Group Opposes Building in Griffith Park

A branch of the Los Angeles chapter of the Sierra Club has declared its opposition to the construction of a new museum building in Griffith Park, part of a proposed merger between the Southwest Museum and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

The resolution--adopted by the Griffith Park Section of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club on Monday and sent to the two museums on Thursday--also spells out the group’s intention to seek the support of its governing body if construction plans “are brought before the Board of Commissioners, Department of Recreation and Parks.”

The move was a reaction to The Times’ disclosure that a special committee of the Southwest Museum’s board of trustees is considering combining forces with the Autry. A confidential draft of the plan obtained by The Times calls for the creation of a National Center for Western Heritage, to function as an umbrella for the two museums, and for a new building for the Southwest Museum, adjacent to the Autry Museum. The perennially underfunded Southwest Museum maintains a vast holding of Native American art at a historic facility on Mt. Washington; the relatively wealthy Autry presents its collections of Western art, cowboy artifacts and Hollywood memorabilia in a 13-year-old building in the northeast corner of Griffith Park.

Duane H. King, director of the Southwest Museum, said that some Southwest supporters believe that combining the resources of the two institutions would be advantageous and that the trustees “are still looking at possibilities.” But even if the Southwest gains space in Griffith Park or elsewhere, the board is committed to maintaining and enhancing its Mt. Washington site, he said.

“At this point, the only construction plans we have are here at Mt. Washington, where we have raised money for a 10,000-square-foot building,” King said.