Carnegie Art Museum

Last updated

Carnegie Art Museum
Carnegie Art Museum.jpg
The front facade
Carnegie Art Museum
Established1986 (1986)
OwnerCity of Oxnard
Oxnard Public Library
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location424 S. C St., Oxnard, California
Coordinates 34°11′54″N119°10′48″W / 34.19833°N 119.18000°W / 34.19833; -119.18000
Built1907
Architect Franklin P. Burnham
Architectural styleNeo-Classical
NRHP reference No. 71000210 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 27, 1971

The Carnegie Art Museum is a public art museum owned by the City of Oxnard, California in the building originally occupied by the Oxnard Public Library. The Neo-Classical building, located adjacent to Oxnard's Plaza Park, opened in 1907 as the Oxnard Public Library and was converted into an art museum in 1986. [2] In July 1971, it became the first building in Ventura County and the first Carnegie library in California [3] to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Contents

Construction and early history

Downtown Oxnard in 1908, Oxnard Public Library on the right Oxnard-1908.jpg
Downtown Oxnard in 1908, Oxnard Public Library on the right

In late 1904 Oxnard's first mayor, Richard B. Haydock, [4] wrote a letter to Andrew Carnegie soliciting a donation to build a library in Oxnard. [5] [6] [7] In February 1906, Carnegie offered to donate $10,000 toward the construction of a library if the City of Oxnard would furnish the site and agree to provide at least $1,000 per year to maintain it. [8] [9] [10]

By September 1906, construction was underway. [11] Mayor Haydock selected the Greek Neo-Classical architecture with Doric columns for the new library, which was designed by Los Angeles architect Franklin Burnham. [12] [13]

Carnegie initially gave $10,000 toward construction of the library, but as the plans were drawn, the city decided to build a more expensive building that could also house the city's municipal offices and city hall. [14] In July 1906, the city signed a contract with Thomas Carroll for $14,000 to build the dual-use facility. Carnegie agreed to pay half of the additional appropriation in addition to the original $10,000 gift. [14] The final cost was $14,000 with Carnegie contributing $12,000 and the city contributing $2,000. [15] The main floor was occupied by the library, and the basement was Oxnard's city hall. [16]

The library was opened on May 16, 1907. [17] Five years later, Oxnard's library had "the largest circulation of any city of the sixth class in the State." [18]

In 1923, the library was expanded with the opening of a new three-story addition on the east side of the building, allowing the library to expand its holdings to 20,000 books. [19] [12]

Later uses

The structure continued to serve as Oxnard's city hall until 1949 and as the Oxnard Public Library until 1963. [2] [20]

In March 1963, the Oxnard Public Library moved to a new location, and the building was used between 1963 and 1975 by the Oxnard Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. [21]

Two of the structure's three neoclassical facades Carneige Art Museum, Oxnard.jpg
Two of the structure's three neoclassical facades

In 1977, the city received a $133,000 federal grant to restore the building, which re-opened on August 16, 1980, as the Carnegie Cultural Arts Center, which was the home of the Art Club of Oxnard, the Oxnard Historical Society Museum and the audiovisual portion of the Oxnard Public Library. [12]

In 1986, the building became the Carnegie Art Museum, owned and operated by the City of Oxnard. [2] [12] The museum had 37,000 visitors in 2002. [22] It has hosted exhibitions by Southern California artists, including Michael Dvortcsak, Joyce Trieman, Frank Romero and Gronk. [22] [23] The Museum also has a permanent collection of more than 1,500 art and ethnographic objects, including over 600 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs primarily by 20th century California artists such as Arthur Beaumont, Colin Campbell Cooper, Millard Sheets, and Leo Politi. [24]

In 2019 the city considered laying off the employees at the museum and at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center and shuttering both facilities. [25] At that time, city officials stated the closure was temporary and the museum could reopen when new downtown development began, which was expected within about three years. [26]

Historic designation

In February 1971, the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board listed the building as a heritage landmark. [21]

In July 1971, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, becoming the first site so designated in Ventura County.

It also served as a facade for the "Dan August" television show starring Burt Reynolds in the early 1970s. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ventura County, California</span> County in California, United States

Ventura County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, and the county seat is the city of Ventura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxnard, California</span> City in California, United States

Oxnard is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of downtown Los Angeles and is part of the larger Greater Los Angeles area.

