The "spider" escalator of the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum was red, the fire escapes were red, Charles Ray's 46 1/2-foot "Firetruck" was red. And for one star-studded night, even the carpet was red. BCAM, as Italian architect Renzo Piano's travertine-clad creation is known, was all the buzz.
After years of operating in undeserved anonymity, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art had its big moment in the sun -- or starlight -- Saturday night. More than 1,100 prominent entertainment industry figures, artists, executives and civic leaders gathered for the grand opening. Taiko drums heralded the first arrivals, and the guests mingled with stilt-walkers in elaborate costumes.
With the splashy gala, LACMA suddenly finds itself relaunched among the world's notable museums.
Maria Shriver, wearing a long gown in shades of gray, white and black with a tulle overskirt and a short charcoal gray jacket, praised the new building. "When you have a museum like this it becomes a destination museum," she said. California's first lady was later joined by her husband, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Saturday's festivities, featuring dinnertime entertainment by Lionel Richie, capped several days of kickoff events. As darkness fell, Hollywood luminaries began arriving with a fanfare akin to that of Oscar night.
Actress Rita Wilson, elegant in a pleated ivory Lanvin dress, said, "I think anything like this is great for Los Angeles. L.A. has amazing museums, but it's not what you come here to see. People go to Disneyland."
With tables costing $25,000 (silver), $50,000 (gold) or $100,000 (platinum), the event reportedly raised more than $5 million. The guest list included a who's who of museum directors: Nicholas Serota of Britain's Tate Gallery, Earl A. "Rusty" Powell III of the National Gallery of Art (and former LACMA director), Thomas Krens of Guggenheim Museums Worldwide and, from close to home, leaders of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Getty, the Hammer and other local institutions.
Mingling with them were artists from the local scene and elsewhere: John Baldessari, Chris Burden, Damien Hirst, Ellsworth Kelly, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Richard Serra, Ed Ruscha. All have works displayed in BCAM.
As LACMA director Michael Govan made clear last week to anyone within listening distance, this is certainly a museum transformed -- physically and artistically.
