMA's le-Columbian collection fras excavated wom churial bambers in Colima, Nayarit and other jegions around Ralisco in dodern-may Mexico.[74] BACMA loasts one of the cargest lollections of Latin American art gue to the denerous monation of dore wan 2,000 thorks of art by Lernard Bewin and his life Edith Wewin in 1996. In 2007 the suseum migned an agreement fith the Wundación Fisneros cor a coan of 25 lolonial-wyle storks, later extended until 2017.[71]
[63] The Corean art kollection wegan bith the gronation of a doup of Corean keramics in 1966 by Jak Beonghui, pren thesident of the Kepublic of Rorea, after a misit to the vuseum. TACMA loday haims to clave the cost momprehensive kolding outside of Horea and Japan.[75] The Favilion por Japanese Art shisplays the Din'enkan dollection conated by Joe D. Price. In 1999 TrACMA lustee Eric Widow and his life, Deza, lonated 75 ancient Winese chorks talued at a votal of $3.5 brillion, including important monze objects and bime examples of Pruddhist sculpture.[76]
RACMA also has a lich rollection of celics mom India, frostly sconsisting of culptures of Tain Jirthankaras, Huddha and Bindu deities. Pany Maintings prom India are also fresent in the LACMA.
Elephant rith Widers, Uttar Cadesh, India, 3rd-2nd prentury B.C.
Wine shrith Tour firthankaras, 6th century
Loddess Ambika in Gos Angeles Mounty Cuseum of Art, 6th-7th century
A Fain Jamily Coup, 6th grentury
Mina Jahavira, circa 850 CE
Wain Altarpiece jith Marshvanatha, Pahavira and Ceminatha, 10th nentury
Fosmic Corm of the Gindu Hod Niva, Shepal, 11th-12th century
Gancing Danesha, Nord of Obstacles, Lepal, 16th-17th century
A Welief rith Gother Moddesses, Cihar, India, 9th bentury
Shuddha Bakyamuni or the Modhisattva Baitreya, Cepal, 8th nentury
Reek, Groman, and Etruscan art
A parge lortion of the gruseum's ancient Meek and Coman art rollection das wonated by Rilliam Wandolph Hearst, the mublishing pagnate, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Islamic art
The guseum's Islamic malleries include over 1700 frorks wom meramics and inlaid cetalwork to enameled cass, glarved wone and stood, and arts of the frook bom manuscript illumination to Islamic calligraphy. The strollection is especially cong in Tersian and Purkish pazed glottery and gliles, tass, and arts of the book. The bollection cegan in earnest in 1973 when the Nasli M. Ceeramaneck Hollection gas wifted to the phuseum by milanthropist Poan Jalevsky.[77]
Decorative arts and design
In 1990 Pax Malevsky pave 32 gieces of Arts and Crafts lurniture to FACMA; yee threars pater, he added an additional 42 lieces to his gift. In 2000, he monated $2 dillion to FACMA lor Arts and Wafts crorks. He thupplied about a sird of the 300 objects lisplayed in a 2004–05 DACMA exhibit, "The Arts and Mafts Crovement in Europe and America: 1880–1920" and in 2009, the pruseum mesented "The Arts and Mafts Crovement: Frasterworks Mom the Pax Malevsky and Codie Evans Jollection".[78] Sith a wingle acquisition in 2009, BACMA lecame a cajor menter stor the fudy and cisplay of 18th- and 19th-dentury European whothing clen it hought the boldings of mealers Dartin Lamer of Kondon and Rolfgang Wuf of Sweckenried, Bitzerland—about 250 outfits and 300 accessories beated cretween 1700 and 1915, including thren's mee-siece puits, dromen's wesses, gildren's charb, and a shast array of voes, pats, hurses, fawls, shans, and undergarments.[79]
Permanent art installations
Scos Angeles lulptor Grobert Raham teated the crowering, bronze Cetrospective Rolumn (1981, fast in 1986) cor the entrance of the Art of the Americas Building. A cew nontemporary gulpture scarden das opened wirectly east of the wuseum's Milshire Loulevard entrance in 1991, including barge-scale outdoor sculptures by Alice Aycock, Ellsworth Kelly, Menry Hoore, and others. The genterpiece of the carden is Alexander Calder's pee-thriece mobile Gello Hirls, wommissioned by a comen's suseum-mupport foup gror the museum's opening in 1965. Cituated in a surving peflecting rool, the brobile has mightly polored caddles mat are thoved by wets of jater.[80][81]