Montalvo is a neighborhood in Ventura, California, United States. Founded about 1887 as an unincorporated town of Ventura County, it was incorporated into the city in 2012. Montalvo is located in the southern portion of the city on the northern bank of the Santa Clara River. It is bounded by Victoria Avenue to the west, Ralston Street to the north, Johnson Drive to the east, and the Ventura Freeway to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conejo Valley</span> Region in Southern California, United States

The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It is located in the northwestern part of the Greater Los Angeles Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ventura County Courthouse</span> Historic building in Ventura, California used as City Hall

The Ventura County Courthouse, known since 1974 as Ventura City Hall, is a historic building in Ventura, California. Located on a hill at the top of California Street, it overlooks the city's downtown district with views of the Santa Barbara Channel and Channel Islands. It was the first building in the City of Ventura to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has also received historic designations at the state, county and city levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wagon Wheel, Oxnard, California</span> Neighborhood in Oxnard, California, United States

Wagon Wheel is a densely populated, planned neighborhood of Oxnard, California at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and Oxnard Boulevard. The neighborhood was originally developed as an office, motel, and restaurant complex named Wagon Wheel Junction with a convenient roadside location near the historic community of El Rio. The site in Ventura County became a popular stop for travelers between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, particularly during its heyday in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The entire site was demolished in 2011 to begin the development of the community with 1,500 residential units. The Esplanade Shopping Center is directly across Oxnard Boulevard with The Collection at RiverPark shopping center located farther along Oxnard Boulevard on the other side of the 101 freeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital</span> United States historic place

Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital, now known as The Elizabeth Bard Memorial Building, is a historic building in downtown Ventura, California. Built in 1901, it is a Mission Revival structure featuring covered terraces and a covered porch with a three-story bell tower at the southeast corner. The building was listed as Ventura Historic Landmark No. 19 in 1976 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Ventura County Library is a free public library system of 12 community libraries and a museum library in Ventura County, California, organized in 1916. At the time of its centennial in 2016, the system provided access to 412,715 physical volumes and more than 500,000 virtual items to its nearly 300,000 card holders.

The Superior Court of California, County of Ventura County, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Ventura County.

The Oxnard Public Library is a free public library system operated by the City of Oxnard, California. It has three locations: the Downtown Main Library, the South Oxnard Branch Library, and the Colonia Branch Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts</span>

The City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts consist of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods designated by the City of Ventura, California, as historic landmarks and districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statues of Junípero Serra (Ventura, California)</span> 1936 Federal Art Project in Ventura, California

The Father Serra statue at the Mission San Buenaventura in Ventura, California, representing Junípero Serra, the founder of the mission, was commissioned by Ventura County through the Works Progress Administration as part of the Federal Art Project in 1935. This statue, made of concrete from a clay model by Uno John Palo Kangas, was originally placed in 1936 in a prominent location in a public park across the street from the Ventura County Courthouse. After the Courthouse was repurposed as Ventura City Hall, the statue was designated as City of Ventura Historic Landmark No. 3 in 1974. As deterioration of the concrete statue became a concern, a wood replica was created by local carvers and used to make a bronze cast. The concrete statue was replaced by the bronze cast in 1989. The wood replica was set in the atrium of the city hall for public display.

The Ventura County Historic Landmarks & Points of Interest consist of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods designated by Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board as historic landmarks and points of interest in Ventura County, California. The county board of supervisors created the Cultural Heritage Board in 1966 and in August 1968, two sites were designated: the Faulkner House near Santa Paula; and the Edwards Adobe in Saticoy. The scope was established to include the entire county: both cities and the unincorporated areas. The cities of Fillmore, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks have the county Cultural Heritage Board advise them and those designations are listed here. The cities of Moorpark, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Ventura established their own separate historic designation systems with the City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts developing into an extensive list. The Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum houses historical artifacts, photographs and information on the history of the Hueneme area. The museum is in the Hueneme Bank Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serra Cross</span> Landmark on a hill in Ventura, California

The Serra Cross, sometimes also known as the Cross on the Hill or the Grant Park Cross, is a Christian cross on a hill known as "La Loma de la Cruz" in Ventura, California. The site is in Serra Cross Park, a one-acre parcel within the larger Grant Park that overlooks downtown Ventura, the Santa Barbara Channel, and Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peirano Market</span> Historic site in Ventura, California

The Peirano Market, also known as Peirano's Grocery and Peirano Store, is a historic building in Ventura, California. Located across the street from the Mission San Buenaventura, the red brick structure was built in 1877 and has ornamental relief brickwork and a mansard, Spanish revival tile roof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. P. Foster</span>

Eugene Preston Foster, commonly known as E. P. Foster, was a rancher, entrepreneur, banker, and philanthropist in Ventura County, California.

