Strick Calls Nasher ‘Stable,’ Unlike That Place In L.A.

Jeremy Strick, the newly named director of the Nasher Sculpture Center, says the position was attractive partly because it “rebalanced” the curatorial and fund-raising sides of his duties as a museum director. Which is understandable, since Strick (at left) arrives in Dallas after nine years running the world-renowned Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, whose finances nonetheless deteriorated during his tenure. MOCA was “always under-endowed,” Strick said this afternoon at the Nasher, explaining the problems in L.A. “We were having to raise 70 percent to 80 percent of our [roughly $20 million] operating budget, which is a steep hill to climb.” By contrast, “contributed income” is only about 10 percent of the roughly $9 million annual budget at the Nasher, which enjoys an endowment worth about $100 million. “What’s important here,” Strick said, “is that we have a stable foundation.” He starts the new job on March 2.