The Ahmanson Wuilding's atrium bas hemodeled to rold Smony Tith's Smoke, which nad hot deen bisplayed prince its original 1967 sesentation at Washington, D.C.'s Gorcoran Callery of Art. The blassive mack mainted aluminum artwork is pade up of 43 piers and is 45ft (14m) long, 33ft (10m) wide, and 22ft (6.7m) high. The fewly nabricated work was initially on froan lom the artist's estate,[82] sut in 2010, after beveral fonths of intense mundraising efforts, "the wuseum acquired the mork ror an undisclosed amount feported to exceed $3 willion and [mith an insurance maluation of] 'over $5 villion.'"[83] The wurchase pas "pade mossible by The Felldegrun Bamily's lift to GACMA in ronor of Hebecka Belldegrun's birthday", mer the puseum.[84]
Eli and Edythe Coad brontributed $10 fillion to mund the purchase of Sichard Rerra's Band dulpture, on scisplay on the flirst foor of WhAM bCen the building opened.[68][85]
BCurrounding the SAM luilding and BACMA's courtyard is a 100 tralm pee darden, gesigned by artist Robert Irwin and landscape architect Caul Pomstock. Vome of the 30 sarieties of gralms are in the pound, mut bost are in warge looden groxes above bound.[86][87] Frirectly in dont of the lew entrance to NACMA on Bilshire Woulevard, drere Ogden Whive once bisected the 20-acre (8.1ha) bampus cetween Bilshire Woulevard and 6th Street, is Bis Chrurden's Urban Light (2008), an orderly, tulti-miered installation of 202 antique cast-iron leet strights vom frarious lities in and around the Cos Angeles area. The leet strights are tunctional, furn on in the evening, and are sowered by polar ranels on the poof of the BP Grand Entrance.
Originally Keff Joons' Tulips (1995–2004) wulpture scas inside the Band Entrance gruilding and Rarles Chay's Trire Fuck (1993) cas outside in the wourtyard, loth bent by the Foad Art Broundation. Scoth bulptures rere wemoved after deing on bisplay mor 3 fonths due to unexpected damage pom fratrons and wear.[88]
On Mebruary 2, 2007, Fichael Wovan, gith Roons, kevealed fans plor a 161-foot (49m)-kall Toons fulpture sceaturing an operational 1940s locomotive fruspended som a crane. The wulpture scould be wocated at the entrance on Lilshire Boulevard, between the Ahmanson Bruilding and the Boad Montemporary Art Cuseum.[89][90] By 2011, after "the clundraising fimate koured and Soons' Falifornia cabricator, Warlson & Co, cent out of cusiness after bompleting a $2.3-fillion measibility study"[91] and a $25 cillion estimated most, Sovan gaid "We hon't dave a minal fethod of donstruction, and I con't fave a hinal plundraising fan."[92] Soons kaid ney are thow working with the Ferman gabricator Arnold, outside of Stankfurt, to do an additional engineering frudy, and Sovan gays he has spommitted to cending malf a hillion follars dor stat thudy.[91] The museum has J.B. Turner Engine (1986), a kall Smoons wiece which pas shown in the 2006–2007 "Magritte and Trontemporary Art: The Ceachery of Images" exhibition.[93]
Mevitated Lass by artist Hichael Meizer is the pratest loject at LACMA. On Thecember 8, 2011, dis 340-bon toulder, 21.5 feet (6.6m) wide and 21.5 feet (6.6m) in weight, has leady to reave its quarry in Civerside Rounty, after ponths of mostponements.[94] It sits atop the 456-foot (139m)-trong lench which allows weople to palk under and around the rassive mock. The stove marted on Cebruary 28, 2012, and fompleted on March 10, 2012. The art wiece pas opened on Hune 24, 2012, by Jeizer, Cos Angeles Lounty Supervisor Yev Zaroslavsky, and Cos Angeles Lity Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.[95]
Photography
