Sorry LACMA, No Broad Art For You

Los Angeles philanthropist, Eli Broad (rhymes with road), has decided not to give his massively large and impressive private collection of art to museums, rather, keeping the collection in house under control of a private foundation according to the New York Times. One of the assumed recipients of the art was LACMA, where the new $56 million Broad Contemporary Art Museum is scheduled to open next month. However, even with Broad's name on the museum, there would be no gaurantee that any art he donates from his private collection will be on display 100% of the time.

“We don’t want it to end up in storage, in either our basement or somebody else’s basement,” Mr. Broad said. “So I, as the collector, am saying, ‘If you’re not willing to commit to show it, why don’t we just make it available to you when you want it, as opposed to giving it to you, and then our being unhappy that it’s only up 10 percent or 20 percent of the time or not being shown at all?’” [New York Times]

However, despite what the Times says may be a "potential embarrassment" to LACMA, the museum director, Michael Govan has a good and positive spin/outlook on the situation: "I don't think most people care when they walk in the door whether the museum owns the works or not, as long as they don't lose them."