All of the more than 85,000 members of LACMA share an interest and pride in the museum's exhibitions, special events, and educational programs. Of these members, a special few elect to participate in one or more of the museum's councils. Membership in a council is a wonderful way to become involved in the museum community. You will meet fellow art patrons with similar interests, receive inside knowledge about the museum's collections, and be invited to lectures and tours to further your art education.

A museum membership is a prerequisite for joining a council. Please be sure to complete your LACMA Membership Application first, as you will need to provide your museum membership number to join a council. 

This is a guide to the volunteer and support councils, with telephone numbers to call for more information about each council. Selected Councils have their own membership applications, linked below, and private events.

American Art Council
Art Museum Council
Costume Council
Decorative Arts and Design Council
East Asian Art Council
Modern & Contemporary Arts Council
Photographic Arts Council
Prints and Drawings Council
Southern Asian Art Council

American Art Council

Fosters the appreciation and understanding of the art of our nation through visits to private homes, lectures, art openings, excursions to special exhibitions, and educational tours throughout the country. Proceeds from the council's activities support the American Art Department's acquisitions program, publications, and lectures. 

Art Museum Council—Art Rental & Sales Gallery

The Art Museum Council (AMC), founded in 1952, is LACMA’s first support organization. Council members raise substantial funds for museum programs and acquisitions through its Art Rental & Sales Gallery (ARSG), which showcases the works of some 200 emerging Southern California artists. The ARSG presents seven exhibitions a year and offers a corporate consulting service to provide art for the workplace. It sponsors an annual Art & Architecture Tour and other fundraising activities, and hosts the Opening Night Gala for the Los Angeles Art Show. The AMC has produced a 2008 Poster Calendar with 12 iconic images captured by Julius Shulman, the legendary architectural photographer. AMC members enjoy numerous personal benefits such as invitations to private viewings, receptions, and art trips.

Art Rental & Sales Gallery

Karel Teige with Karel Paspa, The Letter "H," from Abeceda, by Vítezslav Nezval 1926, book, letterpress on paper, 11 13/16 x 9 3/16 in., Library, Getty Research Institute.

Costume Council

The largest of the volunteer and support councils with 1,200 members, this council supports the Costumes and Textiles Department through volunteer work and a variety of fundraising activities. Proceeds also benefit costume and textile acquisitions and books for the department's Doris Stein Research Center. New members must be proposed by a current member.

Man's Gauntlet  (England, 1610–20), leather, gold and silk thread embroidery on silk satin, and gilt lace edging, Length: 14 in., gift of Mrs. Margaret Isabel Fairfax McKnight, 49.45.1a–b.

Promotes interest in the decorative arts and supports acquisitions and programs for the Decorative Arts Department. Activities include lectures and gallery talks, in-depth seminars for collectors, behind-the-scenes visits with curators, tours to museums and private collections, fundraising events, trips, and exhibition previews.

Francesco Xanto Avelli da Rovigo (Italy, Urbino, active 1528–45), Dish, 1531, tin-glazed earthenware, diameter: 17 3/4 in., William Randolph Hearst Collection, 49.26.3.

East Asian Art Council

A group dedicated to supporting the departments of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese art. Through its activities, the council develops greater appreciation of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean art and of Southeast Asian ceramics in the greater Los Angeles community. Members are offered lectures, national and international travel opportunities, seminars, and workshops. Council funds aid the acquisition of works, major exhibitions, gallery installations, publications, and public programs.

Shitao (China, 1642–1707, Qing dynasty), Landscapes, dated 1694, eight-leaf album, ink and color on paper, 11 x 8 1/4 in., Los Angeles County Fund, 60.29.1a–h.

Roy Lichtenstein (United States, 1923-1997), Cold Shoulder, 1963, oil on canvas, 68 1/2 x 48 in., gift of Robert H. Halff through the Modern and Contemporary Art Council, M.2005.38.5. Currently on public view.

Val Telberg (Russia, 1910–95, active United States), Portrait of a Friend, about 1947, gelatin silver print, 10 7/8 x 9 1/8 in., Ralph M. Parsons Fund, M.87.81.1.

James McNeill Whistler (United States, 1834–1903, active in England), Drouet, 1859, etching and drypoint, 8 7/8 x 6 in., the Julius L. and Anita Zelman Collection, M.86.366.9.

Buddha Sakyamuni  (India, Uttar Pradesh, late 6th century), copper alloy with pigment, 15 1/2 x 6 3/4 x 4 in., gift of the Michael J. Connell Foundation, M.70.17.

Image at top:
Ambrosius Bosschaert (1573-1621), Bouquet of Flowers on a Ledge (detail), 1619–20, Holland, oil on copper, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Carter, Department of European Painting and Sculpture, M.2003.108.7.