Los Angeles County Museum of Art

What Los Angeles County Museum of Art does

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit encyclopedic art museum operated by Museum Associates and located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard in the Hancock Park cultural corridor of Los Angeles. Founded as an independent art museum in 1965, LACMA curates and exhibits an encyclopedic permanent collection spanning ancient to contemporary works across global cultures, supported by a digital collections database (collections.lacma.org), an Unframed blog, and standard web analytics infrastructure (Google Analytics). The museum completed a 20-year, $724 million campus transformation in April 2026 with the opening of the David Geffen Galleries, designed by Pritzker laureate Peter Zumthor — a single-story amoeba-shaped concrete building hovering 30 feet over Wilshire Boulevard on seven piers — surrounded by 3.5 acres of free public park featuring signature installations including Chris Burden's 'Urban Light,' Michael Heizer's 'Levitated Mass,' and Jeff Koons's 'Split-Rocker.'

LACMA's programmatic portfolio centers on exhibitions, the Art + Technology Lab (extended with Hyundai through 2037), docent-led tours, research libraries, fellowships, and the free NexGenLA youth membership program serving 270,000+ LA County children 17 and under. Recent curatorial highlights include Beeple's interactive generative-AI sculpture 'Diffuse Control' (December 2025), a 'Why We Play' sports-culture event series tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics, and major collection additions including 130+ Austrian Expressionist works from the Kallir family, the Elaine Wynn bequest of Francis Bacon's 'Three Studies of Lucian Freud,' and a Pearlman Foundation Impressionist/Post-Impressionist gift shared with MoMA and Brooklyn Museum. A new 300-seat Steve Tisch Theater and expanded event venues (Restaurant Patio, East West Bank Commons, Forum, Terrace, Café Patio) open in 2026, while the Local Access program extends LACMA exhibitions to partner museums across LA County.

LACMA's revenue model combines earned income — membership dues across tiers, timed-entry ticket sales, the on-site LACMA Store, Erewhon café, facility rentals, and image licensing through Art Resource Inc. — with contributed income from corporate sponsors (Gucci as Art+Film Gala presenting sponsor since 2011, Hyundai through 2037, Genesis) and high-net-worth philanthropy. The annual Art+Film Gala co-chaired by Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio raised $6.4M in 2024, $6.5M in 2025, and a record ~$11.5M for the 2026 Opening Gala; the Collectors Committee Weekend raised $2.5M+ from 62 members in 2025. Operating revenue is not publicly disclosed. Governance is via a board of 58 voting trustees plus 8 life trustees, with Willow Bay elected Co-Chair in February 2026; day-to-day leadership is held by CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan, alongside CFO Ann Rowland and COO Diana Vesga.

Name

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Legal name

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (operated by Museum Associates, a California 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation)

Website

https://lacma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a nonprofit encyclopedic art museum in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, operating the new David Geffen Galleries, serving 270,000+ youth members via NexGenLA, and generating revenue through admissions, memberships, corporate sponsorships, fundraising galas, retail, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Art museum
• Cultural exhibitions
• Museum membership
• Art education
• Venue rental events

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: LACMA generates revenue through various membership tiers offering free admission, guest passes, discounts, and exclusive access. The NexGenLA program provides free youth membership for LA County residents.
2. Admission Tickets: Revenue from timed-entry ticket sales for general museum admission and special exhibitions.
3. Art+Film Gala: Annual high-profile fundraising event raising $6.4-$11.5 million per year through table sales, donations, and corporate sponsorships. 2024 raised $6.4M, 2025 raised nearly $6.5M, 2026 gala raised nearly $11.5M.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Ongoing partnerships with corporate sponsors including Gucci (Art+Film Gala presenting sponsor since 2011), Hyundai (Art + Technology Lab), and others for exhibitions and programs.
5. Collectors Committee Weekend: Annual fundraiser where 62 members raised over $2.5 million for art acquisitions in 2025, enabling major collection additions.
6. Facility Rentals and Events: Private events, filming, photography, and venue rentals including new event spaces opening in 2026 (Restaurant Patio, Forum, Terrace, Steve Tisch Theater with 300 seats).
7. LACMA Store and Dining: Retail merchandise including exhibition catalogues, books, posters, and the Erewhon organic café and marketplace.
8. Image Licensing: Rights and Reproductions department manages photography orders and reproduction permissions for collection images, with Art Resource Inc. as exclusive worldwide image rights representative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, operating an encyclopedic permanent collection displayed across the new $724 million David Geffen Galleries (opened April 2026). It sells timed-entry admission tickets, memberships (including the free NexGenLA youth program with 270,000+ members), exhibition programming, educational tours, venue rentals, retail merchandise through the LACMA Store, and dining via the on-site Erewhon café, funded by corporate sponsorships (Hyundai, Gucci) and major donor gifts.