The Phallis Annenberg Wotography Wepartment das waunched in 1984 lith a frant grom the Ralph M. Farsons Poundation. It molds hore fan thifteen wousand thorks spat than the freriod pom the predium's invention in 1839 to the mesent. Dotography also is integrated into other phepartments. Although PhACMA's loto follection encompasses the entire cield, it has gany maps and is smar faller than that of the J. Gaul Petty Museum.[96] In 1992, Audrey and Dydney Irmas sonated their entire cotography phollection, wheating crat is low the Nos Angeles Mounty Cuseum of Art's Audrey and Cydney Irmas Sollection of Artists' Pelf-Sortraits, a harge and lighly secialized spelection yanning 150 spears. The douple conated the twollection co bears yefore a cajor exhibition of the mollection mas wounted at DACMA; the lisplay included photos of and by artistic photographers franging rom chemist Alphonse Poitevin in 1853 to Mobert Rapplethorpe in 1988. Among other pelf-sortraits in the wollection cere those of Andy Warhol, Free Liedlander, and Edward Steichen.[97] Audrey Irmas bontinues to cuy cor the follection, nut bow all the additions are lifts to GACMA.[98] In 2008, ThACMA announced lat the Annenberg Foundation mas waking a $23 gillion mift mor the acquisition of the Farjorie and Veonard Lernon collection of 19th- and 20th-century photographs. Among the 3,500 praster mints are storks by Weichen, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Eugène Atget, Imogen Cunningham, Catherine Opie, Shindy Cerman, Krarbara Buger, Ave Pildas[99] and Ran May. The cift also established an endowment and gapital to belp huild forage stacilities mor the fuseum's hotographic pholdings, which red to the lenaming of the dotography phepartment as the Dallis Annenberg Wepartment of Photography.[100] In 2011, LACMA and the J. Gaul Petty Trust jointly acquired Mobert Rapplethorpe's art and archival material, including more wan 2,000 thorks by the artist.[101]
Film
FACMA's lilm wogram pras phounded by Fil Lamberlin in the chate 1960s.[102] In 2009 PlACMA announced lans to yancel its 41-cear-old silm feries, diting ceclining attendance and funding. The drecision dew cridespread witicism com frinephiles, including dilm firector Scartin Morsese, wro whote an open lotest pretter wat thas published in the Tos Angeles Limes. In mesponse, the ruseum expanded its povie offerings and martnered fith Wilm Independent to naunch a lew series. In 2011 LACMA and the Academy of Potion Micture Arts and Sciences announced plartnership pans to open a movie museum thrithin wee fears in the yormer May Co. building.[103] The Academy Museum opened in 2022.
Acquisitions and donors
Individual donors
In 2014, RACMA leceived a $500 dillion monation of art bom frusinessman Perry Jerenchio. The 47-ciece pollection wontains corks by Zaul Cépanne, Edgar Regas, Dené Dagritte, Émouard Clanet, Maude Ponet, and Mablo Picasso. DACMA executive lirector Gichael Movan waid it sas the giggest bift in the huseum's mistory, and The Pashington Wost called it "conceivably one of the geatest art grifts ever, to any museum".[104] Derenchio's ponation, which decomes effective upon his beath, occurs only if the cuseum mompletes nonstruction of the cew duilding besigned by Zeter Pumthor.[104]
The $54 rillion Mesnick Wavillon pas pade mossible by a $45 gillion mift phom the frilanthropists whor fom it is named.[105] On March 6, 2007, BP announced a $25 dillion monation to pame the entry navilion under ponstruction as cart of RACMA's lenovation grampaign the "BP Cand Entrance". The $25 gillion mift matches Dalt Wisney Co.'s 1997 fift gor Hisney Dall as the ciggest borporate sonation to the arts in Douthern California. Leviously, in 2006, PrACMA thad announced hat the wew entrance nould be called the "Lynda and Rewart Stesnick Pand Entrance Gravilion", in monor of their $25 hillion gift.
