Jeffrey Deitch to Head L.A. Museum of Contemporary Art

The announcement was supposed to take place at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time, but has been delayed indefinitely due to a conflict with a mayoral news conference, according to the museum's press office. The board is voting this morning to approve the appointment, which has been endorsed unanimously by a search committee, says a person with knowledge of the situation.

The museum has been without a director since December 2008, when director Jeremy Strick resigned amidst MoCA's financial problems. The museum's endowment, which relied heavily on donations, dropped sharply during the recession, bringing into question whether the museum could survive. Last December billionaire and MoCA board co-chair Eli Broad came forward with a $30 million bailout.

Despite a recent turnaround, MoCA, which has two facilities in downtown Los Angeles, is currently operating with a reduced budget and staff.