NewsLos Angeles
Why Los Angeles is America’s free museum capital
Four of the city’s major art museums do not charge an entry fee—but that is more than just a way to boost visitor numbers, they say
Newscoronavirus
LA Art Book Fair cancelled over fear of spread of coronavirus
Decision on MOCA event affects over 350 exhibitors from around two dozen countries
News US politics
Artist Whitney Bedford is drawing a portrait of Elizabeth Warren every day until she is elected president
The Los Angeles painter started the project shortly after the Democratic primaries began
FeatureFrieze Los Angeles 2020
LA's grassroots spaces keep growing
With more alternative art galleries than ever, many are slowing down on exhibitions and stepping up on programming
NewsFrieze Los Angeles 2020
Dressing for success, an artist helps women demand their due
Michele Pred is asking artists, their dealers and potential collectors to commit to a price hike for works of art by women
InterviewArtist interview
‘At 99, I’m another person entirely’: Luchita Hurtado on fossil fuels and new challenges ahead
As her touring retrospective arrives in Los Angeles and then heads for Mexico, the nonagenarian artist is excited about showing her new work—and the prospect of making more
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Thomas Campbell, former Met director, sizes up challenges for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
After more than a year in his new job, we interview the director about his priorities
NewsGerman art
How a vast Käthe Kollwitz collection ended up at the Getty
Richard Simms, the 93-year-old donor, built up the enviable collection on a dentist’s salary starting in the 1960s
CommentPrivate Museums
The Marciano masquerade is exposed
The art foundation, which has closed its doors, was never more than the shell of a museum
NewsExhibitions
Women artists take over museum schedules in 2020 to coincide with US presidential election
Coalition of curators organise events and exhibitions of art by women at 50 museums
BlogDiary
‘I can divide my life into before and after Judy Chicago’: Gloria Steinem reveals how the artist changed her thoughts about art at Hammer Museum gala
NewsAcquisitions
Getty acquires Bronzino’s Madonna and Child with Saints, a twin of National Gallery in London’s
The brightly coloured painting, depicting the same family scene, has been in private hands for decades, most recently the Chilean Alana Collection
NewsArtist estates
How to make the most of an artist’s estate
Four takeaways from the Institute for Artists’ Estates’ Los Angeles workshop
News US politics
Experts fear California's gig economy law may hit culture workers
Independent curators and handlers could be affected but no major changes predicted in museum recruitment practices
ReviewThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in Los Angeles this weekend
The West Coast gallery season opens with its own slate of must see shows, from Tala Madani's scatological depictions of motherhood to Kenny Scharf's jabs at consumerism
NewsExhibitions
An early start to celebrating the US centennial of women’s suffrage
San Jose Museum of Art celebrates visionary female artists
FeatureBooks
Book excerpt: William Kentridge reveals how Antoine Bourdelle inspired his work
In Jori Finkel's book It Speaks to Me, Kentridge discusses the sculpture in Johannesburg that first made him feel the power of art
ReviewPublic art
Wishful thinking: LA’s latest pop-up art project is both highly memorable and totally Instagrammable
Artist collective The Art Department spent a year gathering heaps of dandelion fuzz for their immersive "wish factory"
NewsOuter Space
Trevor Paglen’s Orbital Reflector sculpture fails to deploy
The artist says the US government shutdown effectively “killed” the sculpture
PreviewExhibitions
Honey I shrunk the art: the ultimate alternative biennial opens in Los Angeles
Dollhouse-sized paintings and installations replace big artistic statements and egos
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in Los Angeles this week
From the West Coast version of Soul of a Nation, to Roy DeCarava’s photographic studies of blackness
AnalysisMuseums & Heritage
Topping a million visitors: how MCA Australia broadened the appeal of contemporary art
With more than a million people through the doors annually since 2015, the museum is a case study in how to expand audiences
NewsFeminist art history
Women are written into online art history at expanded Wikipedia edit-a-thons across Southern California
The group Art+Feminism has organised events at six museums to boost the online presence of women artists and cultural leaders
InterviewFrieze Los Angeles 2019
Max Hooper Schneider: 'my fantasy army of marine-mammal people, across all genders'
