To the editor: Let's now praise Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Art Museum.
Since it arrived in 2006, Govan has supervised the transformation of the 20 acres campus into an exciting and constantly evolving oasis of culture in the middle of a city without a real center, until now. Recently, Lacma organized a preview of his new addition, David Geffen galleries, for three glorious days. After a difficult year, it was great to see thousands of residents in southern California gather to celebrate this new exciting milestone.
But it would hardly be aware that such a special event was held or the elevated Lacma profile over the years thanks to the leadership and collection coverage of Govan's funds following the coverage of the art critic Christopher Knight (“The new Lacma is elegant, stained, powerful, discordant, monotonous, attractive and absurd,” June 27). His articles are full of more complaints than a Donald Trump's bull speech.
Knight states that the cost of the building is linked to $ 720 million, but the sources have told him that “the entire cost of the project is closer to $ 835 million.” This, I do not doubt. Have you ever tried a remodeling of the kitchen? Try to build a high structure of 347,500 square feet in an earthquake area, in the midst of ancient tar wells full of treasured fossils, during a pandemic.
“The unlimited concrete is monotonous,” Knight complains about the new galleries. Are not the white walls also monotonous until you hang some art? He worries that the museum has been experiencing a “long transformation of a civic art institution to a tourist destination.” Can't be both?
I understand that Knight does not like the “non -hierarchical” design of the single -floor museum. We can all agree to disagree on such things. I simply do not think it is necessary to viliate Lacma in each article you write to make a point.
Finally, Knight writes: “Will Geffen be successful? My glass ball is broken, but I don't see any reason why it will not be a popular attraction.” Nor do I have a crystal ball, but I can say that Lacma has been a popular destination for years and it will certainly continue to be like that.
Carlos Valdez Lozano, Los Angeles
This writer is a former reporter and editor of Los Angeles Times.
