‘Genghis Khan’ a Triumph for Museum : Art: The exhibition is a ‘boon’ to the Museum of Natural History, which has been caught in the county budget crunch. Its run has been extended through Aug. 14.

A landmark exhibition of ancient art and artifacts from a remote area of modern China is a smash hit at Los Angeles County’s Museum of Natural History.

“Genghis Khan: Treasures From Inner Mongolia,” which was organized by the museum under a special arrangement with the Chinese government and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, is “the biggest boon to the museum in the last 10 years,” said Catherine Krell, deputy director of marketing and public affairs.

The exhibition traces 3,500 years of Mongolian history and culture by presenting more than 200 objects, many of them from recent archeological digs.

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Originally scheduled to close on May 22, “Genghis Khan” proved to be so popular that is has been extended through Aug. 14. More than 75,000 people have attended the show since it opened on March 6, easily surpassing all other events at the museum in recent years, Krell said. The Exposition Park facility, which rarely has the means to stage major exhibitions, attracted a total of 750,000 visitors during the past fiscal year.

“This museum was dying,” Krell said. As a result of an ongoing budget crunch, the museum’s county budget dropped from $11.4 million in fiscal 1991-92 to $9.28 million in fiscal 1993-94, she said, and if the proposed county budget is adopted for the new fiscal year, the museum’s public funds will plummet to $6.2 million.

“But ‘Genghis Khan’ has brought the museum back to life,” Krell said. It has stimulated membership, attracted tourists, brought telephone inquiries from all across the country and rewarded the community.

Adam T. Kessler, who organized the show during several trips to Inner Mongolia, said he is delighted that his efforts have been so well received. “The exhibition opens up a vast and mysterious part of the world,” he said. “The remarkable finds retrieved from this area are a cause of excitement for Westerners much in the way ancient Egypt was at the turn of our century.”

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Exit interviews with visitors indicate a high level of satisfaction with the show, according to Krell. “People are fascinated with the history and the dynasties; they call it a thinking exhibit,” she said. “But the most common remark is that it’s hard to imagine that the objects could be so old.”

“Genghis Khan” also has paid off at a special retail shop, near the entrance to the show, which has racked up $150,000 in sales of books, catalogues, T-shirts and Mongolian antiques. All proceeds go to the museum, Krell said.

After closing in Los Angeles, the exhibition will travel to the American Museum of Natural History in New York (Sept. 10-Nov. 27), the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville (Dec. 17-March 5, 1995) and the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, B.C. (March 25-Sept. 10, 1995).

* “Genghis Khan: Treasures From Inner Mongolia,” Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd. Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Recorded information: (213) 744-DINO. “Genghis Khan” information and tickets: (213) 744-3506; group tours: (213) 744-3333. Tickets also available at Ticketmaster, (213) 480-3232. Adults, $8; senior citizens and students, $5.50; children, $2. Through Aug. 14.