Jeffrey Deitch appears to be out at MOCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles has created a search committee to replace director Jeffrey Deitch, who himself is looking for an apartment and gallery space in New York, longtime LA area arts reporter Tom Christie reported last night. "At least one potential member of the search committee received a personal request by phone from Eli Broad," Christie posted on his Tumblr. "MOCA staffers – what’s left of them at any rate – are said to have been informed of Deitch’s impending departure on Friday. A public announcement is expected any day," Christie adds.

Dennis Romero of the LA Weekly also posted last night that Deitch would be leaving, based on "a source with knowledge of the situation." Romero said that Christie, a former Weekly editor, was not the source. Now Mike Boehm of the LA Times posted a half-hour ago that "Deitch is expected to resign as director of L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art imminently, according to people with knowledge of the situation."

One person, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that Deitch was "choosing to step down." Another person who has spoken to Deitch said that MOCA is expected to announce Deitch's exit along with the news that the museum is nearing completion of a fundraising campaign it announced in March to boost its endowment from about $20 million to $100 million.

The person who spoke with Deitch, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the fundraising success would enable Deitch to exit with a parting accomplishment. Deitch had a five-year contract to lead MOCA and has served slightly more than three years.

Flashback: Christie was on the beat when Deitch's surprise hiring was announced in 2010: