Biography of Richard Koshalek

When he was the director of MOCA, Koshalek oversaw the growth of what was then a fledgling art museum, sponsoring popular shows such as “Blueprints for Modern Living: History and Legacy of the Case Study Houses”—an exhibition that contributed to the resurgence of modern architecture. Koshalek also helped transform Art Center by commissioning Los Angeles talents, such as Daly Genik, to design new structures, including a downtown Pasadena campus and forthcoming student residences. Most recently, Koshalek has collaborated with other arts and science institutions and developed conferences, research, and publishing projects. Currently, he is collaborating on a Stefan Sagmeister–designed book and media project focusing on what to do when the Big Earthquake hits.

The nerve center for his cultural empire is his office in the Craig Ellwood–designed Art Center building in Pasadena. It has a bright red wall and a large round black table; both are covered in sketches of buildings in process, manuscripts, layouts, synopses for future conferences, and photos of Koshalek in the company of luminaries such as Frank Gehry and Pierre Boulez. He speaks in an enthusiastic, breathless style, as if mentally racing to the next idea. I asked him about why it matters to connect with the world in this way.