The artist dives deep to create a lurid theatre from biological forms for his Frieze Los Angeles Projects commission
NewsCommercial galleries
David Kordansky doubles gallery space and expands diverse artist roster
Last year, the LA gallery took on Michael Williams, Fred Eversley, Huma Bhabha and Lauren Halsey as well as the estates of Tom of Finland and Betty Woodman
ReviewBiennials & festivals
Hits and misses at Palm Springs's second Desert X biennial
Some half-baked works mean this year’s event fails to live up to the promise of the first edition
InterviewMuseums & Heritage
LA stories: Deborah Marrow looks back
The Getty Foundation’s leader, who retired in December, discusses her feminist credentials and the broader challenges in cultural philanthropy
NewsThree to see
Three exhibitions to see in Los Angeles this weekend
From 3D illusions at Lacma to environmental disasters at the Craft & Folk Art Museum
NewsExhibitions
The Getty’s Renaissance Nude explores issues of power and sexuality—but don’t expect a #metoo reckoning
The show includes male and female examples for historic accuracy, its lead curator says
NewsExhibitions
Eleanor Antin revisits her dieting diary, 45 years on, for Lacma show
Artist who photographed herself naked every morning in 1972 has recreated her "Carving" work, to be shown in May 2019
PreviewExhibitions
For her final show at MoCA LA, curator Helen Molesworth chews on the meaning of 'termite art'
Inspired by an underground essay written by the late artist Manny Farber, the exhibition concept is anything but clear-cut
PreviewExhibitions
Recognising Victor Hugo as an avant-garde artist
Drawings in a show opening at the Hammer testify to his feverish spiritual side
FeatureArtist interview
Hayv Kahraman on the Kurdish exodus—and the trouble with humanitarian campaigns
The Baghdad-born, Los Angeles-based artist talks about the impetus for her new work at Susanne Vielmetter
NewsObituaries
Josh Roth, Hollywood deal-maker who was the head of UTA's fine arts division, has died, aged 40
His death comes just weeks after the opening of the agency's new gallery in Beverly Hills, designed by the artist Ai Weiwei
Interview
‘A critical juncture’: Richard Koshalek on MOCA’s future under Klaus Biesenbach
The Los Angeles museum’s longest-serving director shares his recommendations for its newly appointed leader
NewsTechnology
After a year-long journey in the California desert, Desert X's art rover Shybot is found
The missing and crowd averse work has been recovered in Palm Springs, a bit banged up but otherwise intact
NewsLaw
Appeals court largely strikes down California’s artist resale rights law
The decision limits the rule to a narrow one-year window of secondary market sales—but what does it mean for the future of droit de suite in the US?
PreviewFrieze New York
The best shows in town during Frieze New York
From Adrian Piper at MoMA to Radican Women in Brooklyn
NewsAcquisitions
Lacma acquires major works by women through lively Collectors Committee Weekend
Ten works are added to the permanent collection, including a striking slavery themed installation by Betye Saar and the museum's first sculpture by Ruth Asawa
NewsExhibitions
Los Angeles’s David Kordansky Gallery gives Betty Woodman her first retrospective in years
The posthumous survey traces the artist’s trajectory, from classic pottery to wildly dramatic forms
News
Sam Durant and Anne Ellegood reflect on being in the hot seat of museum controversies
The artist and curator shared what they learned from their 2017 experiences during a College Art Association panel on "censorship"
Newscraft
Scholars weave craft into the art history canon at College Art Association
The subject appears throughout this year's programme for the leading US conference for art historians
News
The Getty, the world’s richest museum, hunts for wealthy patrons
Some are concerned that new fundraising drive will lure donors from other Los Angeles institutions
ReviewMedia & broadcast
J. Paul Getty is a monster beyond belief in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World
Christopher Plummer portrays the billionaire art collector as a morally bankrupt villain who loves his art more than his family
NewsConservation & Preservation
Drip dry: Moca LA to restore Pollock painting in its galleries
The museum aims to open the cleaning process to the public, with a conservator on hand to answer questions
NewsPerformance art
Pacific Standard Time announces performance art festival to extend second edition
Latin American and Latinx artists will create 75 projects across the Los Angeles area
CommentExhibitions
A matter of time: How long do you really need in Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Rooms?
