Carnegie Art Cornerstones is committed to promote creativity, learning and growth in the careers of artists, and to inspire passion and appreciation for arts and culture in Oxnard and Southern California.
Continued Efforts to Re-Open the Carnegie Art Museum
After the Cornerstones kept a 9/12/23 proposal by the City Manager from going to the City Council, we were hoping the city would heed our insistence they gather public input before deciding on the fate of the Museum and the Permanent Collection. When that was not forthcoming, we sent out a survey earlier this year to our mailing list, and the response was overwhelming positive for opening, and even expanding the Museum. That survey is now being sent out to other community groups.
The Cornerstones have now joined forces with the Save Oxnard’s Art Committee in the continued fight to re-open the museum and save the Permanent Collection from being sold off. We have met with the mayor and presented our case. We have also asked for a qualified professional to assess the collection for any damage that may have occurred during this five-year closure and review building conditions to ensure appropriate measures are in place for proper preservation.
Since the abrupt closure of the Museum in 2019, we have all been waiting to hear the city’s plans for reopening.
On September 12 the City Manager, Alex Nguyen, submitted a proposal to the Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and DevelopmentCommittee for approval and forwarding to the City Council for action. The City’s plan does not include reopening the Carnegie as an art museum.
The City is exploring the option of deaccessioning (selling) the Permanent Collection and turning the museum into a space for after school art classes, renting out the facility for private events, and possibly having it open in the evenings with art work from local artists on view. Besides the enduring effects of losing the PermanentCollection and the educational programs associated with it and the many exhibits, this is a considerable under-use of the building. The Carnegie Art Cornerstones board attended this meeting and, fortunately, we were able to register our concerns with the committee and forestall further action until they had done some research. We requested that they get community input from residents, artists, collectors, donors, etc. before they went any further. They agreed to do so, but we are not sure how that will be handled. We want you to have a voice in this process! To that end, we have compiled a survey, and ask that you take a few minutes to fill it out so we can show the committee that there is real community interest in the Museum and its collection. |
A Message from your Carnegie Art Cornerstones Board
The time for action is now! Be informed. In light of the City’s proposal to not reopen the Carnegie as a museum, the Carnegie Art Cornerstones Board would like to share some information that raises essential questions about the role of the Carnegie Art Museum and the Permanent Collection in the community. We have significant concerns about the effects of a permanent closure as a museum and the deaccession (selling) of the Permanent Collection on artists, students of all ages, and the community at large, financially, educationally and culturally.
Please check out these links:
What of the Carnegie? City officials, art lovers and community continue to grapple over the future of Oxnard's cultural institution
Please help us continue this support of artist events!
You can send your contribution by check to: Carnegie Art Cornerstones PO Box 567 Oxnard, CA 93032 Or donate on-line here: |
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