Mar 02 2007
Could the Southwest Museum be Shut Down for Good?
GUEST: Nicole Possert, Representative of the Highland Park Heritage Trust, one of the founding organizations of Friends of the Southwest Museum
Last July, the exhibit halls of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian closed to the public. The Autry National Center, which owns the property, claims that the museum exhibit space in Mt. Washington is inadequate and plans to relocate the majority of its collection to a new facility in Griffith Park in the coming years. City Councilman Jose Huizar opposes the Autry plan which also includes downsizing the Southwest Museum. The Friends of the Southwest Museum coalition also oppose the Autry plan and have offered three alternative plans to not only keep the facility as a complete museum but also expand its services. They suspect that the Autry plan would reduce exhibit space so dramatically that not much of a museum would remain in Mt. Washington. The Southwest Museum has been home to one of the nation’s most important and rarest collections of Native American artifacts.
For more information, visit www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com
4 Responses to “Could the Southwest Museum be Shut Down for Good?”
It would be nice if you clarified that the Southwest Museum of the American Indian is not closed, but to the public, free of charge, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5pm. For information on the Autry National Center’s plans for the future of the Southwest Museum, visit http://www.swmfuture.org.
I like the idea of a cultural center.
I think is highly innapropiate to comment on the South West Museum when one ignores the history and issues.
That the museum is open. What museum?Where are the exhibits? The museum areas of exhibit are been used as a warehouse. Of course it is for free, why would you pay to see nothing? Why would this community give up a WORLD CLASS MUSEUM with 250,000 artifacts worth a billion dollas for a cultural center?
I will leave you with the words of Councilman Ed Reyes calling the actions of the Autry,”CULTURAL PIRACY” theAutry “CULTURALPIRACY”
I don’t trust the Autry. They represent an unfriendly take-over of a cherished community asset. The Autry can sell the museum property including its priceless artifacts in a few years (if they haven’t already) in spite of the fact they are supposed to be a non-profit and act in the public trust. Please help us protect our “First Los Angeles Museum” – in its original location in Northeast Los Angeles.
P.S. Only ONE room is open the rest of the rooms are used by Autry as warehousing.