Museum considers moving

Suzie Harrison

The question to move or not to move was posed by the Laguna Art

Museum to the Arts Commission on Monday in hopes of gaining its

endorsement.

The museum’s board of directors is looking for a new home for the

museum to allow for more space and parking.

The board’s proposal is to relocate the museum to the Village

Entrance near City Hall. Its representative at the meeting presented

four design ideas to the arts commission.

Laguna Art Museum director Bolton Colburn introduced real estate

developer and board member Bill Lane to the commission. “Bill Lane is

looking into the future of Laguna Art Museum with a lot of ideas and

plans,” Colburn said.

The plans are based on the idea that the city is talking about

relocating parking to ACT V, Lane said.

Colburn said Tuesday that the idea predates the current board. The

museum was looking into a similar concept in the early 1990s. But the

idea was brought up again by Lane. The board decided to look into the

possibilities.

“We’re not putting all our eggs in one basket,” Colburn said. “We

are looking into what will happen in the future, how to grow with the

community, grow in stature and do more for the community and its

visitors.”

At the arts commission meeting, Lane stated that he is a real

estate developer and doesn’t live or work in Laguna Beach, stressing

that he came to the meeting without a political agenda.

“The museum has been here for 80 years, but it has no parking for

the museum or for its big events,” Lane said. “In 25 to 30 years,

what should happen when you come in through the canyon?”

Lane suggested that the museum should front the parking structure

that the city has considered building at the Village Entrance. He

told commissioners that the new museum would be about 30,000 square

feet.

“Today, the museum is 17,000 square feet, the ceiling heights are

not very big, and it doesn’t have places for very large objects of

art,” Lane said.

Bolton said they needed more space for the museum’s permanent

collection to show it more often. With its space issues, it might

inhibit other donors, he said.

Lane pleaded with the commission to give support so the board

could take the idea to the City Council.

Commissioner Pat Kollenda said that the Village Entrance would be

going before the Coastal Commission and that it really wasn’t the

Arts Commission’s place at that time to make any decisions about new

plans.

To fund the move and construction, the city could issue bonds, get

donations through the museum, or some wealthy patron of the arts

might donate the estimated $10 to $12 million, Lane said. He said

that was the case when La Jolla proposed the same thing.

With all the major arts in one area, nothing but good could come

of it, he said.

Board President Jan Sattler said that she felt it was premature to

make any endorsements. She suggested that it might be better suited

to talk to the City Council, the Planning Commission or the Costal

Commission.

“The Arts Commission has never endorsed a real estate move

before,” Kollenda said. “We’re not in the position.”

At that, Lane asked, “What is the Arts Commission for? What do you

do?”

Commissioner Les Thomas asked for more information and for a

proper analysis to be prepared. The commissioners suggested that the

museum should do a survey and find out the needs of the community and

its arts patrons.

Finally, Lane said he had a misconception of the roll of the Arts

Commission, but Sattler said his efforts weren’t completely in vain.

“What you’ve done tonight is opened up the dialogue,” Sattler

said. “Our group is not in the advisory capacity in land use and

structure.”

The commissioners suggested that he was giving them too much

power.

“It would be smart to have a fact sheet, reasons, benefits and

then talk to other art groups in the area,” Kollenda said. “It’s the

arts district that you’re talking about going into. It’s more complex

than asking us what we think.”

Lane answered that he didn’t think it was very complex.