Southwest Museum Report: 'Friends' Leader Responds to Autry Comments

When Luke Swetland, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Autry National Center, spoke during of the arts, parks, health and aging committee, he said that the Autry National Center shared with Councilman José Huizar (CD14) and Friends of the Southwest Museum President Nicole Possert the vision of a "mixed use future" for the in Mount Washington.

In addition to those comments, Swetland also submitted for the record a letter to Councilman Huizar's office dated May 26, which lists the conditions under which such a mixed use could be established.

The letter can be downloaded from the assets box on the right.

Among other provisions, the Autry would retain control of the Southwest Museum's name and collection, while the city would take possession of the historic building, and be responsible for operating it with the assistance of a non-profit partner.

The letter states that a "modest" portion of the Southwest Museum's collection, of the Autry's choosing, would be displayed at the museum.

Said Swetland: "We believe in a mixed use future. Nicole Possert and Jose Huizar believe this. They've invited us to talk with them. Once again, here's a letter that the Autry sent to councilman Jose Huziar on May 26 of this year; I'd like to enter it into the record. It shows the Autry's continuing commitment to reopen one or two exhibits in the [Southwest Museum]."

However, as of Tuesday morning, both Possert and Ana Cubas, chief of staff for Huizar, said that Swetland has overstated their willingness to embrace a "mixed use future."

"I do not nor ever would support the items contained in this letter," Possert wrote in  an e-mail to Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch. 

, Possert said that she has attended meetings with the Autry National Center, Councilman Huizar and Occidental College, during which she had laid out a list of conditions that were vastly different from those included in the letter submitted by the Autry on Monday.

Among those conditions, the Southwest Museum would need to operate as a fully functioning and accredited museum. Further, the Autry's non-profit partner would need to be given full access to the museum's collection and the Southwest Museum and Casa de Adobe names would be retained by the existing buildings.

Cubas said that the meetings between Huizar, Occidental, the 'Friends' and the Autry have been "good and fruitful," however, she said that she was surprised that Swetland had submitted the letter as evidence of Huizar's support for a "mixed use future."

"The letter they provided was, we thought, a draft letter," Cubas said. "It does not address the spirit of the conversation and the partnerships that were being held. It does, in fact, come up short."

The city council is currently in session and plans to of the Autry's proposed $6.6 million expansion of their Griffith Park campus.