Photo slideshow and captions by Bethany Firnhaber

In a time when many of the nation's art institutions are still reeling from the economic impact of the recession, MOCA has made an unprecedented comeback. 

This Sunday, the museum debuts Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years, the largest-ever installation of its permanent collection, which has been regarded as one of the most important contemporary art collections in the world and features more than 500 artworks by over 200 artists. 

In celebration of the museum's 30th anniversary, well-known works by Pollock, Basquiat, Lichtenstein and de Kooning, among others, will be on display for the public to view until next May. 

Curated by MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel, the new installation will fill both the MOCA Grand and MOCA Geffen galleries, and it will take viewers on a chronological visual tour of art movements from World War II onwards. 

"The thing that moves me more than anything is the fact that MOCA continually opens its doors to people who could otherwise not afford to see collections of this magnitude," said Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, on hand to celebrate the museum's new exhibition on Thursday, along with Mayor Villaraigosa. 

MOCA will celebrate its anniversary with a gala and auction Saturday night, free museum admission for members through next week and a 30th birthday party next Saturday. 

Tonight's fete, a "contemporary Moulin Rouge," will include a one-time only performance with Lady Gaga and members of the Bolshoi Ballet.  It will feature a wide array of creative elements, with production and costumes designed by fashion designer Miuccia Prada, masks created by film director Baz Luhrmann and his wife, costume designer Catherine Martin, and Gaga's one-of-a-kind hat, which has been designed by architect Frank Gehry. 

"Everyone was asked to do things they don't normally do, and that's what got everyone excited about the project," said Maria Bell, MOCA board member and Anniversary Gala co-chair. 

The night was envisioned by artist Francesco Vezzoli, and the never-to-be-repeated Gaga/Bolshoi performance will be filmed by Jonas Åkerlund, director of Gaga's "Paparazzi" video, and released at a later date on MOCA's website. 

Patrons from all over the world will be attending the gala and raising $3.5 million towards operating costs for MOCA, demonstrating that the museum's appeal extends well beyond Los Angeles, said Bell. 

Philanthropist and MOCA supporter Eli Broad agreed that Los Angeles and the institution have global allure. 

"We are one of the four great cultural capitals of the world, together with New York, Paris and London," said Broad, while celebrating the press opening of the new exhibition on Thursday. 

Credited with putting Los Angeles on the international map as an art capital, MOCA enthusiasts were panicked when it became known last November that the organization had been secretly financially struggling for years. 

"I think the extraordinary job MOCA does is in nurturing, supporting and defining L.A., so of course it would be a big tragedy if that museum didn't exist," explained Fred Snitzer, owner of Miami-based Frederic Snitzer Gallery, at a MOCA fundraiser held last winter by ART LA, an art fair that featured more than 60 international artists and galleries. 

Since opening in 1979, MOCA had prided itself on actively collecting the latest contemporary art. Some said too actively, after the museum announced that it had been surviving for several years off restricted funds from its endowment, which was said to have dwindled to around $6 million, a fraction of the original amount. 

MOCA fell under heavy criticism, but ultimately, the organization still found support in the art community.  Broad donated $30 million to the museum through his foundation, with the stipulation that the institution restructure its management and raise $15 million of its own in matching donations and conduct a campaign for further funding. 

The MOCA Board of Trustees supplied more than $20 million in contributions to match Broad's donation and took the necessary steps to address restructuring. 

Director Jeremy Strick stepped down in December and a new CEO, Charles E. Young, was put in place, along with an advisory committee comprised of management staff from leading museums across the nation. The museum also temporarily closed its Geffen Center location, reduced its staff by twenty percent, cut operating expenses and rallied support through fundraising events, its website and emails to members. 

To date, the museum has raised more than $60 million. 

"Over 30 years, you hit a bump every now and then.  They hit a bump and now they're on a smooth road again," said Broad.

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