INCINERATED: LA’S ART WORLD IN ASHES- THE BUNNY MUSEUM AND BEYOND
A City on Fire
Los Angeles is no stranger to fire. Every year, the dry chaparral and relentless Santa Ana winds turn the region into a tinderbox, ready to ignite at the smallest spark. But no one was prepared for what happened on January 7, 2025.
That morning, the Santa Anas roared at 85 miles per hour, pushing flames from the hillsides into communities that had never before seen wildfires on this scale. By nightfall, entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble. And this time, it wasn’t just homes that were lost; LA’s vibrant art scene took a catastrophic hit, with historic museums, artist studios, and priceless collections turned to ash.
Now, weeks later, the city is still reeling. How do you begin to rebuild when what’s lost isn’t just property, but history, culture, and identity?
Landmarks Turned to Ash
For art lovers, one of the biggest heartbreaks of the fires was the destruction of Zorthian Ranch in Altadena. The sprawling 48-acre artist colony, founded in 1946 by Jirayr Zorthian, was a sanctuary for creatives, filled with eclectic structures made from salvaged materials. It had long been a haven for the local art scene, hosting gatherings, workshops, and even legendary parties. Now, all but two of its buildings are gone.
Nearby, the Bunny Museum, famous for its quirky and extensive collection of 30,000 bunny-related artifacts, was completely destroyed. It was more than just a novelty; it was a cultural staple, attracting visitors from all over with its mix of art, history, and sheer whimsy.
The Alto Beta Gallery, which had been hosting a ten-painting exhibition by artist Mary Anna Pomonis, also fell to the flames. For the Altadena art community, it was yet another devastating loss.
Even more chilling, flames reached the grounds of the Getty Villa Museum, one of the world’s greatest collections of antiquities. Though the art was saved, the fire threatened the hilltop institution for days, with emergency crews battling to keep the blaze at bay.
Perhaps most symbolic of the city’s loss was Will Rogers State Historic Park, home to the estate of the 1930s Hollywood legend. Generations of Angelenos had wandered its historic ranch house and trails, connecting with a piece of LA’s golden past. Now, much of it is gone, consumed by the inferno.
A Community in Crisis
Altadena, a neighborhood known for its tight-knit artist community, was one of the hardest-hit areas. According to artist Andrea Bowers, at least 190 artists lost their homes or studios in the fire. Bowers and fellow artist Kathryn Andrews, who also lost her home, quickly launched Grief and Hope, a relief fund to track losses and help affected artists rebuild.
The numbers are staggering. Paul McCarthy, one of LA’s most influential contemporary artists, lost his Altadena home, studio, and archive. Two of his bronze sculptures survived, standing as eerie sentinels amid the ruins.
Painter Alec Egan saw two years of work vanish in flames just weeks before his exhibition at Anat Ebgi Gallery.
Sculptor and photographer Kelly Akashi lost nearly everything, including most of the work for her upcoming show at Lisson Gallery. She had left her home with only her cat, a backpack of family albums, and no idea that she would never see her studio again.
And then there’s Christina Quarles, who lost not one, but three homes; the house she was restoring, the one she had been living in temporarily, and her Airbnb. Her daughter’s preschool, her favorite restaurants, her entire neighborhood- gone.
For many artists, the devastation isn’t just about the physical loss of homes and workspaces; it’s about losing years of creative labor, archives, and history that can never be replaced.
Priceless Losses, No Insurance
For many, the financial toll is just as overwhelming as the emotional one. Unlike major collectors or institutions, most artists don’t have high-value insurance policies to cover their work.
Artist and professor Amir Nikravan, who grew up in Altadena, lost not only his home but also his personal art collection. Like many artists, his collection was one of his most valuable assets, but unlike wealthy collectors, he couldn’t afford the thousands of dollars a month it would take to insure it.
And it’s not just artists. In the Pacific Palisades, gallerist Ron Rivlin lost over 200 works of art in his home, including 30 pieces by Andy Warhol.
The fires also claimed hundreds of musical scores by modernist composer Arnold Schoenberg, stored at the home of his son Larry.
Meanwhile, California’s fire insurance crisis has left countless homeowners; many of whom already struggled to afford housing; without the means to rebuild. Since 2019, the rate of insurers dropping coverage has jumped 30%, and in 2023, major companies like State Farm and Allstate stopped issuing new policies altogether. For artists, already facing an uncertain financial future due to a downturn in the art market, the road ahead is even rockier.
Can LA’s Art Scene Rebuild?
Despite the devastation, efforts to rebuild are already underway. Grief and Hope has raised over $500,000 in direct artist relief, and a coalition of institutions; including the Getty Trust, LACMA, and the Hammer Museum; has launched a $12 million LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund.
The annual Frieze Los Angeles Art Fair, set to take place on February 20, has pledged support for affected artists, stating that this year’s event will be more than just an art fair; it will be a statement of resilience.
Still, for many artists, the question isn’t just whether they can rebuild, but whether they want to. Some, like Nikravan’s elderly parents, wonder if it’s worth starting over. Others are simply unsure how to move forward when so much has been lost.
LA has always been a city of reinvention, but this firestorm has left a deep scar. The challenge now isn’t just rebuilding structures; it’s rebuilding the creative community that made them matter in the first place.
For now, all that remains is hope, resilience, and the knowledge that even in the face of disaster, art endures.
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