Civic Identity

William Fulton’s Aug. 9 Opinion piece (“Rebuilding a Sense of Community”) offered a wonderful vision of how institutions serve a public and a community. Side by side with Victoria Newhouse’s article on the Getty’s effect on Los Angeles, it was an insightful look at the way in which people of an area unite in a beneficial purpose.

Griffith Observatory, now on the brink of renovation and rejuvenation, represents another element of civic identity nurtured by a local institution. Every year for the last decade, nearly 2 million people a year have walked through the doors of that small building. Built in 1935, it has endured the wear and tear of those millions and millions of visitors. Despite limited parking and large crowds, people continue to seek the experience of looking up that Griffith Observatory provides.

The renaissance of Griffith Observatory is a people’s project. Two propositions (L.A. County Prop. A and city of Los Angeles Prop. K) specifically designated Griffith Observatory for renewal and are providing the core funds the project needs. Along with voter support, Friends of the Observatory feels confident the people, foundations and businesses of Los Angeles will want to join in the opportunity to maintain and revitalize one of the most beloved, most world-renowned and most appealing institutions in Los Angeles.

KARA KNACK, President

Friends of the Observatory

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As a frequent visitor to Paris and the owner of an original work by one of the 19th century French painters on exhibit at the Getty Museum, I found the article on the Getty as out of date as the photo of the Louvre that accompanied it.

The Getty is typical of the non-cosmopolitan nature of Los Angeles, with its suburban malls depending on automotive transportation, with limited public access. On the other hand, the new Louvre sits on top of two Metro subway stations with at least a dozen bus routes traversing the site. Access to the galleries is through a huge shopping mall with numerous art galleries, bookstores, branches of the enterprises that represent the haute mode of Paris, as well as a variety of convenience stores (fast food, soft drinks, etc.).

MITCHELL AYRES

Brentwood