LACMA names new co-chairs Elaine Wynn, Antony Ressler

Elaine Wynn and Antony Ressler have been elected as the new board co-chairs of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, officials announced Thursday. They succeed Andrew Brandon-Gordon and Terry Semel, who will remain on the museum board with the title co-chairs emeriti.

Wynn joined LACMA’s board of trustees in 2011 and is an active art collector. She was the reported buyer in 2013 of the $142.4 million Francis Bacon triptych painting of Lucian Freud — then a record sum for a painting sold at auction.

She and her former husband, Steve Wynn, co-founded Wynn Resorts, the hotel and casino empire. Elaine Wynn had remained active with the company since the couple split in 2010, but earlier this year, she exited the board following an internal battle.

Wynn is also a philanthropist in various fields and received a presidential appointment to the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees in 2010.

Ressler has served on LACMA’s board for the past decade and is the co-founder of the financial firm Ares Management. He has served as vice chair of LACMA’s board and co-chair of its finance committee.

He also serves as a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and as a board member of Georgetown University.

Brandon-Gordon is a partner at Goldman Sachs, while Semel is a former executive at Warner Bros. and Yahoo.

LACMA’s board has 53 voting trustees. In a prepared statement, Wynn and Ressler said, “We are grateful to LACMA’s board for their support of this institution and for the faith they have put in us as we take on this responsibility and opportunity.”

The museum marked its 50th anniversary this year with a gala celebration in April. It also has announced major gifts of art from trustees and other supporters.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT