MOCA finally names new director after lengthy search, years of leadership turmoil

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles has officially announced new leadership to fill roles that have been vacant amid a period of instability. According to a direct announcement from The Museum of Contemporary Art, the institution has named Jonathan Abbott as CEO and Maurice Marciano as Director. This dual appointment marks a significant transition for the museum as it seeks to establish a stable administrative foundation. Coverage of the appointment emphasizes the unconventional background of the new leadership. Both Artnet News and The Art Newspaper highlight that Jonathan Abbott is a longtime public media executive, with The New York Times also characterizing him as a former public media leader.

Artforum and MyNewsLA.com focused on the specific titles assigned, confirming Abbott's role as the lead for the museum. The selection of a media executive for the top job was described by Artnet News as a surprise move, suggesting that the museum may be pivoting its strategy regarding how it is managed and presented to the public. Context provided by the Los Angeles Times indicates that these appointments follow years of leadership turmoil at the institution. The museum had been conducting a lengthy search to find a suitable replacement to guide the organization. This history of instability explains why the appointment is viewed as a pivotal moment for the Los Angeles art scene.

The decision to bring in an executive from the public media sector rather than a traditional museum curator or art historian reflects the specific challenges the museum has faced during its period of leadership vacuum. Moving forward, the focus will be on how Jonathan Abbott and Maurice Marciano implement their vision for the museum. While the coverage does not yet specify the immediate programmatic changes they intend to make, the appointment of a CEO and Director simultaneously suggests a restructured approach to governance. Stakeholders and the public will be watching to see if the experience of a public media leader can resolve the turmoil noted by the Los Angeles Times. Further details regarding the specific terms of their tenure or their first official initiatives have not yet been detailed in the reported coverage.