One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Downtown's Old Bank District Could Be Getting A Cool Museum Featuring Local Artists
The Farmers and Merchants Bank in the Historic Core could be turned into an art museum (Photo by Candice Montgomery via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Downtown's Old Bank District has really blown up in recent years with a steady stream of new restaurants, condos, galleries and bars. And now, the developers who've brought new life to the area are planning on building a large-scale, contemporary art museum focused on downtown artists.
Though it's still in its early stages, partners Tom Gilmore and Jerri Perrone hope to build out the museum (with the working name of The Old Bank District Museum) in the 50,000-square-feet of space in the basements of Hellman and Farmers and Merchants Bank on Fourth and Main streets, according to Downtown News. The museum would be on different floors and different buildings, and even have a garden with sculptures on the roof of the Old Bank Garage.
"This is going to be one wacky museum," Gilmore told Downtown News. “It will be a repository for prominent Downtown artists of the last 40 years. We want to connect the galleries visually, architecturally and philosophically, and with the pre-existing galleries, this could be everything that a contemporary art museum should be."
Gilmore and Perrone were the first to buy the historic and run-down buildings at Fourth and Main streets 15 years ago, and championed the revitalization of the Old Bank District. Gilmore, who's been an active member of the art community, helped save Downtown Art Walk when it had financial troubles by donating $1 million to it.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
