There have been some recent shifts in the LA contemporary art scene with the departure of Paul Schimmel from MOCA and the resignation of John Baldessari, Barbara Kruger, and Catherine Opie from the museum board.  Now joining the list is Margo Leavin who will be closing her Los Angeles gallery, Margo Leavin Gallery, next month.

According to the LA Times:

Leavin said when she first opened the gallery, “there was a feeling that L.A. was a pioneer territory” for artists. These days, she is concerned about the effect of problems at the Museum of Contemporary Art — which has seen a shake-up in leadership — on the larger art scene.

“Museums need knowledgeable people and it’s not happening at MOCA,” she said.

Leavin also commented on the shift of the art market and that people do not respond to gallery exhibitions in the same way as they used to with more and more alternative spaces popping up. Leavin also feels that the international art fair circuit has become increasingly important and not in a good way because it is all about flash and publicity.

“It’s not the way we like to do business. To produce works for an art fair is just not what our artists do.”

Margo Leavin Gallery will remain open until September 30 and then will be open by appointment only through the next year. The current show (also the last) is a group exhibition titled “Arctic Summer” and features works by John Baldessari, Joseph Kosuth, William Leavitt and others.

To read the complete article, please visit: www.latimes.com.

For more information about Margo Leavin Gallery, please visit: www.margoleavin.com.