Christopher Knight, Renowned Art Critic, Retires from the Los Angeles Times

Art Critic Christopher Knight Retires from Los Angeles Times

Renowned art critic Christopher Knight will retire from the Los Angeles Times on November 28, as announced by fellow staff member Jessica Gelt. Knight, who has served as the paper’s staff art critic for 36 years, is celebrated for his incisive exhibition reviews and commentary on Los Angeles’ arts institutions. He won a Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2020 for his work on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s expansion, marking a milestone in his career of “extraordinary community service by a critic.”

Knight has been a pivotal figure in art criticism, previously named a Pulitzer finalist in 1991, 2001, and 2007, and awarded the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation’s lifetime achievement award. His final column for the Los Angeles Times will be published on December 1. Despite retiring from daily journalism, Knight intends to continue writing, expressing gratitude to readers for their support.

Knight’s career began in the 1970s as a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, before roles at the Smithsonian Institution and the Lannan Foundation. He began his journalism career at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. In a podcast interview with Hyperallergic co-founder Hrag Vartanian, Knight reflected on balancing the needs of both general and art-specific audiences, a lesson learned from his museum experience.

Jessica Gelt lauded Knight in her staff announcement, acknowledging the significant impact of his departure on the publication and Los Angeles. His colleagues regard him as an inspiring and generous figure, emblematic of excellence in criticism.