THOUSAND OAKS : Study Sought for Ethnic Museum Sites

Pushing the concept of a Native Peoples Museum in Thousand Oaks, Councilman Frank Schillo will ask his colleagues Tuesday to approve a study to identify possible sites.

Museum designers Al Fiori and Jean-Michel Cousteau have proposed a center that would showcase art and artifacts from indigenous cultures around the world. They envision lectures by visiting scholars, displays of traditional dance and other presentations designed to enliven history lessons.

Their latest idea: to establish a satellite link between the Thousand Oaks center and prestigious museums worldwide. Emerging technology would allow them to show video footage or perhaps even holograms of exhibits on display in other museums, Schillo said.

Although he did not have a cost estimate, Schillo said a feasibility study will take about 60 hours of staff time.

“We have some public support out there,” Schillo said. “We need to see if it’s feasible.”

But Councilwoman Judy Lazar said she wasn’t sure whether she would support spending staff time to study such a sketchy idea.

“I’m concerned that unless the (museum designers) have got cash in hand or a proven ability to fund-raise, they’re ultimately going to be looking for financial help from the city,” Lazar said.

In response, Schillo said the Cousteau name--Jean-Michel is the son of explorer Jacques Cousteau--would help attract dollars and predicted that “raising funds will be a heck of a lot easier than some think.”