The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has signed on as a partner in the development of Las Vegas’ only standalone art museum. Pieces from LACMA’s collection will be on rotating loan in Vegas once the new museum is complete. LACMA Director Michael Govan sees this as an opportunity to expand his institution’s reach and display more of its artwork. But some critics wonder why LACMA would operate what amounts to a satellite museum in a city so far away.
Govan believes that LACMA should enlarge its cultural influence instead of its physical footprint, according to Jessica Gelt, who covers art and culture for the LA Times.
“He said the 21st century idea is to build infrastructure in other communities and long-term relationships. So he's calling that a paradigm shift. And he's been wanting to do that in Los Angeles for quite some time. And now seeing this opportunity with Las Vegas - he called it a sister city - and said that it was the natural next step in that evolution of thinking.”
The new satellite museum will be housed at Symphony Park, the city’s cultural center, inside a 90,000-square-foot, three-story building expected to open in 2028. The projected cost is $150 million, which will come from public and private money. Elaine Wynn, art collector and ex-wife of disgraced casino magnate Steve Wynn, is helping lead the fundraising effort. Wynn and Govan are both on the boards of LACMA and the Vegas museum, which Govan claims is not a conflict of interest because the new institution will not maintain its own permanent collection.
However, when the plan went public a few months ago, many online critics asked why LA County should subsidize Clark County. While LA County isn’t on the hook financially for the new project, LA Times Art Critic Christopher Knight published a commentary on Monday claiming these satellites “dilute the powerful experience of a global art museum to questionable effect.”
Gelt adds, “[Knight] was questioning: If we're sending, from Los Angeles, a bunch of our best art to Las Vegas, then Los Angeles residents are missing out. And if instead we're sending second-tier art to Las Vegas, then Las Vegas residents are missing out. And he just said that basically, it was just a completely misguided idea, and should not be embarked upon it all.”
And while Govan believes art in LACMA’s collection should not sit in storage, Knight argues that many artworks are light-sensitive and delicate and thus belong in secure facilities.
In response to criticism, Govan told the LA Times he views the collaboration as a win-win, pointing to donors who are considering gifting their art to LACMA: “They'll ask where that art will be seen. And the more places he's able to list, including Las Vegas and other regional partners in Los Angeles County, the more eager people are to donate. And he said that he's tested the proposition and that it's true. He felt that this agreement would actually help him shore up an even better collection for Los Angeles County.”