Michael Govan

Chief Executive and Director

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

THE LATEST: LACMA is in the process of building a new, state-of-the-art facility for its permanent collection. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the building will cost a reported $750 million. In January, the museum announced it had secured a $50 million pledge from the Los Angeles-based W.M. Keck Foundation, raising total commitments to $640 million. Critics of the plan have noted the new building will have 10, 000 square feet less than the current museum layout. LACMA plans to open the new building in 2024.

BACKGROUND: Govan joined the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as chief executive officer and Wallis Annenberg director in 2006. In the role, Govan oversees art programming as well as the ongoing expansion and upgrade of the museum's 20-acre campus. During his tenure, LACMA has acquired more than 56,000 works for the permanent collection, doubled gallery space and programs, and more than doubled its average attendance to over 1 million visitors annually.

YEARS ON THE LA500: 5

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