Hammer Museum
The Hammer Museum, which is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, is an art museum and cultural center known for its artist-centric and progressive array of exhibitions and public programs. Founded in 1990 by the entrepreneur-industrialist Armand Hammer to house his personal art collection, the museum has since expanded its scope to become "the hippest and most culturally relevant institution in town."[1] Particularly important among the museum's critically acclaimed exhibitions are presentations of both historically overlooked and emerging contemporary artists. The Hammer Museum also hosts over 300 programs throughout the year, from lectures, symposia, and readings to concerts and film screenings. As of February 2014, the museum's collections, exhibitions, and programs are completely free to all visitors.[2][3][4]
For the collection of hammers, see Hammer Museum (Haines, Alaska).Established
1990
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90024 (by UCLA campus)
Management[edit]
Directors[edit]
In 1994, Henry Hopkins, then director of the Wight gallery and professor in the Department of Art at UCLA, became director of the museum. He served in that position until his retirement in 1998.[76] In 1999 Ann Philbin, previously director of The Drawing Center in New York, was named director and still serves as director today.
Board of Directors and Board of Overseers[edit]
The Hammer Museum was founded by Dr. Armand Hammer. Michael Armand Hammer is Chairman Emeritus, and Armie Hammer and Viktor Armand Hammer are Honorary Directors. Michael Rubel serves as President, Nelson C. Rising serves as Vice President, and Steven A. Olsen serves as Treasurer. Under Chair Marcy Carsey, the Hammer's Board of Directors also includes Heather R. Axe, Renée Becnel, Gene Block, Lloyd E. Cotsen, Eric Esrailian, Erika J. Glazer, Manuela Herzer, Larry Marx, Anthony Pritzker, Lee Ramer, Kevin L. Ratner, Chip Rosenbloom, Steven P. Song, John V. Tunney, Kevin Wall, John Walsh, and Christopher A. Waterman.[77] Members of the Board of Overseers include artists Barbara Kruger and Lari Pittman. The museum does not disclose its annual board membership dues.
Funding[edit]
In 1994, the Regents of the University of California entered into a 99-year operating agreement with the Armand Hammer Foundation[67] and assumed management of the Hammer Museum, with the foundation retaining some control, including a "reversionary clause,"[73] granting the foundation rights to reclaim the art collection and some of the endowment funds. The museum had long desired to eliminate these clauses. Operating money came from a bond portfolio, UCLA's existing art budgets, private donations, and revenue from the museum.[73] In 2009, the museum operates on an annual operating budget of $14 million, 10% to 12% of which comes from the university. By the fiscal year 2011, its budget of $16 million surpassed that of the much larger Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.[74]
On January 19, 2007, the Hammer Museum and the Armand Hammer Foundation agreed to dissolve their relationship, dividing the remaining 195 objects which founded the museum; the foundation retaining 92 paintings valued at $55 million, while the museum retaining 103 objects, valued at $250 million. By 2020, the museum will use its bond portfolio, valued at about $55 million, to purchase the building that houses the museum and Occidental's former headquarters.[73]
In addition, the Hammer Museum's annual Gala in the Garden serves as a fundraiser for the museum. The 2019 edition raised $2.7 million.[78] Recent museum honorees include Robert Gober, Tony Kushner, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Judy Chicago, Jordan Peele and Charles Gaines and Chase Strangio.[79] [80] [81]
Attendance[edit]
At the Hammer Museum, 2010 attendance was an estimated 175,000, up from 150,000 in 2009.[82] As of 2013, annual attendance for permanent collection, special exhibitions and programs stands at about 200,000.[4] The museum does not provide exact figures as it does not have a computerized ticketing system.[82] According to the museum's director Ann Philbin, the museum has "defined our primary audience as artists".[1] Visitor numbers are also not limited to the Hammer's own box office but might also include people around the world who log on to the museum's Web site to view podcasts of public programs, or visit travelling exhibitions which the Hammer organized.[83]
Deaccessioning[edit]
In 1994, the Hammer Museum made headlines by selling Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester to Microsoft founder Bill Gates for $30.8 million. The Codex Leicester was one of Dr. Hammer's proudest acquisitions, purchased in 1980 for $5.12 million, and one which he unsuccessfully tried to rename the Codex Hammer.[84] Most museums have collection guidelines for deaccessing art, which require the revenue from sales to be used for future acquisitions. The Hammer Museum instead sold the 72-page scientific notebook to fund the museum's exhibitions and programs.