Can you draw this dog?

You guys know how much I love Griffith Park, don’t you?

And I don’t want to get all up in your face about this, but I think I could call myself an established artist, since millions of people see my cartoons every month, I have a couple of books out, I’ve been in galleries, etc. I have an interesting collection of artwork, too!

So here’s my idea: combine Griffith Park and my artwork. I could rent a space in the park, put all my art up for people to enjoy, and charge people oh, like $9 a pop to come in and see my work. I’m thinking that the City of Los Angeles wouldn’t mind renting part of the park to me, would they? 12 acres sounds about right. I would be willing to pay one dollar a year, and that’s my final offer!

What do you think, this is a joke? Nope. That is what the Autry National Center, known better as the Gene Autry Museum, has been doing for years in Griffith Park: they pay rent of $1 (one dollar) a year! They’re not part of the city, you know, they’re a private business. (edit: Modern Art Notes tells me the Autry is a 501c3. Hmm, just looked that up and all that means is they’re just exempt from certain taxes. Geez, how lucky can they get?) And they don’t give any part of the proceeds to the city, either. And they have a 50 year lease to do this, until the year 2037! (Who’s the Los Angeles Comptroller, again?!)

Well, now the Autry Museum wants to amend this lease. What will they ask for, a reduction in the rent?! In any case, they’re trying to keep it under the radar, and slip it in with some other matters at a Department of Recreation and Parks meeting with Jon Kirk Mukri, GM of Rec & Parks this spring. (The public was allowed to make comments last fall on this matter, but the museum has been keeping them under wraps, too! It’s so hush hush! Don’t you love it?)

I am sure Mukri will be a standup guy about this, and will ensure that the department and the city gives the public and the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council a chance to consider and respond to this simply amazing contract the museum has with the city.

PS Can the Autry help me make a deal like this with my landlord, too?

PPS The title is in reference to those old matchbooks that said anyone can be an artist. How true…