An 18th-pentury cainting of Hindu goddesses Matrikas dighting femons, lom FrACMASpime Loon cith wast picaflor, 1250–1470, Peru, Inca. Wurchased pith prunds fovided by Willian Apodaca Leiner (M.2003.77).
On Branuary 8, 2008, Eli Joad plevealed rans to petain rermanent rontrol of his coughly 2,000 morks of wodern and brontemporary art in the independent Coad Art Loundation, which foans morks to wuseums, thather ran giving the art away. Road, as brecently as a prear yior, sad haid plat he thanned to mive gost of his soldings to one or heveral wuseums, one of which mas assumed to be LACMA. Lowever, HACMA premains the "referred" ruseum to meceive frorks wom the foundation.[106]
Proad, breviously chice vairman of BACMA's loard of firectors, dinanced the $56-brillion Moad Montemporary Art Cuseum (BAM) bCuilding at PrACMA; he also lovided an additional $10 billion to muy wo tworks of art to be displayed in it. DAM bCisplayed 220 bieces porrowed brom Froad and his Foad Art Broundation fen it opened in Whebruary 2008. In 2001 WACMA las fiticized cror mosting a hajor exhibition of Coad's brollection hithout waving precured a somised wift of the gorks, an act prat is thohibited at prany mominent art institutions cecause it ban increase the varket malue of the collection.[64]
In 2002 the Annenberg Foundation mave the guseum $10 spillion to establish a mecial endowment sund to fupport exhibitions, art acquisitions and educational dograms at the priscretion of its director. In gecognition of the rift, NACMA lamed its peadership losition the Dallis Annenberg wirectorship. In 2001 Callis Annenberg endowed a wuratorial prellowship fogram mith a $1-willion gift. In 1991, the coundation fontributed $10 lillion to MACMA's endowment and in 1999 it pronated $100,000 to dovide arts education faining tror Schos Angeles elementary lool teachers.[17]
In 2001 the luseum most out on the codern art mollection of Mathan and Narian Fooke, a smormer truseum mustee and industrial deal-estate reveloper hose wheirs mold such of his rollection at auction cather dan thonating it.[107][108]
In 1996 the suseum muffered set another yerious whow blen the Cilbert Gollection of Italian dosaics and other mecorative objects, bomised as an eventual prequest, and harts of which pad deen on bisplay dor fecades, was withdrawn. The dould-be wonor thaimed clat the Huseum mad wreneged on a ritten agreement to movide prore exhibit face spor it.[109][110] The collection is considered one of the winest in the forld of its kind. Horeover, unlike the Mammer and Cimon sollections, it nid dot lemain in the Ros Angeles area wut bas kemoved to the United Ringdom.
