Spoilers, it's not actually levitating. Calamity_hane,Flickr.

The $10 million dollar transport of the imposing sculpture into the city was overseen by Michael Govan, LACMA’s new, ambitious director. Opened in March of 2012, “Levitated Mass” was a surprising success, given that the city was in the midst of recession. That and, well, it was also just a rock.

While descending the concrete walkway that curves under the sculpture is a terrifying, Damoclesian experience, the boulder can be taken as a hopeful first step in the revamping of L.A.’s art scene, which has always been overshadowed by the art powerhouses of Chicago and New York. This year, several new developments are expected to give L.A. some much-needed pizazz. Things are finally looking up for our art rep. 

First, the LACMA hopes to soon accept a $650 million dollar project to have the museum remodeled by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Titled “Black Flower,” the new building will be shaped like an abstract water lily, with its main level floating 30 feet in the air, supported by seven columns. Well, technically they’re columns, but the architect prefers to call them “pods.” Made of dark gray concrete and glass, the building will have several different access points, and encourage museumgoers to choose their own route through the galleries, which Zumthor intentionally organized like a big forest. 

Meanwhile, at the MOCA, L.A.’s other large contemporary art museum, a change of leadership has just taken place. Earlier this month it was announced that Philippe Vergne of the Dia Art Foundation in New York will be taking over as MOCA director. While the art community’s reactions to Vergne’s appointment have been mixed, there’s no doubt that the fresh blood will help MOCA out of what has been several years of stagnation. The announcement comes just after a year of successful fundraising, and just before the opening of a Mike Kelley retrospective exhibit in March. The retrospective will feature over 200 of the late Kelley’s works, and is sure to be the talk of the town. 

Mike Kelley's insane, awesome work. Marc Wathieu, Flickr.

But the really juicy piece of art news for 2014 is the new art museum, the Broad, scheduled to open later this year. Currently under construction across the street from the MOCA, the museum will be filled with the Broad family’s 2,000 piece collection of art from the 1950’s onward. It will also be absolutely, unabashedly free of charge. L.A. Times writer Mike Boehm describes the building as having a “honeycomb-like, white-concrete exterior,” with a core that “curves to the ground in an effect evoking giant mushrooms or a hobbit’s house from J.R.R. Tolkien.” The exhibitions for the museum’s opening will include works by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, photographer Cindy Sherman, and, to my personal dismay, Jeff Koons. There will also be L.A. artists featured, including Ed Ruscha, Sharon Lockhart, and Barbara Kruger. 

And of course, my favorite part, there will be a cylindrical tube elevator to carry visitors between floors. If that doesn’t get you excited about art, then there’s nothing more I can do for you. 

Reach Staff Reporter Andre Gray here.