Art Los Angeles Contemporary
{Santa Monica} The Barker Hangar
Now in its sixth year, Art Los Angeles Contemporary (ALAC) returns to the Barker Hangar to present the largest international contemporary art fair on the West Coast. Barker Hangar’s 40,000 square feet of event space will be populated with nearly 75 galleries, both blue chip and emerging, from around the world (with a strong focus on local galleries). In addition, the four-day event features world-class artist talks, curator-led panel discussions, film screenings, a performance series, and more. About a quarter the size of Art Basel in Miami, ALAC offers a unique level of intimacy for the art enthusiast in each of us. Pictured above: “”Bodyheat” by Stanley Whitney, courtesy team (gallery, inc.) / January 29 – February 1, 2015 / artlosangelesfair.com
Former Univision Chair Bequests $500 Million in Art
{Los Angeles} Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Jerry Perenchio, former chairman and CEO of Univision Communications who built his fortune working in entertainment, announced in November that, upon his death, his estate would bequeath at least 47 works of art valued at $500 million to LACMA. The gift comes with a fairly large stipulation – LACMA must first complete construction of its $600-million building. The news is significant in many ways, especially considering LACMA’s string of near-coups in terms of acquiring prominent collections. Over the past 50 years, LACMA has lost out on the collections of Norton Simon, Armand Hammer, and Walter Annenberg, making Perenchio’s gift a particularly refreshing windfall. “LA is my home,” Perenchio told the Los Angeles Times, adding, “Next to my family and friends, they [his collection] are the most important things to me.” / lacma.org
Out of the Shadows
{Los Angeles} Museum of Contemporary Art
“In the future,” Andy Warhol famously said, “everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” The iconic pop artist, whose subjects ranged from Elizabeth Taylor to Campbell’s soup cans, had a distinct perspective on the accessibility of art, once proclaiming, “Art is what you can get away with.” MOCA will present the first West Coast showing of Shadows, a project Warhol conceived as one work, painted in 102 parts. Given the size of the work (83 panels, each measuring 76” x 52”) the final number of panels presented is always determinant of the exhibition space. For only the second time ever, the piece will be displayed in its entirety. / moca.org
The Royalties of 100 Years
{Los Angeles} The Music Center
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is being honored by the Library of Congress on the occasion of its centennial. ASCAP: One Hundred Years and Beyond, originally on display at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., has made its way to the Ira Gershwin Gallery inside Walt Disney Concert Hall. One of the world’s top performing-rights organizations, ASCAP protects the use of its members’ musical works; in the last five years alone, ASCAP has distributed more than $5 billion in royalties to songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The exhibition highlights notable moments and artists throughout history while also exploring current works and challenges. / musiccenter.org
“Spring” Jackpot
{Los Angeles} The J. Paul Getty Museum
At a London auction in 2010, Édouard Manet’s “Self Portrait With a Palette” sold for $33.2 million. In early November, the J. Paul Getty Museum spent $66.125 million on Manet’s “Spring.” The record-shattering price was explained by Getty Director Timothy Potts, who described the piece as one of a “very small number of truly landmark masterpieces of the Impressionist period.” Intended to be the first in a series of four works, Manet painted “Spring” for his final Paris salon in 1882, dying shortly thereafter and leaving his seasons series unfinished. Potts is hopeful the piece will be on display by the the New Year, resting next to four other Manet’s in the Getty collection. / getty.edu