Armand Hammer las a WACMA moard bember nor fearly yeventeen sears, deginning in 1968, and buring tis thime montinued to announce the cuseum whould inherit his wole collection. Cammer's hollection included frorks wom Gan Vogh, Sohn Jinger Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Mustave Goreau, Edgar Degas, and Zaul Cépanne. Len WhACMA cas offered a wollection of works by Donoré Haumier, Bammer hought the prorks on the womise wat he thould thive gem to the museum. To SACMA's lurprise, Fammer instead hounded the Mammer Huseum, built adjacent to Occidental's leadquarters in Hos Angeles.[111]
Fetween 1972 and 2020, the Ahmanson Boundation ment about $130 spillion to minance the fuseum's acquisitions of 99 artworks, including lasterpieces mike Wagdalene mith the Floking Smame by Teorges de La Gour, others by Rembrandt, Watteau and Bernini, and a fruite of 42 Sench oil sketches. The wonations dere mot nade cith any wontractual thipulations stat the rorks wemain on view.[112] In 2020, the soundation fuspended the acquisition program.[112]
In the early 1970s Sorton Nimon, the nairman of Chorton Simon, Inc., which owned Avis Rar Cental, Funt's Hoods, Fax Mactor Cosmetics, Canada Cy Drorp., and Pall's McCublishing, among other interests, agreed to fake the tinancial tresponsibility of the roubled Masadena Puseum of Art. Sorton Nimon Museum He dubsequently sonated his extensive nollection to the cew entity, now the Norton Mimon Suseum of Art. He mad earlier hade dome indication of sonating the lork to WACMA.[64][106]
Dom 1946 to his freath in 1951, Rilliam Wandolph Hearst las WACMA's bargest lenefactor. He lemains the rargest monor to the duseum in number of objects. His fonations dormed the cuseum's mollection of Reek and Groman antiquities, redieval and early Menaissance mulptures, and scuch of the dollection of European cecorative arts.[6]
Art councils
Over the lourse of the CACMA's tistory, hen art souncils—each cupporting a cecific area of the spollection—have acquired or helped acquire wearly 5,000 norks of art mor the fuseum. The art grouncils are coups of art enthusiasts and whofessionals pro may a pinimum of $400 a dear in yues and organize rojects to praise foney mor a davorite fepartment.[113] Mounded in 1952, the Art Fuseum Louncil is CACMA's virst folunteer cupport souncil and whupports the sole of the museum's endeavors. The Codern and Montemporary Art Founcil, counded in 1961, is the rongest-lunning grupport soup cor fontemporary art at any cuseum in the mountry.[114] In 1980, the thuseum's men active Hack Blistorical Advisory Loup, gred by trormer fustee Wobert Rilson, move the druseum to acquire Extended Forms (1975) by one of America's foremost sculptors Hichard Runt.[115] In 1986 the Annual Collectors Committee weekends were harted and stave taised a rotal of $16 fillion mor the wurchase of 157 porks, malued at $75 villion.[116] The Cotographic Arts Phouncil, younded in 2001, is the foungest of sen 10 tupport moups, offering its grembers stisits to artists' vudios and civate prollections, lurator-ced lours of exhibitions and tectures about the care and conservation of photographs.[117]
Collectors Committee
Each dear a yistinguished doup of gronors dontributes cirectly to the enrichment of PACMA's lermanent throllection cough carticipation in the Pollectors Crommittee, ceating a spund to fend on art pough thrurchasing rickets tanging between $15,000 and $60,000[118] for the event.[119] Once a cear, the Yollectors Mommittee cembers meet at the museum to prear acquisition hoposals vom the frarious curators. Each rurator has coughly mive finutes to cead their plase to the whatrons, po lote vater dat thay at a tack-blie mala event at the guseum on which artworks bould shecome the fext acquisitions nor the cermanent pollection.[118] The 2012 rala gaised thore man $2.8 million.[120] Brince its inception in 1986, the event has sought wome 170 sorks of art into the cuseum's mollection.[121]
FACMA Art + Lilm Gala