Museums hosting the traveling exhibition of her immersive works think 30 seconds is enough—but they are missing the point
CommentArtists
Forget the issue of an artist’s Native American bloodlines
It’s time to stop letting the controversy over Jimmie Durham’s ancestry overshadow his art
NewsPacific Standard Time
Antena Los Ángeles: el motor secreto detrás del alcance bilingüe de Pacific Standard Time
El colectivo está ayudando a museos a acceder a una audiencia hispanohablante con servicios de traducción e interpretación—pero están marcando el límite con espacios de gentrificación
NewsPacific Standard Time
Antena Los Ángeles: the secret engine behind Pacific Standard Time's bilingual outreach
The collective is helping art venues access a Spanish-speaking audience with translation services
InterviewArtist interview
Judy Chicago: Catwoman
As three exhibitions open showcasing her work, including her Kitty City watercolours, the Los Angeles-based artist talks about being at the centre of a revival of interest—and having her early life story turned into a TV series
FeaturePodcast
Podcast episode three: how the Getty is shaping southern California’s art scene
The story behind Pacific Standard Time in Los Angeles; Ming Wong on the historic queer art show in Taipei. Plus: an exclusive audio work by Zardulu the Mythmaker
News
PST’s Radical Women speak out in day-long symposium at Hammer museum
The event embraced female artists from across Latin America, especially activists who might be considered “bad hombres and nasty women”
NewsPacific Standard Time
What to see at Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA
Our Los Angeles correspondent Jori Finkel shares the shows that gave her a reason to linger during the opening week of the city-wide art festival
NewsArtists
Judith Baca’s Great Wall of Los Angeles to get even greater
The artist plans to expand her immigrant-rich visual history of California, starting with protest imagery from the 1960s
NewsArt schools
Art school under fire for bowing to transgender student complaints
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been accused of cowardice and censorship over its treatment of former professor and Henry Darger expert Michael Bonesteel
NewsResearch
Scholarship drives the next edition of Pacific Standard Time
Ambitious projects on Latino, Chicano and Latin American art could rewrite art history textbooks
NewsFeatures
Freeing Tania Bruguera
The artist takes a turn on the psychiatrist’s couch in a new documentary by Lynn Hershman Leeson that delves into the psychology of government oppression
NewsBiennials & festivals
Sharon Lockhart gives voice to Polish girls and Jewish orphans at the Venice Biennale
For her project in the Polish pavilion, the photographer pays tribute to a pediatrician and writer who pioneered children’s rights
NewsFairs
America celebrates its love affair with Rodin
Museums mark the centenary of the death of the French sculptor, who enjoyed great success with US millionaires
News
US mini-satellite could help to monitor destruction in Palmyra
As Isil retreats from ancient Syrian city US non-profit hopes to raise funds to launch "cubesat"
NewsArt trade
Paul Schimmel leaves Hauser & Wirth
The former curator will no longer oversee the Los Angeles mega-gallery
News
Getty preserves Palmyra online in new show
The institution hopes its first digital exhibition will also reach the Arab world
News
New galleries bring buzz to San Francisco, but no gold rush—yet
Art scene is expanding into other parts of the city after high rents forced an exodus from downtown
News
Artists go large on Los Angeles’s billboards
UK art collaborative Art Below is latest organisation to take public art to the city's roadsides
News
Rodin, Muslim style and hippie chic
In only a few months, Max Hollein has rebooted the exhibition programme of San Francisco’s de Young Museum and Legion of Honor
News
Donors—who needs them? Tales of mutual dependency
Museum directors gather in San Francisco to discuss big gifts and the strings that are often attached
FeatureArtist interview
Tala Madani: the descent of man
As Tala Madani prepares for the Whitney Biennial, she explains how childhood comics and Trump’s election victory figure into her satirical images of men
NewsArt fairs
Can these San Francisco fairs do what so many Los Angeles fairs couldn’t?
