News Release - Hammer Museum and The Huntington Announce Made in L.A. 2020 Partnership

Posted on Thu., Sept. 5, 2019
Exhibition to Take Place at Both Locations
June 7 – Aug. 30, 2020

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Hammer Museum today announced a new partnership with The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens for Made in L.A. 2020, the upcoming edition of the Hammer's acclaimed biennial. The announcement was made by Hammer Director Ann Philbin alongside Karen R. Lawrence, President of The Huntington, during The Huntington's kick-off event for its yearlong centennial celebration. Opening June 7 and running through Aug. 30, Made in L.A. 2020 will take place at both institutions, providing visitors across the region an opportunity to experience the singular exhibition of contemporary art in Los Angeles. Made in L.A. 2020 will debut new installations, videos, films, sculptures, performances, and paintings from Los Angeles–based artists, many commissioned specifically for the exhibition. The Hammer and The Huntington are also pleased to announce that Bank of America will be presenting sponsor for the exhibition.

Made in L.A. 2020 is the fifth iteration of the internationally lauded Hammer biennial, and the second to take place at multiple venues. The biennial’s inaugural 2012 edition presented artists at the Hammer, LAXART, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park, and the Venice Beach Biennial. The 2020 edition seizes on an opportunity to connect an institution on the west side of Los Angeles with one on the east. Partnerships are a focal point of The Huntington’s Centennial Celebration, which will include a yearlong series of exhibitions, public programs, and new initiatives.

Made in L.A. 2020 is cocurated by Tunisian-French writer and curator Myriam Ben Salah and Los Angeles–based curator Lauren Mackler. The Hammer’s Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi is assistant curator for performance.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Huntington on Made in L.A. 2020 to bridge the east and west sides of Los Angeles to highlight the works of art created across the region, with an emphasis on emerging and under-recognized artists,” said Hammer Director Ann Philbin. “This expression of our biennial―which spans roughly 25 miles―offers opportunities for discovery and surprise for Made in L.A. visitors and gives the curators and artists a new platform for experimentation.”

“Creative collaborations are a hallmark of our Centennial Celebration," said Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence. “We will be engaging with our collections as well as with our audiences in exciting new ways. Joining forces with the Hammer for this remarkable exhibition is a perfect example of what we are setting out to do. Made in L.A. celebrates the extraordinary, groundbreaking work of contemporary artists working in Southern California. We are honored to be a part of this year's exhibition."

“Los Angeles is the epicenter of the creative economy, with the arts bringing Angelenos together, attracting tourism, generating cultural dialogue, and serving as an economic driver for our region,” said Raul A. Anaya, Bank of America market president for greater Los Angeles. “It’s why Bank of America invests in the arts and in institutions like the Hammer and The Huntington, and this specific partnership for Made in L.A. 2020 reflects our mutual commitment to L.A.’s incredibly diverse local artists.”

As with past editions of Made in L.A., the Mohn Awards will be presented in conjunction with the exhibition. Funded through the generosity of Los Angeles philanthropists and art collectors Jarl and Pamela Mohn, the three awards are the Mohn Award, the Career Achievement Award—both of which are selected by a professional jury—and the Public Recognition Award, which is determined through votes cast by visitors to the exhibition. Visitors will be able to vote at both exhibition locations.

During the run of Made in L.A. 2020, members and visitors to the Hammer will receive passes granting free admission to The Huntington to view Made in L.A. 2020 in full. There will also be joint programming at both the Hammer and The Huntington during the exhibition, details of which will be announced closer to the exhibition’s opening.

ABOUT MADE IN L.A.
The Hammer’s biennial exhibition series Made in L.A. focuses exclusively on artists from the L.A. region with an emphasis on emerging and under-recognized artists. The Los Angeles biennial debuts new installations, videos, films, sculptures, performances, and paintings commissioned specifically for the exhibition and offers a snapshot of the current trends and practices coming out of Los Angeles, one of the most active and energetic art communities in the world. Made in L.A. began in 2012 with subsequent iterations in 2014, 2016, and 2018, and followed the tradition of the Hammer Invitational exhibitions, which occurred every two years and included Snapshot (2001), International Paper (2003), Thing (2005), Eden’s Edge (2007), Nine Lives (2009), and All of this and nothing (2011). Made in L.A. 2012 was organized by a team of curators from the Hammer Museum and LAXART: Hammer senior curator Anne Ellegood, Hammer curator Ali Subotnick, LAXART director and chief curator Lauri Firstenberg, LAXART associate director and senior curator Cesar Garcia, and LAXART curator-at-large Malik Gaines. Made in L.A. 2014 was organized by Hammer chief curator Connie Butler and Los Angeles–based independent curator Michael Ned Holte. Made in L.A. 2016 was organized by Hammer curator Aram Moshayedi and Hamza Walker, former director of education and associate curator of the Renaissance Society and current director of LAXART. Made in L.A. 2018 was organized by Hammer senior curator Anne Ellegood and assistant curator Erin Christovale, with curatorial associate MacKenzie Stevens.

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
(September 2019–September 2020)
For the past 100 years, The Huntington has examined the human experience through the lens of its incomparable library, art, and botanical collections. Marking its Centennial with a yearlong series of exhibitions and events, The Huntington celebrates the impact of its collections and the connections they offer, while exploring the interdisciplinary ideas that will shape the next 100 years. More at huntington.org/centennial. Follow the Centennial on social media - #100atTheH

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Contacts
Nancy Lee, 310-443-7016, nlee@hammer.ucla.edu
Thea M. Page, 626-405-2260, tpage@huntington.org

About the Hammer Museum
The Hammer Museum is part of the School of the Arts and Architecture at UCLA, and offers exhibitions and collections that span classic to contemporary art. It holds more than 50,000 works in its collection, including one of the finest collections of works on paper in the nation, the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts. Through a wide-ranging, international exhibition program and the biennial, Made in L.A., the Hammer highlights contemporary art since the 1960s, especially the work of emerging and under recognized artists. The exhibitions, permanent collections, and nearly 300 public programs annually—including film screenings, lectures, symposia, readings, music performances, and workshops for families—are all free to the public.

Hammer Museum Information
Admission to all exhibitions and programs at the Hammer Museum is free, made possible through the generosity of benefactors Erika J. Glazer and Brenda R. Potter. Hours: Tuesday–Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Mondays and national holidays. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Boulevard at Westwood, Los Angeles. Onsite parking $7 (maximum 3 hours) or $7 flat rate after 6 p.m. Visit hammer.ucla.edu for details or call 310-443-7000.

About The Huntington
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a collections-based research and educational institution serving scholars and the general public. More information about The Huntington can be found online at huntington.org.

Visitor Information
The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, CA, 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. It is open to the public Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Information: 626-405-2100 or huntington.org.