Three weeks ago I was visiting LACMA for their landmark exhibition “Where the Truth Lies:  The Art of Qiu Ying,” featuring a Ming dynasty painter at the Resnick.  Afterwards I came out to look for the plinth where a new Yoshitomo Nara sculpture would be going—the largest he’s ever made—in time for his first major exhibition on the West Coast set to open April 5.  Walking through BP Plaza, I saw museum Director Michael Govan talking in his energetic fashion with two other people.  I went up to congratulate him on keeping the museum open—anxiety about the coronavirus was spreading, but they had sent around an email blast saying they would remain open.  “These are the very times we need art,” he said firmly, echoing the sentiments in the email.  Then he admitted he was there because he had decided not to fly to New York that day, with all the viral warnings swirling around that city.

Qiu Ying, The Jiucheng Palace (detail; c. 1525–33).

Three days later, on Friday, March 13, the museum announced that it would “temporarily close” the next day—the press release came out at 6:15 pm, so no chance to rush over at that hour.  “Following recommendations from Los Angeles County and in coordination with our sister institution,” read the announcement, “the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, LACMA will close temporarily to the public effective tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, until further notice.”   Some heavy-duty government dictate must have landed the end of the week, and all the hold-outs closed by Saturday.  Originally, the Norton Simon and the Huntington said they would remain open, but they also changed course.  LACMA gets a fair amount of funding from the county, so they really did have to toe the line.  Since then, we have been inundated with cancellations and closures of exhibitions, galleries, and museums—most of them temporary, but with no end date in sight.

Yoshitomo Nara sculpture on view at the Bangkok Art Biennale in 2018.

Things have moved so quickly, I’m breathless.  The beginning of March seems a lifetime ago.  Two weeks ago I was saying that I did not know anybody or anybody who knew somebody with the fearful COVID-19.  Since then, I’ve spoken or emailed with half a dozen people who have had close relations with the virus—a wife, a son and daughter-in-law (in New York), a sister and nephew (in England)—plus two people who think they may have had it.

CLOSINGS & OPENINGS

The restaurants, theaters, and shopping malls are closed; the beaches, hiking trails, and yoga studios are closed.  We stand in line outside of Trader Joe’s, where customers are let in a handful at a time, and keep our social distance from other shoppers and the cashier.  At my neighborhood TJ, they’ve added some boxes in the check-out aisle to ensure you keep six feet away from the cashier.  We live in an atmosphere of precaution and dread, not knowing where the next microbe will be coming from to do us harm.

A few weeks ago the email box was full of notices about temporary closings, cancellations and postponements.  Now it is full of notifications of online art fairs, showrooms and virtual exhibitions—along with quite a few fundraising requests. 

Fabio J. Fernández and Beth Ann Gerstein.

Among the more notable was the one from AMOCA, the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, a personal favorite which I visit regularly.  Like others, they were asking for financial support in this time of crisis.  However, this line from Director Beth Ann Gerstein struck me, “While we are reducing expenses in every way possible in coming months, including my own decision to reduce my salary during this time, AMOCA needs your assistance now to help us to ensure a robust presence for the ceramic arts for future generations.”  I was impressed.  Taking a reduction in salary is a simple gesture, but so significant—both for the bottom line of a museum, and as a personal contribution.  With no income from admissions, special programs, or store sales, and reduced income from any endowments, museums are facing critical budgetary deficits. 

Neil Benezra in front of Ellsworth Kelly works.

Since I saw Gerstein’s note, two major West Coast museums announced last week that their directors will take temporary pay cuts: Neil Benezra of the SF Museum of Modern Art is cutting his in half. (That is indeed a meaningful cut, when they‘re laying off most of their part-time staff.)  And Klaus Biesenbach, director of MoCA, will take a pay cut, (though the museum won’t say not how much).  MoCA’s part-time staff has been entirely laid off, and the full-time staff of 69 are on full or part-time furlough.  I’m looking to hearing more of the same—pay cuts for senior staff, that is. 

Klaus Biesenbach with Barbara Kruger installation.

And of course, Yours Truly is looking forward to seeing y’all again, when we finally slip to the bottom of the Curve.  Things won’t be the same, but that’s a subject for another article.  Take care till then!