The fourth edition of the art and design fair FOG is coming into its own, while newcomer Untitled has early support from LA dealers
NewsExhibitions
Newly discovered Cubist painting sheds light on friendship between Picasso and Rivera
A work by Rivera in Picasso’s personal collection suggests that the tale of the two artists’ falling-out has been exaggerated
Comment
Artists should give proper credit to Hollywood
Jordan Wolfson’s sculptures depend heavily on special effects studios
News
Mike Kelley's Mobile Homestead will hit the road again next year
Artist's foundation supports ongoing project in Detroit and major show on his influence in 2018 <br>
News
Charity begins at home for the Mike Kelley Foundation
As shows open in London and New York, the artist’s Mobile Homestead will hit the road again in Detroit next year
NewsReport
Bay Area collectors reach critical mass
Pier 24 show provides a kaleidoscopic window into what makes the San Francisco photography scene so dynamic
NewsBuilding projects
Lacma reaches halfway point for $600m Zumthor building with another surprising gift
Self-made hardware store mogul Eric Smidt gives $25m to museum’s expansion campaign
News
Calling all women artists: the Brooklyn Museum wants to take your picture
Kim Schoenstadt takes her idea for a group portrait on the road from Los Angeles to New York
News
Hamza Walker named the new executive director of LAXART
The curator comes to the LA non-profit from Chicago’s Renaissance Society
NewsExhibitions
Political art that packs a punch installed in San Francisco’s Presidio park
The curator behind Ai Weiwei’s blockbuster project on Alcatraz has organized a group show on the former military base
NewsPolitics
US artist builds wall near Mexican border to confront ‘everything that Donald Trump represents’
Louis Hock tackles fear, racism and hatred of immigrants with temporary barrier at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
NewsMuseums
A feast for the senses: a new crop of museum restaurants go beyond the gallery walls
Directors share insights into the food revolution close to home—and their favourite dishes
NewsExhibitions
Middle East goes West: show brings Saudi artists to San Francisco
Surprises await visitors to an exhibition of contemporary art in the city’s new gallery complex Minnesota Street Project
NewsBiennials & festivals
Teresa Margolles builds monument to 100 people who died in the streets of Los Angeles
Imposing concrete shelter in Echo Park incorporates debris and residue gathered at homicide scenes
News
‘Imagine how easy Keith Haring is to fake’
The dealer and author Richard Polsky explains why he is brave enough to authenticate works by Haring and Basquiat
CommentCommercial galleries
Location, location, location: the real estate lessons to be learned from Ace Gallery’s bankruptcy
How Los Angeles dealer Douglas Chrismas leveraged his property to attract artists, reassure clients, and generate income—even while facing financial disaster
NewsLaw
Millions of dollars and dozens of works diverted in Ace Gallery bankruptcy case, accountant finds
In a report to the court, Sam Leslie details why he ended Douglas Chrimas’s involvement in the gallery
NewsArtists
Portrait of the artist as a young woman: inside the mind of Eva Hesse
Diaries and film describe how the minimalist lauded by LeWitt was plagued by self-doubt and anxiety
News
Latino and Latin American artists to meet in Pacific Standard Time
New research leads curators to rip up the rulebook ahead of the Getty’s ambitious PST: LA/LA event
NewsPublic art
Flip the switch: Lacma’s Urban Light to go dark
The popular public installation is due to be turned off temporarily—but will soon shine again with a new paint job
NewsExhibitions
Hauser Wirth & Schimmel transcends the big-box gallery model
And their inaugural sculpture show goes beyond the oversized trophies of Modern art, says our LA correspondent Jori Finkel
NewsArt market
The unspoken reason why galleries are flocking to Los Angeles
Galleries like Sprüth Magers and Hauser Wirth & Schimmel quietly but fiercely compete for the city's artists
CommentPhilanthropy
Please send help: a letter to the Getty Trust
Our Los Angeles correspondent Jori Finkel asks the world's richest cultural organisation to support the city's struggling arts community during the coronavirus pandemic
Jori Finkel