Fast-moving fires broke out in Los Angeles last week, destroying thousands of structures, forcing mass evacuations, and killing at least two dozen people. The L.A. fires, which remain only partially contained, have also devastated the city’s vibrant art community.
L.A. Fires Destroy Cultural Landmarks and Museums
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, over 30 culturally and historically significant properties had been destroyed by the L.A. fires as of Friday, January 10. “It is a mass erasure of heritage,” Adrian Scott Fine, chief executive of the Conservancy, told the Los Angeles Times. “We haven’t seen anything like this before.”
In the heavily-hit Altadena neighborhood, the L.A. fires burned the Bunny Museum to the ground. The Bunny Museum, which gained a cult reputation and appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records, housed a 50,000-piece rabbit-themed collection. The museum’s co-owner, Steve Lubanski, estimated that four decades’ worth of work had been lost. In the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, fire also destroyed the Will Rogers House, a ranch house and museum dedicated to the American vaudeville performer Will Rogers.
Getty Villa Grounds Burn, Other Museums Close
The L.A. fires forced the indefinite closure of major museums and galleries across the area. The Pacific Palisades fire approached the world-famous Getty Villa on the night of January 7, incinerating trees and vegetation on the museum’s grounds. Fortunately, the building and all its staff remained safe.
Get the latest articles delivered to your inbox
Sign up to our Free Weekly Newsletter
According to a statement, “Irrigation was immediately deployed throughout the grounds Tuesday morning,” and the Getty Villa’s “galleries and library archives were sealed off from smoke by state-of-the-art air handling systems. The double-walled construction of the galleries also provides significant protection for the collections.” The Getty Villa, one of two Getty institutions in Los Angeles, boasts a collection of over 44,000 objects, including ancient Roman, Greek, and Etruscan antiquities.
Other Art Spaces Lost in the L.A. Fires
In Altadena, several contemporary artists’ homes, studios, and collections were lost. Among those impacted are Paul McCarthy, Camilla Taylor, Kelly Akashi, and Ross Simonini. The L.A. fires also destroyed the library and archive of Gary Indiana, an American artist and critic who died in October 2024. Indiana’s collection of rare art books, including signed editions, was intended to form a library for an artist retreat.
Meanwhile, art insurers and conservators are preparing to address the widespread loss and damage of valuable art collections in the L.A. fires. “This is going to be substantial and possibly one of the most impactful art losses ever in America,” Simon de Burgh Codrington, fine arts insurance specialist and managing director at Risk Strategies, told ARTnews. According to Christopher Wise, vice president of Risk Strategies, “There are huge amounts of fine art value under threat at the current moment. Many, many billions of fine art.” Wise told ARTnews that many of his clients moved their art collections to safer locations. However, he added, the “destruction is devastating.”
Firefighters are still working to contain the L.A. fires as powerful winds start to pick up again. The extreme fire weather is expected to last until at least Wednesday.
