Ald. Ed Burke (14th) chairman of the Finance Committee, today increased the pressure on the Art Institute of Chicago say it isn’t affordable for many city residents.

The fee increase, which takes effect May 23, will increase general admission to $18 from $12, and student and senior admission to $12 from $7. But the museum notes that, unlike now, the new fees will include the costs of exhibitions.

”If they want to be a private institution and do whatever they want, that’s fine,” Burke said. “Once they accept taxpayer dollars, it’s a different story.”

Read more at the Chicago Tribune report.

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The Tate Modern after 5 years of looking like Pre-War Factory from the outside (after research it should since it was a retrofit power Station) will thanks to the architectural design firm Herzog & de Meuron actually have a look that resembles the inside.

The £100 million-plus expansion is designed to increase the space by up to 60 per cent for more displays and to help relieve overcrowding. The wing is scheduled to be completed by 2011

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Chicago artist Mark Staff Brandl’s traveling art exhibition “Out of Sequence” which was most recently opened at the Belmar Laboratory of Art and Ideas museum near Denver, Colorado is now almost out of art. One of the key works which was of a standard comic book spinning rack with 31 hand panted works sitting in the slots had 26 of which stolen during the opening night festivities. 12 of which have since been returned but 14 are still lost. More can be read and followed on at the post on Sharkforum.

Good thing the show didn’t open on May 2nd or it could have been worse.

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We all saw this coming: Jeremy Strick to resign…or not?
“One member of the museum’s Board of Trustees, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Strick had resigned during a ‘tearful’ scene at a meeting of the board. A MOCA spokeswoman, however, denied that…”

It sounds as if the board might accept Eli Broads offer.
“The agreement, which the board voted on at a long meeting Thursday afternoon, is not final and is subject to numerous conditions, including Mr. Broad’s examinations of the museum’s financial accounts, according to the people, two of whom attended the meeting on Thursday.”

Los Angeles mayor Villaraigosa makes a plea to MOCA
“His letter to board co-chairmen Tom Unterman and David Johnson asks that the board take time to thoroughly review its options and set aside 30 days to allow the public an opportunity to provide input before a decision is made.”

Eli Broad asks LACMA to show him the money.
“The question, he said, is which bailout carries a stronger guarantee of secure funding for MOCA’s endowment and exhibitions: his $30-million offer or LACMA’s merger proposal, to which no price tag has been publicly attached.”

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Eli Broad at BCAM

Last week I reblogged that LA’s MOCA was having some serious financial problems. Here is a brief recap of last week’s events.

Following the report of MOCA’s woes Jeremy Strick sent an e -letter in response to the report. In the LA Time’s post a reader points out that MOCA’s 990 statement posted to Guidstar.com shows that Strick not only makes about half a million a year but also that the institution has loaned him about another half mill for a house. The comments are totally worth checking out.

On the 20th art critic Christopher Knight asked the two questions: “Are you freakin’ kidding me? What on Earth do you think you’re doing?”

Then it looked as if MOCA had been looking to LACMA for a bailout.

On Friday Eli Broad, who was a founding chairman for MOCA, had announced that he would be willing to help them out with a $30 million donation if other people would also help.

There have been a lot of good discussions going on Culture Monster’s (not to be confused with C-Monster) posts this past week. Many readers have been blaming the museum’s lack of publicity and what some have claimed to be too high of salaries for it’s directors. In the past 5 years or so MOCA has had some really big shows. They had the Warhol Retrospective in 2002, the Basquiat retro in 2005, Masters of American Comics in 2005, WACK in 2007, and Murakami’s huge show this past summer, all of which were packed when I saw them (I am from LA). Maybe they do not have as many visitors as the Art Institute but I’m sure their attendance rate is not hurting so bad, maybe I’m wrong. It just seems that all of this comes down to horrible financial planning and poor fundraising. If Broad does help them out, what is MOCA going to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?

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