Joan Agajanian Quinn with portraits of her done by her artist friends, including Ian Falconer, Stephen Verona, and Richard Bernstein.

L.A. Paints Itself

Since the 1960s, Joan Agajanian Quinn has supported the careers of L.A. artists, from Ed Ruscha to Frank Gehry. Now her rarely shown collection is on view in Laguna Beach

By Stacie Stukin

In an April 1984 article, Los Angeles Times society columnist Bunny Mars marveled at Joan Agajanian Quinn’s ability to be everywhere. Under the headline Joan Quinn, Again!, Mars tracked her at a Frank Gehry opening at the Larry Gagosian gallery (which has since dropped “Larry” from the name), where she socialized with friends including Gehry, Guy Dill, and Ed Ruscha. Later that night, at Trumps restaurant, she dined with artists Billy Al Bengston and Peter Alexander. “We would really like to know if Ms. Quinn’s high heels are indeed jet powered, as has been rumored,” wrote Mars. “It would explain her billowing harem pants.”

Quinn, who just celebrated her 88th birthday, is still a ubiquitous presence in Los Angeles’s art scene, though she has retired her pumps in favor of velvet Mary Janes from Paris’s Rue du Bac. “I think it’s just part of my DNA. I like being with people,” says Quinn. “I always want to know what’s the newest thing and what’s happening.”