ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Hold Fast to Dreams

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Newport Harbor Art Museum could move to a new home on the coast--a yet-to-be built architectural gem, produced by a world-class master that would provide room under one roof at last for both the permanent collection and current exhibits?

Alas, the dismal financial climate for raising the needed $50 million for such an ambitious venture in Orange County has put a chill on the dream. Wisely, the museum’s board appears headed for a painful but prudent decision to put things on hold.

The 30-year-old museum collects works from contemporary California artists and exhibits art from the post-World War II period. In its current quarters in Fashion Island, it’s like a cramped family that outgrew the old homestead; it doesn’t have sufficient room for both collection and exhibits.

And there’s an understandable feeling that the time has arrived in Orange County for a new facility that is both a fitting center for one of Southern California’s major contemporary art museums and a significant architectural statement in its own right.

But fund raising has faltered, and Orange County does not have a contributor willing to come forward to help get the project off the ground. The board has read the tea leaves and recognized the obvious problems facing a major capital campaign in the current economic environment.

What the museum does have, however, is a valuable piece of available land. Donald L. Bren, chairman of the Irvine Co., a board member, has promised to donate a 10.5-acre parcel along East Coast Highway if construction money can be raised. Since the Irvine Co. has repeated its commitment for the long term, the project is in a reasonably secure position to sit and wait.

And that’s what the museum should do for now: Hang on to the dream. Orange County richly deserves its own exciting center for the visual arts. But in this time when even generous contributors may be watching their checkbook balance with extra care, caution is better. Don’t plunge ahead now on an ambitious, expensive project.