Product overview

LACMA operates as a unified museum offering a broad portfolio of cultural programs and services. The centerpiece is the new David Geffen Galleries (opened April 2026), a $724 million building by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor that houses the permanent collection. Supporting programs include the Art + Tech Lab (extended partnership with Hyundai through 2037), educational initiatives like NexGenLA (free youth membership with 270,000+ members), docent-led tours, the LACMA Store, and dining through Erewhon at LACMA. Event services include private venue rentals, filming, and the new 300-seat Steve Tisch Theater. Cultural programming encompasses Jazz at LACMA, the 'Why We Play' sports series, and Third Weekends events. LACMA also offers research library access and special exhibitions like Beeple's AI-powered 'Diffuse Control' installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NexGenLA: Free museum membership program for children 17 years and younger who live in Los Angeles County, offering free admission and engaging art programs.
• Art + Technology Lab
• Art+Film Gala
• The LACMA Store
• Jazz at LACMA
• Third Weekends at LACMA

Products and services

• David Geffen Galleries The new $724 million flagship building of LACMA, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, housing the permanent collection. The amoeba-shaped concrete building hovers 30 feet over Wilshire Boulevard on seven massive piers and features labyrinthine galleries.
• NexGenLA Free Youth Membership Free museum membership program for children 17 years and younger who live in Los Angeles County. Members receive free admission and may bring one guest for free, plus discounts on art classes and camps. The program has over 270,000 members.
• Art + Technology Lab LACMA's laboratory focused on the intersection of art and technology, supporting exhibitions, scholarship, and art technology projects. The program has been extended through partnership with Hyundai Motor until 2037.
• Private Events and Venue Rentals Event hosting services including dinners, receptions, cocktail parties, filming, photography, and private after-hours tours at LACMA's campus. Includes new 2026 venues such as the Steve Tisch Theater (300 seats).
• LACMA Store The museum's retail store offering LACMA-developed catalogues, publications, books, posters, and merchandise reflecting the museum's collections and exhibitions.
• Docent-Led Tours Free docent-led tours offered most days the museum is open, covering various subjects from entire exhibitions to single works of art.
• General Admission and Exhibition Tickets Timed-entry ticket sales for general museum admission and special exhibitions, sold online or on-site at the Smidt Welcome Plaza ticket office.
• Research Libraries The Balch Research Library provides access to research materials, exhibition catalogs, periodicals, artist files, and online resources for scholars and visitors. Library is non-circulating but open to all for consultation.
• Why We Play Event Series An event series exploring the cultural impact of sports since the 1890s, launched in partnership with the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, coinciding with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
• Diffuse Control by Beeple AI Sculpture Installation Interactive AI-powered kinetic video sculpture featuring 12 synchronized video screens in a polished aluminum structure. Uses custom AI models and real-time user interaction to generate continuously evolving video content from LACMA's permanent collection.
• Image Licensing (Rights and Reproductions) LACMA's Rights and Reproductions department manages photography orders and reproduction permissions for collection images, with Art Resource Inc. as exclusive worldwide image rights representative.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ attendees at Grand Opening Weekend events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ErewhonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 April 2026Los Angeles organic grocery market operates a new café at LACMA offering organic coffee, matcha, pastries, signature smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and grab-and-go meals.
• Hyundai Motor CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Hyundai and LACMA extended their partnership until 2037, supporting exhibitions, scholarship, and art technology projects. The collaboration includes new initiatives such as a biennial exhibition series beginning in 2028 and expanded Art + Technology Lab programming. This represents the longest and largest programmatic commitment from a corporate supporter in LACMA's history.
• GenesisminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 November 2025New multi-year partnership announced for joint cultural programming and initiatives.
• GuccicoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Gucci serves as presenting sponsor of the annual Art+Film Gala since its inception in 2011. The luxury house has also collaborated on 'The Art of Silk' project creating exclusive Flora scarves for LACMA's David Geffen Galleries opening.
