L.A. exploded into a world art capital. I was lucky to be here to witness it
Christopher Knight | LA Times | 1st December 2025
In his final column a renowned critic contemplates how LA became an art world capital. He offers a three-part dynamic. Artists who previously would have gone to New York stayed in LA, attracted by affordable studio space. Then, in 1982 Getty was transformed when it became the world’s most richly endowed museum, thus drawing some media attention toward fine art. Lastly, LA’s contemporary museum, MOCA, opened in 1983. Will art critics be around to write about what comes next? “That’s anyone’s guess.”