| NEWS 06.03.09 10:39 AM |
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| At Financially Troubled MOCA, Event Chief Vanessa Gonzalez Is Out After Nine Years |
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Vanessa Gonzalez handled events at MOCA for nine years, including high-profile bashes like the Takashi Murakami gala in 2007.
Photo: Christine Fessenden/Chic Photography for BizBash
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Last week, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, which has experienced well-documented financial troubles, announced a balanced budget for the 2009 fiscal year—but cut four exhibitions and 17 employees (in addition to cuts already made in January) in restructuring efforts to help guarantee a balanced budget for its 2010 fiscal year.
The museum's head of events, Vanessa Gonzalez, left the institution at the end of last week, after nine years of handling events there. The museum—which has a recent history of eye-catching, buzz-generating events under Gonzalez, like the 2007 gala for the Takashi Murakami exhibit—no longer has a dedicated event department.
“Every position within each department within the museum was considered prior to recent layoffs and, given the need to cut the budget, the museum determined that it was unable to sustain all existing positions,” the museum’s director of communications, Lyn Winter, wrote in an email. “As part of these cost-saving measures, the museum has also adjusted the quantity of temporary exhibitions, which has impacted the amount of events MOCA will host. Cari Abrams, MOCA assistant director of operations, will oversee all MOCA’s on-site events.” A call to Abrams’ office was not immediately returned.
Remaining staffers agreed to a benefit reduction and a pay cut or reduction in hours. The measures will reduce MOCA’s annual expenditures from approximately $20 million to $15.5 million, according to a release distributed by the museum.
Winter further stated that the upcoming MOCA gala in celebration of the museum’s 30th anniversary and the opening of “Collection: The First 30 Years,” the largest-ever chronologically organized exhibition of MOCA’s permanent collection, is scheduled for November 14 at MOCA Grand Avenue.
Some speculate that with the expanded importance of the permanent collection over exhibitions, there may not be much room for large-scale events that often promote new shows and raise funds.
Gonzalez is moving forward with unspecified independent projects. "I will be working independently and collaboratively within the event, fashion, and entertainment industry. I’m extremely excited to be able to focus full-time on some incredible projects and opportunities, some of which I have already been working on," said Gonzalez. "I’ve wanted to branch out for quite some time. Ironically, my departure from MOCA came at the most opportune moment."
—Alesandra Dubin
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