West LA Times

The directors of the Hammer Museum at UCLA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), have announced a joint initiative to manage a new collection of contemporary art. This collection will be founded through the acquisition of 260 works from local philanthropists Jarl and Pamela Mohn.

The Mohn collection, accumulated over the past 19 years, includes paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works by Los Angeles-based artists. The initial gift will seed a continually growing collection, supported by an endowment from the Mohns for annual acquisitions and expenses related to the collection’s care and storage. This collaboration has been named “MAC3” for Mohn Art Collective, with “3” representing the Hammer Museum, LACMA, and MOCA.

In addition to the Mohns’ gift, the Hammer Museum will contribute 80 works previously acquired through its “Made in L.A.” biennials since 2012. Curators from all three institutions recently selected 16 works from “Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living” as their first joint acquisitions. Currently, the MAC3 collection comprises 356 artworks.

This co-owned collection represents a pioneering model for institutional collaboration and a commitment to supporting Los Angeles artist communities. It enables the three institutions to collectively acquire works by L.A. artists annually, with acquisitions chosen jointly by curatorial teams from all three museums. Every other year, these acquisitions will come directly from future editions of “Made in L.A.” In alternating years, curators will visit studios and exhibitions to identify works for acquisition.

The entire collection will be available for display at each institution, with a lending program prioritized to encourage showing these works at other museums globally.

The existing Mohn collection features pieces by more than 125 Los Angeles-based artists, including over 20 who are faculty or alumni of UCLA’s School of Arts and Architecture.

Further details about this collaboration can be found on the Hammer Museum website.