The Museum of Contemporary Art’s appointment of Jeffrey Deitch, Eli Broad’s preferred choice, as its new director dramatizes the billionaire philanthropist’s commanding position on the Los Angeles arts scene, a relationship without parallel among major cities, The New York Times writes.
With both his patronage and his business-focused, hands-on management of his giving, which often comes with numerous strings attached, Mr. Broad has reshaped institutions such as MoCA and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and could set the tone for the city’s still relatively young philanthropic culture, according to the Times.
To learn more about Mr. Broad and his philanthropy, see The Chronicle‘s Philanthropy 50, a ranking of the 50 most generous American donors in the past year.
In other arts news, Kansas City, Mo.’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is set to receive some 400 new works from dozens of donors in celebration of its 75th anniversary, reports The Kansas City Star. Among the gifts are 29 Impressionist paintings, including works by Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh, from the collection of Henry Bloch, co-founder of the tax-preparation firm H&R Block, and his wife, Marion.
Also, the Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., assesses the devastating impact of the recession on New Jersey arts groups, which have been hurt by plunging ticket sales, investment losses, and slashed state budgets. The crisis has had a ripple effect on downtown areas of Newark, New Brunswick, and other New Jersey cities where shops and restaurants rely on arts patrons for business.
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