Art Commissioner Says: Getty Grant Good

OC Register, then LA Times, and now the Daily Forty-Niner...

The news broke through and everyone's excited: The Getty Foundation announced $2.8 million in grants to museums, big and small, throughout Southern California. Why? Because, according to the The Arts Blog (OC Register), there will be a region-wide expansive series of concurrent exhibits highlighting L.A.'s and SoCal's art after World War II, for "Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980."

Because of Long Beach's rich history with video art, the Getty assigned the University Art Museum and the Long Beach Museum of Art to work on creating a video-centric show for "PST." Getty is making it happen!

Daily Forty-Niner reporter Antoinette Luzano asked for my reaction to the news. (I was quoted in a later issue of the DFN.) Below, my statement in its entirety.

If Los Angeles has been overshadowed by the New York scene for so long, what hope was there ever for Long Beach? But the interest is exploding, and this grant reflects that.

Long Beach is unique because of its history with video, and the Long Beach Museum of Art helped to flourish this sometime in the ‘70s with video art studios that gave birth to the Martha Roslers and Bill Violas of the world.

That video frenzy has diminished with time, but the past is the past and the appreciation exists.

It’d be so cool to uncover all that video-making magic that took place here, especially when it’s known how the LBMA has probably the world’s most expansive video collection. The possibilities that this grant bring to the horizon are simply incredible — it’d probably help with the research, restoration and archiving of videos. I’m sure our school’s University Art Museum is tingling with excitement to work on making things happen.

I look forward to seeing what comes from the Getty grant!