Below you will find answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about the museum merger. Please click here if you do not find the answers you are looking for.
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| 1. |
What happened to the Autry Museum of Western Heritage?
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| 2. |
What happened to the Southwest Museum?
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| 3. |
Where is the Autry National Center?
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| 4. |
I'm a member of the Autry Museum (or the Southwest Museum). What happens to my membership benefits?
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| 5. |
Why did you merge?
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| 6. |
What does your new logo signify?
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| 7. |
According to your "Exhibitions" page you have two locations: Griffith Park and Mt. Washington — what does that mean?
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| 8. |
What is the function of the Autry National Center?
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| 9. |
If I want to donate to the Southwest Museum or the Museum of the American West, who do I contact?
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| 10. |
Why is "Autry" gone from Museum of the American West — is Gene Autry no longer a part of the museum?
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| 11. |
What can I see at the Autry National Center?
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| 12. |
What is the Institute for the Study of the American West?
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| 13. |
Can I view your collections on the Internet?
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| 14. |
How often do you change out exhibitions?
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| 15. |
What upcoming exhibitions are you planning and when?
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| 16. |
Can I still have my event at the museum in Griffith Park?
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| 17. |
Are you going to shut down the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage) or the Southwest Museum?
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| 1. |
What happened to the Autry Museum of Western Heritage? |
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As a result of the creation of the Autry National Center, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage has changed its name to Museum of the American West. top |
| 2. |
What happened to the Southwest Museum? |
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The Southwest Museum of the American Indian continues to be in Mt. Washington, Los Angeles. top |
| 3. |
Where is the Autry National Center? |
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The Autry National Center administrative offices are located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. The mailing address is 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462. The Center's telephone number is 323.667.2000. top |
| 4. |
I'm a member of the Autry Museum (or the Southwest Museum). What happens to my membership benefits? |
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Your membership is now with the Autry National Center with membership benefits to both the Southwest Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage). top |
| 5. |
Why did you merge? |
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The merger created the Autry National Center, which consists of the Southwest Museum, Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage), and Institute for the Study of the American West. The Center will create a broad foundation of knowledge about the significance of the history of the American West and provide new learning opportunities to scholars, educators, students, and the general public, thus giving the Center a distinctive national profile. top |
| 6. |
What does your new logo signify? |
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We were in search of a trademark that would connote an attitude and feeling about the Center in keeping with its purpose. We thought about our mission and the themes at play — intersections, diverse peoples, interwoven histories — as we pondered what the combination of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage) would equal. We call the logo the Convergence A. It harnesses the anthropological meaning of triangular shapes (ideas, innovation, dreams, visions) while communicating the dynamism and unbounded nature of the institutions mission. top |
| 7. |
According to your "Exhibitions" page you have two locations: Griffith Park and Mt. Washington — what does that mean? |
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The Southwest Museum and the Braun Research Library will continue to operate at the Mt. Washington campus and the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage), the Institute for the Study of the American West, and the Autry National Center's administrative offices are located at the Griffith Park campus. The Mt. Washington and Griffith Park grounds have multiple and distinct functions, so we refer to each as a campus to differentiate them from each other for our visitors. top |
| 8. |
What is the function of the Autry National Center? |
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The Autry National Center will draw on the resources of both the Southwest Museum and Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage) to preserve and expand their unparalleled collections, advancing public knowledge about the history of the peoples and cultures of the American West. Through high-profile traveling exhibitions, public programs, publications, new scholarship, and outreach efforts, the Center will be able to engage increased audiences at the local, national, and international levels. top |
| 9. |
If I want to donate to the Southwest Museum or the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage), who do I contact? |
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The Autry National Center welcomes donations of items that meet our collecting policies. You will need to make an appointment with a member of our staff. Please click here to send us an email about your potential donation. top |
| 10. |
Why is "Autry" gone from Museum of the American West — is Gene Autry no longer a part of the museum? |
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When Gene envisioned this museum, he specifically stated that he did not want this to be a museum dedicated only to him, but to be about the mythical and historical West. The Autry National Center bears his name as a public acknowledgment of his vision and Jackie Autry's continuing support for the study of the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West through exhibitions, educational programs, public events, and publications. top |
| 11. |
What can I see at the Autry National Center? |
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The Autry National Center is the governing body or administrative portion of the operations of the two museums and the Institute. Please click the "Exhibitions and Events" link above to see what is happening. top |
| 12. |
What is the Institute for the Study of the American West? |
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The Institute provides leadership in the academic community by engaging well-recognized scholars to research, publish, and conduct seminars, workshops, and symposia. top |
| 13. |
Can I view your collections on the Internet? |
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Yes. On October 1, 2003, we launched autrymuseumcollections.org. You will find images, art, artifacts, archival collections, historical interpretations, and research materials. This online catalog contains many more artifacts than can be displayed in the museums' galleries at any one time. Furthermore, it is a work-in-progress, and we are adding to it every month. top |
| 14. |
How often do you change out exhibitions? |
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There are usually four different special temporary exhibitions at the Museum of the American West and the Southwest Museum during the year. You can learn about these exhibitions by clicking on these links: Southwest Museum exhibits and Museum of the American West exhibits. top |
| 15. |
What upcoming exhibitions are you planning and when? |
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To find out about future exhibitions at the Museum of the American West, please click here. To learn about upcoming events at the Southwest, please click here. top |
| 16. |
Can I still have my event at the museum in Griffith Park? |
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You certainly may. Please contact our Special Events Department by clicking here. top |
| 17. |
Are you going to shut down the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage) or the Southwest Museum? |
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The Southwest Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage) will continue to be open to the public as shown on their respective websites. To visit these sites, please click the any of the links.top |