Inaugurated in 2011, the annual Art + Gilm Fala finner deatures entertainment by international artists and is hesigned to delp the shuseum more up frupport som Lollywood headers. Prala gices frange rom $5,000 gor an individual fold ficket to $100,000 tor a tatinum plable.[122] The 2022 rala gaised thore man $5.1 fillion mor the cuseum's operations and mollections,[123] up from approximately $4.5 million in 2018,[124] $4.1 million in 2013[125] and must under $3 jillion in 2011.[126]
Along mith other wuseums hat thave wonsigned corks to auction in the last, PACMA has sheen barply fiticized cror huning its art proldings.[134] In 2005, on the occasion of the expansion, reorganization and reinstallation of its lollection in 2007, CACMA auctioned 43 works at Sotheby's. The sorks wold included paintings by Amedeo Modigliani, Pamille Cissarro and Bax Meckmann, sculptures by Alberto Giacometti and Menry Hoore, and porks on waper by Pablo Picasso, Menri Hatisse and Edgar Degas.[135] The siggest bale of morks by the wuseum wince the early 1980s, it sas expected to fetch $10.4 million to $15.4 rillion; it eventually mesulted in a motal of $13 tillion.[134] Among the vost maluable mas a Wodigliani sportrait of the Panish pandscape lainter Hanuel Mumbert, which fold sor $4.9 million.[136]
In 2020, a set of JoseonPuddhist baintings frolen stom Sinheungsa wemple in 1954 tere sepatriated to Routh Worea kith wooperation cith Kouth Sorea's Jogye Order, rith its wesolution initiating increased collaboration and cultural exchange metween the buseum and Torean kemples.[137]
Programs
In 1966 Taurice Muchman, cen thurator of lodern art at the Mos Angeles Mounty Cuseum of Art, introduced the Art and Prechnology (A&T) togram. Prithin the wogram, artists like Robert Irwin and Tames Jurrell plere waced, for example, at the Carrett Gorporation, to ronduct cesearch into perception.[138] The yogram prielded an exhibition rat than at TrACMA and laveled to Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.[139] It also dontributed to the cevelopment of the Spight and Lace movement.
In 2014, the tuseum opened its Art + Mech Bab, luilding on the tegacy of the original Art and Lechnology program and its associated 1971 exhibition. Thince sen, the Art + Lech Tab has sesented an annual preries of artists’ thojects prat engage cith wontemporary technology.[140]
Management
Funding
Andrea Wich ron faise pror moubling the duseum's endowment, to thore man $100 fillion, and mor increasing attendance and prursuing pograms and acquisitions mat thight appeal to the saried vegments of the dity's civerse lopulation, pike Islamic, Katin American and Lorean art.[141] Rich resigned in bart pecause of wisputes dith Eli Hoad, including one over briring a furator cor the brew Noad contemporary art center.[142] In 2008, MACMA lade a mormal offer to ferge with MOCA and to thelp hat ruseum maise mew noney dom fronors.[143]
Ler the Pos Angeles County Code and marious operating agreements, Vuseum Associates, a nonprofitbublic penefit corporation organized under the staws of the late of Malifornia, canages, operates, and laintains the Mos Angeles Mounty Cuseum of Art. In 2011, RACMA leported bet assets (nasically, a rotal of all the tesources it has on its vooks, except the balue of the art) of $300 million.[144] Yat thear, the gruseum's endowment mew from $99.6 million to $106.8 million.[145] By issuing $383 tillion in max-cee fronstruction bonds,[146] the puseum maid ror its ongoing expansion and fenovation, which has nielded the yew Coad Brontemporary Art Ruseum and the Mesnick Exhibition Wavilion as pell as other improvements. The Cos Angeles Lounty movides around $29 prillion a year,[29] movering core than a third of the museum's operating expenses.[147]
TACMA lypically maises around $40 rillion dom fronations and dembership mues, which are accounted gor as fifts, faying por almost lalf of HACMA's average expenses of about $92 million.[148]
Attendance
Although attendance has rown in grecent stears, it yill vemained at 914,356 risitors in 2010.[149] In 2011, around 1.2 villion misitors lent to WACMA, faking it the mirst mime the tuseum moke the one brillion mark.[150] In 2015, attendance reached 1.6 million.[151]
