Following an international search, the Museum of Contemporary Art has appointed long-time public media executive, Jonathan Abbott as its new CEO alongside director, Maurice Marciano. 

Abbott leaves behind 15 years as President and CEO of GBH, the nation’s largest producer of multiplatform content for PBS. During his tenure, GBH transformed into a multiplatform digital institution and developed new ways of distributing journalism, educational material and cultural programming. He also successfully led a $215 million fundraising campaign and oversaw GBH’s assets grow from approximately $225 million to $1 billion. With MOCA’s 50th anniversary on the horizon in 2029, repeating those numbers would make for quite the anniversary gift.

Abbott has said he grew up believing cultural institutions should be public places that belong to everyone– a philosophy not too dissimilar from LA itself, a city built upon the vibrant promise of opportunity and reinvention. His goal is not simply to grow MOCA, but to deepen its relationship with the city, expand its philanthropic community and bring broader support to the artists and progressive ideas they champion. 

This is already one of MOCA’s curatorial team’s greatest strengths–their ability to form deep relationships with its artists and the Los Angeles community. Led by Clara Kim, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs, the team welcomes Abbott’s fundraising and public-engagement experience to spearhead MOCA’s visionary exhibitions and cutting-edge programs. Abbott’s mission, then, isn’t to rebuild the museum from scratch, but to step into and build upon the groundwork that has been meticulously laid out for him.

This seamless transition is made easier by Abbott’s predecessor, Ann Goldstein, who has served as interim director since August 2025. Goldstein’s devotion to MOCA spans more than 40 years– the cornerstone of the institution, she is perhaps the most natural person to help guide Abbott through its next chapter.

Ann’s continued involvement speaks to a kind of in-house continuity: an institution built around its people, invested in its community, and sustained by those who know it from within. Hence, Abbott’s tenure seems less about taking over the museum than expanding its perimeter– taking the artists and ideas the MOCA already celebrates beyond its walls, and deeper into the heart of Los Angeles.