David Geffen Galleries Debut at LACMA: A New Era for Art

By Darren Smith, Arts Reporter

April 14, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Hollywood glamour met contemporary art Thursday evening as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosted its opening gala for the long-awaited David Geffen Galleries, drawing a constellation of film stars, artists, and cultural leaders to mark a pivotal moment in the institution’s two-decade transformation.

The invitation-only event, held April 16, 2026, offered an exclusive first look at the new 110,000-square-foot building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Elevated 30 feet above Wilshire Boulevard, the curvaceous concrete-and-glass structure replaces older buildings and now serves as the primary home for LACMA’s permanent collection of more than 150,000 works.

Attendees included filmmaker George Lucas, artist Ed Ruscha, sculptor Jeff Koons, and actress Lori Loughlin, alongside other notables such as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Paris Hilton, Will Ferrell, and musician Kamasi Washington. The star-studded gathering reflected the seamless blend of Los Angeles’ entertainment and visual arts worlds, with guests mingling amid the galleries’ inaugural installation of approximately 1,700 artworks.

The David Geffen Galleries, funded in part by a $150 million gift from entertainment mogul David Geffen, represent the centerpiece of LACMA’s campus overhaul. Total project costs reached nearly $724 million. The single-level, 900-foot-long building features continuous glass walls that bathe the interior in natural light while maintaining visual connections to the surrounding city and park landscape. Zumthor’s design emphasizes fluidity, with no prescribed path through the galleries, encouraging visitors to discover unexpected juxtapositions of art from different eras and cultures.

Inside, the inaugural display organizes works thematically around the world’s oceans — Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and Mediterranean — rather than by traditional chronology or medium. This innovative approach spans more than 6,000 years of human creativity, from ancient sculptures and European old masters to modern and contemporary pieces. Highlights include new commissions such as Todd Gray’s photographic assemblage “Octavia’s Gaze” (2025), Pedro Reyes’ monumental stone carving “Tlali” (2026), and light installations by Diana Thater. Outdoor sculptures, including Jeff Koons’ massive floral “Split-Rocker” (2000), anchor the grounds and interact visually with the building’s sweeping form.

Director Michael Govan, who has guided the project for nearly 20 years, described the galleries as a “revolutionary” space that rethinks how encyclopedic museums present their collections. “The building invites dialogue across time and geography,” Govan noted during preparations. The elevated design and expansive windows ensure that art and architecture remain in constant conversation with Los Angeles itself.

The gala, presented by Genesis with additional support from East West Bank and Gucci, featured elegant tables and high-profile seating. Proceeds benefit LACMA’s programming and future acquisitions. Following the private event, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, with two weeks of priority access for members through May 3. The galleries will open to the general public on May 4, 2026.

Critics and supporters alike have debated the project’s ambitious scale and cost, yet the completed installation has drawn early praise for its luminous interiors and thoughtful curatorial vision. The continuous flow of spaces allows familiar favorites — such as works by Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh acquisitions, and Georges de La Tour paintings — to sit alongside recent commissions by artists including Lauren Halsey and Tavares Strachan.

As Los Angeles cements its position as a global cultural capital, the David Geffen Galleries signal a bold new chapter for LACMA. The building not only expands exhibition capacity but also aims to make the museum experience more immersive and democratic, free from rigid historical divisions.

Guests departed the gala with a sense of anticipation for the public opening. For many, the evening represented more than a celebration of new architecture — it marked the realization of a vision that positions art at the heart of civic life in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

Darren Smith is an Arts Reporter at Art Chain News covering contemporary art, digital art and NFTs, body art, and the intersections between these fields.