LOS ANGELES, CA.- Ahead of the anticipated opening of the David Geffen Galleries this April, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced two milestones marking its next chapter. The south wing of the Geffen Galleries will be named the Ressler Family Wing in recognition of Jami Gertz and Tony Ressler’s leading support of the Building LACMA campaign, and longtime trustee Willow Bay has been named co-chair of the board of trustees alongside Ressler.
Ressler joined LACMA’s board more than two decades ago as the museum was beginning the search for its new director and CEO, Michael Govan. Ressler is founder of Ares Management investment firm and lent his financial expertise to the museum, serving as chair of the Finance Committee beginning in 2006 as LACMA launched financing for its ambitious building projects.
In 2015, Ressler was named board co-chair alongside the late Elaine Wynn as the museum began planning to build what is now the Geffen Galleries. He and his wife, actress and producer Jami Gertz, made key donations to launch and further the Building LACMA campaign. Ressler continued to help lead LACMA even after he and his family began to split time between Los Angeles and Atlanta, where they own and operate the Atlanta Hawks NBA team.
“I’m deeply grateful for Tony Ressler’s leadership as LACMA’s board co-chair with the late Elaine Wynn for more than a decade, which has shaped the success and growth of our building project,” said LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan. “It’s so meaningful to me, and beautifully fitting, that the two wings of the Geffen Galleries will be named for Elaine and Tony and his family.”
“It's been extremely rewarding to have worked with Elaine to help oversee LACMA’s recent growth and to realize this vision for our community,” said Ressler. “Through a remarkable public-private partnership with Los Angeles County, and unprecedented contributions of art, capital, and hard work, we have built an incredible and lasting gift to the public. The opening of the Geffen Galleries reaffirms LACMA as an essential place for Los Angeles and a global destination for art.”
Willow Bay will join Ressler in leading LACMA’s global board of 56 members. Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, joined LACMA’s board in 2007 and has served as vice chair since 2015. Bringing expertise in media, digital communication, and education to the museum, she has served as co- chair of the Education, Trustees, and Audit Committees.
In recognition of the 10th anniversary of Chris Burden’s Urban Light in 2018, Bay and her husband, Bob Iger, made a historic capital contribution toward the Building LACMA campaign to support the long-term care of this public artwork. Their gift ensures the continued accessibility of Burden’s iconic Los Angeles landmark. Further, the couple has recently made an additional generous contribution to support the building project. They have also contributed artworks to LACMA’s collection, most notably An Ocean Away (2020) by Amy Sherald and Mountain, Anaheim, California (2013) by Thomas Struth.
“Willow’s leadership at LACMA is already evident in the extraordinary time, energy, philanthropy, and advice she has devoted to our work in the last two decades,” said Govan. “Especially relevant right now is to communicate LACMA’s enlarged artistic vision to the world as we open the Geffen Galleries, and no one can help guide that better than Willow.”
“As a passionate, civic-minded leader who has been dedicated to LACMA and its future, Willow is an ideal successor to our late co-chair Elaine Wynn,” said Ressler. “I am confident that she will continue to make a lasting impact on the museum and the many communities we serve, and I look forward to working even more closely with her as we guide the museum through its next chapter.”
“LACMA is a global cultural force that brings millions of people together through the power of art, connecting communities across Los Angeles and around the world,” said Bay. “I am deeply grateful for Tony’s leadership and generosity, and honored to join him as co-chair at this transformative moment in LACMA’s history as we advance our mission of enhancing access to art and education.”
In a testament to the strong civic spirit of Los Angeles, a devoted community of more than 100 donors came together to support the Building LACMA campaign, providing a 5-to-1 match to the County of Los Angeles for its contribution. Their generous gifts will be recognized with the naming of various spaces within the Geffen Galleries. The campaign currently stands at over $875 million.
On April 16, the museum will inaugurate the building with an Opening Gala for the David Geffen Galleries, co-chaired by Bay and Ressler. The fundraiser event is presented by Genesis, with additional support by Gucci and East West Bank, which is presenting the museum's opening slate of events.
A broadcast journalist, media pioneer, and digital communication leader, Willow Bay was named the first female dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in 2017. Leading academic and industry engagement at the intersection of media, technology, sports, and business, she has amplified USC Annenberg’s thought leadership, advanced student-centered, industry-engaged curricula and programs, increased access to new technology and data solutions, and expanded scholarship support for the next generation of media innovators. Bay and Iger, are controlling owners of the Angel City Football Club in Los Angeles, one of the most valuable franchises in women’s sports.
Tony Ressler is a co-founder, director, and the executive chairman of Ares Management Corporation. He also serves as a member of the investment committees for some funds in its Private Equity and Credit Group as well as on its Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy. In addition to his role at Ares, Ressler is a founding board member of the NBA Foundation. Through the Ressler Gertz Family Foundation, he supports organizations focused on expanding access to education, healthcare, employment training, and workforce development, as well as strengthening cultural institutions. In the public education sector, he is a founder and former chairman of the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools. Ressler also serves as the principal owner and governor of the board of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club as well as a senior advisor to the Hawks Foundation, its not-for-profit organization that focuses on building bridges through basketball within the metro Atlanta community.
