Latest news with #MuseumofContemporaryArt
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
MOCA shakeup: Ann Goldstein named interim director as Johanna Burton departs
The Museum of Contemporary Art has appointed former senior curator Ann Goldstein as its interim director, beginning Aug. 18. The Board of Trustees said Wednesday that it has launched an international search for a new permanent director. The move comes less than a week after the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania announced that MOCA's current director, Johanna Burton, would be its new director, with a start date of Nov. 1. MOCA did not issue its own press release about the leadership shakeup until Wednesday. When news of Burton's departure broke, she said she timed her departure so that she could oversee the opening of MOCA's highly anticipated 'Monuments' exhibit, which is scheduled for Oct. 23. But a source close to MOCA, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on the record, said Burton's last day is Friday. MOCA declined to comment on the timing of Burton's departure or the discrepancy between when she said she was leaving and the museum's announcement that Goldstein will start in her role Aug. 18, but Burton confirmed her earlier departure to The Times. Burton said she had offered to stay up until the last minute before she was scheduled to begin her new job, but that MOCA's board, 'Probably just realized that it needed to move more quickly towards thinking about the next phase, which makes sense to me.' 'I think everybody just has the best interest of the museum in mind,' Burton said, adding that she is proud of her time with MOCA and leaves with only good feelings about what she and her staff have accomplished over the past four years. 'I'm delighted that they're in a position where that kind of runway can be taken up by somebody who is as wonderful as Ann, and it makes me feel really good handing it off.' Goldstein has a long history with MOCA, having shaped her career at the museum, beginning in 1983, just a few years after the museum was established. Over the next two-and-a-half decades Goldstein rose to senior curator. From 2009 to 2013 she served as director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam; and in 2016 she became deputy director of the Art Institute of Chicago. 'No one knows MOCA like Ann. Her deep institutional knowledge and passion for our collection and community coupled with her international directorial expertise makes her the ideal leader to maintain the museum's momentum,' said Carolyn Clark Powers, chair of MOCA's board of trustees. 'While Johanna Burton's departure marks a moment of transition for MOCA, thanks to her leadership the museum is well positioned for the future.' Burton is the fifth director to leave MOCA since 2008. She became the museum's first female director four years ago in what The Times called 'something of an embarrassed addendum' to the news that MOCA's former director and recently named artistic director Klaus Biesenbach had taken a job in Berlin. Two weeks prior, MOCA had announced that Burton would assume the role of executive director to co-run the museum with Biesenbach as part of a management restructuring plan. Suddenly alone in the top role, Burton became the museum's seventh director in MOCA's nearly 40-year history. The museum was emerging from a period of instability after a series public stumbles, including a canceled fundraising gala due to public outcry over a lack of diversity in its honorees, the firing of chief curator Helen Molesworth and what many considered to be an unexpected announcement that former director Philippe Vergne wouldn't renew his five-year contract. Despite the internal turmoil, and a significant drop in membership, as well as a COVID-19-induced closure that lasted more than a year, MOCA's endowment hit a high watermark of $170 million at the time of Burton's initial appointment.
The Age
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Canvas reframed: New chef takes over at MCA's harbour view restaurant
Previous SlideNext Slide Contemporary$$$$ The Museum of Contemporary Art's harbour view restaurant has unveiled its new chef-in-residence for the season: James Scott, formerly of Sepia and LuMi. Scott's debut menu blurs the line between food and art, from steak tartare served with Sydney Opera House–shaped Jerusalem artichoke crisps to a 'lambington' lamb loin wrapped in pastry with spinach crepe and haggis, a nod to his Scottish heritage. The tonal dining room, which is all oatmeal and taupe, frames one of the city's most iconic views, capturing the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay in one perfect sweep.
Sydney Morning Herald
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Canvas reframed: New chef takes over at MCA's harbour view restaurant
Previous SlideNext Slide Contemporary$$$$ The Museum of Contemporary Art's harbour view restaurant has unveiled its new chef-in-residence for the season: James Scott, formerly of Sepia and LuMi. Scott's debut menu blurs the line between food and art, from steak tartare served with Sydney Opera House–shaped Jerusalem artichoke crisps to a 'lambington' lamb loin wrapped in pastry with spinach crepe and haggis, a nod to his Scottish heritage. The tonal dining room, which is all oatmeal and taupe, frames one of the city's most iconic views, capturing the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay in one perfect sweep.
