Following a worldwide search led by a 14-member committee, The Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) announced in January that it has voted unanimously to appoint Philippe Vergne as the museum's director. Vergne succeeds Jeffrey Deitch, who resigned from MOCA in July 2013.
MOCA is the only independent, artist-founded museum in Los Angeles dedicated solely to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art and has one of the most important collections of contemporary art in the world now comprising more than 6800 objects, a history of diverse, ground-breaking and scholarly exhibitions, many of which have travelled internationally, three Los Angeles locations of architectural renown, and a stronger financial base than ever before in its history.
Philippe Vergne who most recently served for five years as director of the Dia Art Foundation, New York has built an international reputation as a successful and committed museum leader with a deep knowledge of contemporary art, a respected curatorial vision, close relationships with artists and the international contemporary art community and strong fundraising skills. Prior to leading the Dia Foundation, Vergne held leadership roles as Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where he worked for over a decade organizing more than 25 international exhibitions as well as artist residencies and the Herzog & de Meuron facility expansion; as Director of the Francois Pinault Foundation in Paris; and as Director of the Musée d'art Contemporain (MAC) in Marseille, France.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), announced that its 35th anniversary gala will be held on Saturday, March 29 at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in celebration of the museum's recent fundraising success, independence and the appointment of MOCA Director Philippe Vergne, welcoming guests from around the world to a preview of the highly-anticipated Los Angeles homecoming exhibition Mike Kelley.