The Esplanade Shopping Center is a power center in Oxnard, California. It replaced the Esplanade Mall which was Ventura County's first fully enclosed shopping center and was anchored by May Company California and Sears. Anchor stores include Home Depot, Nordstrom Rack, Staples, Dick's Sporting Goods, Party City and Food 4 Less.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Levy House</span> United States historic place

The Henry Levy House at 155 S. G Street is a historic American Craftsman home located in Oxnard, California. The house has 18 rooms with five bedrooms and five bathrooms, a detached two-car garage, and a detached workshop in the rear. It is approximately 5,200 square feet (480 m2) and sits on three parcels of land totaling nearly 21,000 square feet (2,000 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cephas L. Bard</span> American doctor and pioneer (1843–1902)

Cephas Little Bard was a medical doctor and pioneer in Ventura, California, United States. After medical studies in Pennsylvania and service in the American Civil War, Bard moved to Ventura in 1868 and practiced medicine there for more than 30 years. He was also a collector of historical artifacts, a founder of the Ventura County Pioneers, and the leading force behind the construction of the Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "Carnegie Cultural Center open to public: History of art center reveals integral usefulness to county residents". Los Angeles Times. May 2, 1981.
  3. ↑ "Carnegie Libraries of California - Oxnard, California". www.carnegie-libraries.org. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  4. ↑ Patel, Shivani (June 5, 2020). "Oxnard's Haydock school renamed Dr. Manuel Lopez Academy of Arts and Sciences". Ventura County Star . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Move Toward Carnegie Library". Oxnard Courier. December 23, 1904. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Carnegie Library Movement". Oxnard Courier. December 30, 1904. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "United Action Will Secure It: Conditions Favorable to Secure Carnegie Library for Oxnard". Oxnard Courier. January 13, 1905. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "City Library in Sight". Oxnard Courier. February 9, 1906. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Carnegie Promises Library". Oxnard Courier. February 23, 1906. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Library Money Ready for Use". Oxnard Courier. March 9, 1906. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Work of New Library Progressing Rapidly". Oxnard Courier. September 7, 1906. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "A brief history of the Carnegie Art Museum". Carnegie Art Museum. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008.
  13. ↑ Hudak, Tracy (2012-06-08) "My Own Private Museum: A Closer Look at Oxnard's Carnegie Art Museum" KCET Artbound
  14. 1 2 "Carnegie Twice Generous: The Ironmaster Gives Total of Twelve Thousand Dollars for Oxnard Library". Los Angeles Times. July 29, 1906.
  15. ↑ "The Carnegie Library". Oxnard Courier. January 18, 1907. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Library Almost Ready To Open". Oxnard Courier. March 15, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Public Library Fittingly Opened: Stately Monument to Art and Literature is Dedicated to the People in Simple yet Beautifully Impressive Manner". Oxnard Courier. May 17, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "To Celebrate Anniversary: Fifth Annual Birthday of the Oxnard Library Is to be Properly Observed by the Beneficiaries". Los Angeles Times. May 4, 1912.
  19. ↑ "Formal Opening of Library and New Addition Attracts Hundreds of People From Oxnard District". Oxnard Courier. April 14, 1923. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Lindell, Karen (2012-10-14) "Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard celebrates 25th anniversary" Ventura County Star
  21. 1 2 "Carnegie Cultural Center open to the public". Los Angeles Times. May 2, 1981. p. Gold Coast Advertising Supplement, 18.
  22. 1 2 3 Josef Woodard (January 20, 2003). "Ventura County: Little Museum Gets Big Boost from Patrons; The Carnegie in Oxnard is enjoying 39% rise in visitors and, as seen in current show, a host of generous donors". Los Angeles Times.
  23. ↑ Josef Woodard (January 3, 2002). "Ventura County Culture: A Place Where Culture Remains Alive and Well". Los Angeles Times.
  24. ↑ "Permanent Collection of the Carnegie Art Museum". Carnegie Art Museum. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  25. ↑ Leumg, Wendy (May 15, 2019). "Closure of Oxnard performing arts center, Carnegie Museum proposed as city slashes budget". Ventura County Star . Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  26. ↑ Leung, Wendy. "Last chance to visit Oxnard's Carnegie Art Museum is this weekend". Ventura County Star. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.