• Art BridgesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Art Bridges' Cohort Program supports LACMA's Local Access initiative, which brings exhibitions from LACMA's permanent collection to partner institutions across Los Angeles County.
• Kamasi WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025Acclaimed saxophonist performed 'Harmony of Difference' with a 100+ member ensemble across 110,000 square feet of gallery space as the first public program in the new David Geffen Galleries.
• Hammer MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2024Joint collection partnership with Hammer Museum and MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) to establish MAC3, a jointly owned collection of contemporary art by Los Angeles artists, seeded through 260 artworks from the Jarl and Pamela Mohn collection.
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2024Joint collection partnership with Hammer Museum and LACMA to establish MAC3, a jointly owned collection of contemporary art by Los Angeles artists.
• Peter ZumthorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect who designed the new David Geffen Galleries. The amoeba-shaped concrete building hovers 30 feet over Wilshire Boulevard on seven massive piers, featuring labyrinthine galleries designed for an encyclopedic art museum.
• Skidmore, Owings & MerrillcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with LACMA Director Michael Govan to navigate seismic requirements and American building codes for the David Geffen Galleries construction.
• California State University, Dominguez Hills University Art GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner museum in LACMA's Local Access program bringing exhibitions to communities across LA County.
• Millard Sheets Art CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution at the L.A. County Fair in LACMA's Local Access program.
• Ontario Museum of History & ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner museum in LACMA's Local Access program.
• Vincent Price Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution at East Los Angeles College hosting LACMA's exhibition 'Act on It! Artists, Community, and the Brockman Gallery in Los Angeles.'
• Jeffrey DeitchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallerist who collaborated with LACMA to host the first-ever Los Angeles Art Parade along Wilshire Boulevard as part of LACMA's Grand Opening Weekend.
• Art Resource, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLACMA's exclusive worldwide image rights representative. Parties wishing to use Protected Content for purposes beyond limited personal use must request prior written approval through Art Resource.
• Clark ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for the David Geffen Galleries construction project, working to provide a safe work environment per Cal/OSHA standards.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Getty Center: Los Angeles's other major encyclopedic art institution with significant endowment, major donor base, and overlapping programming. Direct competitor for LA tourism, donors, and exhibition attention.
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles: LA-based contemporary art museum already partnered with LACMA via the MAC3 joint collection. Overlaps in contemporary programming and shares the same donor and visitor base.
• Hammer Museum: UCLA-affiliated LA art museum and MAC3 partner institution. Direct competitor for contemporary programming, exhibitions, and LA-based donors and visitors.
• The Broad: LA-based contemporary art museum with free general admission, competing directly for visitors and attention in the downtown LA cultural corridor.

Regional players

• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: Located on the same LACMA campus in Hancock Park, sharing foot traffic and visitors but focused on film rather than fine art. Operates as a complementary rather than competing institution.
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA): Major West Coast modern/contemporary art museum with overlapping donor pools on the Pacific coast. Comparable scale and contemporary programming focus.

Broad incumbents

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The largest encyclopedic art museum in the US and LACMA's primary national peer. Comparable scale of permanent collection, donor programs, and special exhibitions.
• Art Institute of Chicago: Major encyclopedic art museum with comparable collection breadth, membership model, and blockbuster exhibition programming. Direct national peer in scope and donor strategy.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Large encyclopedic US art museum with comparable collection breadth, educational programming, and major donor fundraising infrastructure.

Others

• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Originally co-located with LACMA before separating in 1965. Shares the LA County nonprofit cultural ecosystem and visitor base but operates in natural history rather than fine art.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lacma
• Instagraminstagram.com/lacma
• Facebookfacebook.com/LACMA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/164767

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Los Angeles County Museum of Art