On Thursday, November 4, 2010, Los Angeles artists, patrons of the arts, and civic and cultural leaders came together at the Soho House in West Hollywood to discuss the newest developments in Los Angeles' upcoming Pacific Standard Time: Art In Los Angeles 1945-1980. Deborah Marrow, Interim President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, stated that Thursday's event was held to "start the clock ticking" and begin the countdown until Pacific Standard Time opens all over Southern California in October of 2011. The large-scale project aims to showcase L.A.'s emergence as a heavyweight in the art world from 1945-1980.
In addressing Thursday's event attendees, Marrow declared that Pacific Standard Time has grown from a relatively small-scale project aimed at protecting and documenting the history of LA Art into "the most comprehensive collaboration by cultural institutions in Southern California, or maybe anywhere." Marrow noted that over fifty institutions will come together to collectively tell the story of the LA art scene's birth and growth through installations, exhibitions and performances highlighting Los Angeles art and art history. (To see examples of works from upcoming exhibitions, see below.)
The Getty Foundation has helped initiate $10 million worth of grants so that museums like the Getty Museum, LACMA, and MOCA, as well as cultural institutions like the LA Philharmonic, and various other art galleries, performance spaces, and restaurants will participate in the upcoming six-month long celebration of Los Angeles art. Pacific Standard Time will extend to Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Palm Springs as well.
Annie Philbin, director of the Hammer Museum, stated with enthusiasm that Pacific Standard Time will also honor Los Angeles' rich history of the Performing Arts with a ten day performance and public arts festival that will extend "from Malibu to Watts, from downtown to the desert."
For a city so diverse and rich in creativity, Pacific Standard Time serves as the first truly comprehensive documentation and celebration of Los Angeles' cultural achievements. Marrow stated that, "as we start marking the days toward the opening, the excitement about Pacific Standard Time continues to grow, and so does the project itself," adding "the story of Pacific Standard Time is so big, it needs this region-wide collaboration to tell it."
For more information about Pacific Standard Time and to view the current list of participating institutions, visit www.pacificstandardtime.org.