Merry Norris, a powerhouse in the Los Angeles cultural community and cofounder of the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art, died  at the age of 80. The cause of death was pneumonia, according to her daughter.

 

Norris got her start as a docent at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, afterward enrolling at the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1970s to study interior design. Down the line, Norris pivoted to art consultation, championing artists such as painter Ed Moses and architect Frank Gehry among the city’s nascent collector scene.

 

After assuming the presidency of the Cultural Affairs Commission, Norris began in earnest on her passion project: giving downtown Los Angeles a first-rate arts venue. The downtown Community Redevelopment Agency offered a site on Bunker Hill if she could raise the necessary funds.

 

Described as a magnetic and unflappable personality, Norris proved an apt fundraiser, bringing in $13.5 million. 

 

Until her death Norris was notable for her presence at openings for exhibitions and for mentoring on development. She was also instrumental in founding the influential architecture school, SCI-Arc, on whose board of trustees she had served since 1987.