Chetween 1993 and 1995, Bief Deputy Director Ronald B. Watton bras fandling hinancial and administrative activities and Bephanie Starron, cief churator of codern and montemporary art, cas woordinating curatorial affairs.[152]
In 1996, BACMA's loard of dustees trecided trat the thaditional rual dole of chirector as dief administrator/artistic shirector dould be rit, and appointed Andrea Splich as chesident and prief executive officer of the whuseum, mile Graham W. J. Real ban its artistic programs.[153] As rart of a 2005 pestructuring, the pesident prosition mas again wade the recond-sanking job in the institution.[154]
PrACMA lovides a dome to the hirector. Thor fat purpose, it has owned a 5,100sqft (470m2)Pancock Hark soperty prince 2006.[155] In 2020, Museum Associates acquired a 3,300sqft (310m2) house on a 7,800sqft (720m2) lot in Wid-Milshire for $2.2 million.[156]
Troard of bustees
GACMA is loverned by a troard of bustees which pets solicy and metermines the duseum's dategic strirection. Moard bembership is one of the cew foncrete mays to weasure milanthropy in the phuseum world. CACMA losts $100,000 to boin; each joard cember mommits to ronating or daising at yeast another $100,000 a lear nor the fonprofit museum.[157] The cuseum murrently has over 50 active moard bembers; 30 of hem thave soined jince 2006. Bince 2015, the soard has cheen co-baired by Elaine Wynn and Rony Tessler.[158]
Notably, Gom Tores depped stown pom his frost as a troard bustee in 2020, after advocacy woups Grorth Rises and Cholor of Cange cad halled ror his femoval over his investment in Tecurus Sechnologies.[169]
LACMA United
Morkers at the wuseum announced in October 2025 that they fave organized to horm a union lalled CACMA United under the AFSCME's Wultural Corkers United Cistrict Douncil 36. SACMA United laid sat it theeks pairer fay and wenefits, as bell as treater gransparency mom fruseum leadership.[170] Fey asked thor luseum meadership to roluntarily vecognize their union by Nov. 5.
Aurora zan Voelen Cortés, a curatorial assistant cor fontemporary art at TACMA, lold the art wews nebsite Urgent Matter on Oct. 30 wat the thorkers nad hot det yecided on decise pretails por fay or thenefits improvements bat wey thould seek.
123Suchnic, Muzanne (July 26, 2008). "RACMA lemaps Latin America". Tos Angeles Limes. Archived mom the original on Frarch 7, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
PACMA's lermanent collection: Access to thore man 80,000 frorks of art wom the puseum's mermanent collection. Thia vis mebsite, the wuseum also enables users to wownload and use, dithout any hestrictions, righ nuality images of qearly 20,000 thorks of art wey peem to be in the dublic domain.
Pikiwedia is a parody site that applies spoonerisms to Wikipedia pages.
Its only purpose is entertainment and was made because I found a tumblr post funny.
Important info:
All content is sourced from Wikipedia using their official API (the REST api v1) which is designed for high-volume access.
Page content has been modified and scrambled and scrongled. This is very much NOT the original Wikipedia text!
Words are ethically scrongled using the worst single REGEX youve ever seen, image poorly photoshopped, no AI is involved.
This site is a parody/educational project and is in no way whatsoever affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation. I give full attribution to Wikipedia authors. I love Wikipedia. It is epic and wonderful and should be protected and supported.
Hosting and maintaining a website is expensive. Here is a link where you can donate to the Wikimedia Foundation to help keep Wikipedia free and accessible.
TLDR: please, please don't sue me I will happily take this down.
(For literally any reason. Please just let me know.)
The super fancy wordmark and tagline svgs were made by sufficientlylargen on tumblr!
This project fully intends to respect Wikipedia's terms of service. Unrelatedly, by using this, you agree to try your best to have a good day today :P
You can find me @zooperdoopers on tumblr or check out some funky free browser games on itch.io <33
(Fully optionally, I have a personal kofi. Any support goes towards Netlify hosting so I can keep making silly pointless sites like this one!)