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Frederick M. Nicholas, champion of L.A. arts dubbed ‘Mr. Downtown Culture,' dies at 105
Frederick M. Nicholas, a war hero, attorney and real estate developer who shaped several of Los Angeles' major arts and public service institutions, died peacefully at his home Saturday. He was 105. Nicholas led the design and development of major L.A. landmarks, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Surprisingly enough, Nicholas discovered his love of the arts in law school at the University of Chicago. 'When I went downtown, I saw an art gallery for the first time,' he said in a 2022 YouTube interview with Blake Meidel, a young film creator. 'I went inside and I looked at it and I was overwhelmed.' When he returned to L.A., where he had studied journalism at USC, Nicholas took classes in the visual arts and built a law practice that included representation of artists and galleries. He took on several distinguished roles in the arts community, serving as MOCA's chairman and vice chairman for a cumulative 11 years and a life trustee for the remainder of his life. Nicholas was instrumental to the development of the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and Walt Disney Concert Hall. It is little wonder that he was nicknamed 'Mr. Downtown Culture.' In the 1980s, Nicholas led the city out of a cultural stasis and turned it into a global cultural and architectural powerhouse. 'Fred, we literally wouldn't be L.A. without you,' former mayor Eric Garcetti said in a message to Nicholas on his 100th birthday. Renowned architect Frank Gehry told The Times that Nicholas' involvement in MOCA 'was too good to be true.' 'He is an extremely smart man, and he's sensitive. He's been involved in and interested in the arts as a collector,' Gehry said in 1982. 'He understands both the architecture and business of development. He knows all the players involved with the museum, and he has their respect. When I heard he was involved I thought it was too good to be true. I know he can pull it off.' Nicholas negotiated with Giuseppe Panza of Varese, Italy, to acquire the Panza Collection. Including works from Mark Rothko, Franz Kline and others, the art now forms the core of MOCA's permanent collection. As chair of the Walt Disney Hall Concert Committee beginning in 1987, Nicholas headed a committee to find an architect (Gehry was eventually hired for the coveted gig), fundraise and plan the building process. Over 105 years, Nicholas engaged with some of history's greatest artists. 'I met Pablo Picasso and I had dinner with him,' he told Meidel breezily. Nicholas' influence in L.A. extended into the realm of public service as well. After an incredibly successful law career, he shifted to pro bono work. 'I thought that lawyers should do something to help the poor,' Nicholas told Meidel. Nicholas founded Public Counsel in 1970, which provided legal support to vulnerable people, including veterans and unhoused families, in what is now the largest firm of its kind in the U.S. 'Public Counsel really is his greatest legacy,' Nicholas' son, Anthony Nicholas, told The Times on Tuesday. 'They are still helping people today.' Nicholas was born on May 30, 1920 in Brooklyn, N.Y. When he was 14, his family moved to L.A. In 1941, Nicholas served in the Army and was discharged five years later. 'One of the things that made me successful in law was that I was always in a hurry. I was always eager to move because I felt that I had lost so much time in the war. I had to make it up,' Nicholas, one of the oldest and most decorated WWII veterans, said in a retrospective on his life and work at age 100. Nicholas was also adored by his family. Anthony recalled his father's 'beaming smile,' 'great, great energy' and 'the love he spread around the world.' Nicholas is survived by his children, Deborah, Jan and Anthony; Anthony's wife Mona; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and sister Helen Devor.
Time Out
30-06-2025
- Time Out
Sydney recently ranked as the best winter sun destination in the world – now it's been labelled a "coolcation" capital
When we hear the term 'holiday destinations', people often conjure up fantasies of warmer climates, a cocktail in hand and waves lapping at the sparkling shore (extra points for some Baja Fish Tacos delivered straight to the sun lounger, but we're not picky). But for those of us who lean into the Hygge lifestyle (a Scandinavian word to describe a warm and cosy vibe), the perfect getaway takes place in the winter months. Thanks to a new campaign from Destination NSW, Sydney – the city known for its outdoor lifestyle and summer experiences – has been pitched as a top holiday spot for those looking to get into the warm and woollies. If our cosy pubs with fireplaces are anything to go by, we'd say the theory checks out. The ' Feel the Sydney side of winter ' campaign has launched to showcase the delights on offer in Sydney through the colder months, and you might be pleasantly surprised to learn how much there is to see and do when the temps drop. Sure, the harbour comes alive during summer (so much so that it ranked as the best winter sun destination in the world for residents of the Northern Hemisphere). But have you ever popped on a pair of ugg boots and sipped a mug of mulled wine while watching the whales cruise past Clovelly? A report from Tourism Research Australia revealed that in 2024, 8.7 million domestic and international travellers visited Sydney between June and September. Which means a lot of people like the cut of our winter jib, and we can't blame 'em. If you're not afraid to pop on a puffer (and actually delight in doing so) you can grab a ticket to one of the theatre spectaculars lighting up stages across the city. Prefer to take culture at your own pace? Marvel at the arts by heading along to an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Art Gallery of NSW. More into sports than art? Catch the State of Origin game three decider at Accor Stadium or head down to cheer on the runners at the TCS Sydney Marathon. If you prefer to explore a city without a real plan in hand, our (relatively) mild winters mean that visitors won't have to battle through snowstorms to head off on an adventure; a good attitude (and perhaps a few restaurant recs) is all you need to head out onto Sydney's streets. Keen for a luxe city staycation? .
