LACMA Director Michael Govan

Hate Away, New Yorkers!

Michael Govan is director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Before participating in a panel on how L.A’s art museums can thrive, he revealed in the Zócalo green room that he just might prefer to be a museum visitor to a museum director—and that he’s still pretty mesmerized by LACMA’s giant rock.

Q:

What item would you bid for on eBay?


A:

I would find a secret great work of art.


Q:

What’s your favorite type of rock?


A:

Isn’t that obvious?


Q:

What’s the last thing to expire in your fridge?


A:

Rose’s lime juice.


Q:

What is your biggest weakness?


A:

So many … too many to count.


Q:

Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Sunday morning?


A:

Any part of the world is possible. I might be actually at LACMA early—before the public—on a quiet day, looking at the rock. That’s where I was last before I left.


Q:

What’s the best response to New Yorkers who hate on L.A.?


A:

We don’t need to respond to New Yorkers that hate L.A. anymore. Is that a fair answer?


Q:

What profession would you like to practice in your next life?


A:

I could graduate to being a museum visitor instead of a museum director.


Q:

What do you eat for breakfast?


A:

Coffee and fruit. Espresso.


Q:

What book have you read the most times?


A:

They’re all boring philosophy books. There was one that I just re-read last week, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who wrote The Little Prince: Wind, Sand and Stars.