Laguna Museum Trustees Sign Off on Merger Details

Trustees and supporters of Laguna Art Museum signed a much-debated agreement Wednesday that brings the proposed merger of the Laguna and Newport Harbor Art museums one critical step closer.

Newport Harbor trustees still must accept the plan, which keeps the Laguna museum open if the merger takes place. And, even if that board approves, the merger itself must be ratified by April 20 by the Laguna museum’s 1,400 members.

“The people in the community let us know they wanted the museum to stay here,” Laguna museum President Gilbert LeVasseur said. “Now they have stepped forward to shoulder their share of responsibility to keep it open.”

The 80-year pact agreed upon Wednesday was negotiated by Laguna trustees and members of Save Laguna Art Museum. SLAM was formed by Laguna Beach residents and Laguna museum members who protested vociferously when merger proponents disclosed in February that they might close the 78-year-old cultural landmark.

Under the agreement, revised repeatedly in the past month:

* The Laguna museum would remain open under its current name as a semiautonomous facility. It would be staffed by the consolidated Orange County Museum of Art, but programming would be subject to approval by the nonprofit Laguna Art Museum Heritage Corp., to include SLAM members.

* The corporation would have almost complete access to the Laguna museum’s collection and veto power over sales of parts of the collection. It would be responsible for two-thirds of the satellite’s annual budget, initially projected at $400,000.

If, after five years, either OCMA or the corporation voluntarily terminate the agreement, the corporation would take ownership of the Laguna museum building and its permanent collection, although OCMA would retain access to the art. The two parties would split the museum’s $2-million endowment.

These last points were recently added after Newport Harbor trustees expressed concern that the agreement lacked provisions for its periodic review and a way out that wouldn’t involve litigation, LeVasseur said.

The agreement also requires SLAM to drop all its opposition, including previous efforts to recall Laguna trustees.

SLAM President G. Ray Kerciu said Wednesday that SLAM will now urge its members to vote for the merger. The group also will work to raise money to help support the satellite.

Newport Harbor trustees plan to vote April 18 on the agreement, which would change OCMA’s bylaws.

Merger proponents want a museum with lower overhead and a higher profile. They envision a complement to the Orange County Performing Arts Center and want to host major, nationally traveling exhibits and attract larger donations of cash and art.

Laguna trustees say the museum risks insolvency without a merger.