LACMA marks a new era, with the ribbon-cutting of David Geffen's Galleries.
WestHollywoodToday.blogspot CA
April 20 2026
By Karen Ostlund
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| (Left) Congresswoman Laura Friedman, LACMA board co-chair
Willow Bay, former L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, L.A. City
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell,
LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan, architect Peter
Zumthor, Clark Construction division president Carlos González, Buro
Happold principal Ron Elad, SOM partner Eric Long, LACMA SVP LJ Hartman,
SOM partner Carol Ann Ruiz at the
ribbon-cutting, 10AM, April 19 2026 of LACMA's David Geffen Galleries. |
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) officially opened the new David Geffen Galleries, designed by Peter Zumthor, on April 19, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The 900-foot-long, elevated building, marks a major 20-year expansion. Members will enjoy priority access from April 19 to May 3, followed by full public opening, May 4.
After the ribbon was cut, LACMA began welcoming visitors into the long-awaited
David Geffen Galleries, the museum’s new home for its permanent collection.
The building’s single exhibition floor, elevated above new outdoor park space and spanning over Wilshire Boulevard.
LACMA presents its new collection free from hierarchies, without giving precedence to
any culture, tradition, or era. Departing from traditional narratives, the inaugural
installation uses the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.
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| (Gettyimages) From left, Willow Bay, Michael Govan, Holly Mitchell and Peter Zumthor. |
April 19 also marked the launch of Erewhon Cafe at LACMA, situated in the northeast
pavilion on the W.M. Keck Plaza. Erewhon at LACMA is open 11 am–5 pm daily
(closed Wednesdays).
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| Artist Guido Reni, Italy. "Cardinal Roberto Ubaldini 1627" |
“I’m grateful to the whole community of supporters, from the County of Los Angeles
and the City of Los Angeles to the many donors who made the David Geffen Galleries
possible,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director.
“Today marks the beginning of a new era, with the opening of the galleries, millions of visitors will re-discover LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries, a globally diverse collection in conversation with the light and landscape of Los Angeles".
Also participating in the ceremony were Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, co-chair of LACMA’s board of trustees Willow Bay, architect Peter Zumthor, and poet Megan Dorame and artist Mercedes Dorame, who gave a blessing.
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| Artist Manjunath Kamath, India. "Vikatonarva 2024" |
The David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, feature seven semi-transparent, concrete-and-glass pavilions at street level that support an elevated, curved 110,000-square-foot exhibition space. These pavilions include a 300 seat theater, educational facilities, restaurants, a shop, and public amenities while integrating with a landscaped plaza and art installations. The seven, 30-foot-tall pavilions support a massive, horizontal, elevated gallery that spans across Wilshire Boulevard.
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| Jeff Koons' Split-Rocker is a made with over 50,000 live flowers and plants on a steel structure, which features a split horse and dinosaur design. |
The new ground level plaza includes outdoor art; a 37-foot-tall "Split-Rocker" sculpture by Jeff Koons, a fountain by Alexander Calder and a 18-foot stone carving by Pedro Reyes.
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| A restored 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2, formerly owned by designer Raymond Loewy, is featured in the new David Geffen Galleries. |
The Elaine Wynn Wing is the northern section of the new David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, named in recognition of a $50 million leadership contribution from trustee and board co-chair Elaine Wynn. It is part of the Peter Zumthor-designed, 3.5-acre building.
The key art of the Elaine Wynn Wing is the $142-million Francis Bacon triptych, Three Studies of Lucian Freud, which was donated to the museum from her collection.
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| Artist Pablo Picasso, Spain. "Woman Crowned With Flowers 1939" and "Head 1909" |
The Ressler Family Wing is the south wing of the new David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), named in recognition of a $50 million donation from actress Jami Gertz and her husband, Ares Management founder Tony Ressler.
The Ressler Family Wing features a major portion of LACMA's permanent collection, arranged geographically. It includes a new, multi-use Steve Tisch Theater for films, lectures, and performances. Tony Ressler is a longtime LACMA board co-chair who played a central role in financing the $700+ million redevelopment project.
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| Artist John Cheere, England. "The Capitoline, Flora and Isis 1767" |
Beginning May 3, the W.M. Keck Education Center Gallery on the plaza level will
host a new exhibition series devoted to working with contemporary artists. For the
inaugural exhibition, LACMA will present Christina Quarles’s Now We're There (And
We' Only Just Begun) (2023). Based in Los Angeles, Quarles is known for large-
scale canvases that explore what it feels like to inhabit a body shaped by identity and
lived experience.
Now We're There (And We' Only Just Begun), was recently acquired by LACMA, which features luminous, shape-shifting figures that invite visitors to consider how we understand ourselves and how we are perceived by others. The presentation will be accompanied by family-friendly workshops with the artist.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art LACMA.org
Location: 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036.
