The J. Paul Getty Trust is the world's wealthiest art institution, with an estimated endowment of US$7.7 billion in 2020.
Based in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
, California, it operates the
J. Paul Getty Museum, which has two locations—the
Getty Center in the
Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and the
Getty Villa in the
Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Its other programs are the
Getty Foundation
The Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts".Getty FoundationAbout the Foundation. Retrieved September 18, 2008. In the past, it funded the ...
, the
Getty Research Institute, and the
Getty Conservation Institute
The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, is a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. It is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985.J. Paul Getty ...
.
With an estimated 1.6 million visitors per year, the trust operates one of the most visited museums in the United States. The trust also provides grants and training to other museums and cultural institutions. The trust has a library, publications program and visiting scholar program. The trust's conservation program is dedicated to advancing conservation practice through the creation and delivery of knowledge. However, since 2008, the trust has scaled back the scope of its activities in response to financial challenges.
History
The J. Paul Getty Museum Trust was established by business tycoon
J. Paul Getty in 1953.
Getty had founded the
Getty Oil Company in 1942, and ''
Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
'' magazine named him the
richest living American in 1957. At his death, he was worth more than $2 billion.
[Lenzner, Robert. ''The great Getty: the life and loves of J. Paul Getty, richest man in the world''. New York: Crown Publishers, 1985. ] Getty died in 1976
[Whitman, Alden]
J. Paul Getty dead at 83; amassed billions from oil.
''New York Times'', June 6, 1976. Retrieved September 6, 2008. and left the bulk of his estate, including nearly $660 million worth of stock in Getty Oil, to the J. Paul Getty Museum Trust. Legal conflicts over the will took years to resolve, but in 1982, the trust finally received Getty's full
bequest. The trust began to add a number of new programs in 1982, and in February 1983, it petitioned the court to change its name to 'The J. Paul Getty Trust'.
In 1997,
Barry Munitz was named the president and CEO of the trust. He began work in January 1998, succeeding
Harold M. Williams
Harold Marvin Williams (January 5, 1928 - July 30, 2017) served as chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 1977 and 1981. Williams was engaged in extensive public service and support of arts and education.
UCLA
When Willia ...
, the first
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the Getty Trust, who oversaw construction of the $1 billion
Getty Center designed by architect
Richard Meier. With an endowment of $4.2 billion, in 2009 the Getty Trust was the wealthiest art institution in the world.
[Edward Wyatt, "Getty Fees and Budget Reassessed," ''The New York Times'', April 30, 2009, p. C1.] Early in his tenure, Munitz reorganized the Getty Trust, closing two of the institution's six programs—the Getty Information Institute and the Getty Education Institute. To deal with long-run financial issues, he sought to cultivate relationships with donors and corporate partners. His leadership became increasingly controversial as the Getty Trust was embroiled in numerous controversies relating to the
provenance of various
antiquities in the Getty Museum's collections and Munitz' expense account. In the midst of an investigation by the California Attorney General, Munitz resigned in 2006 and was forced to "forgo his severance package of more than $2 million, and reimburse the Getty Trust for $250,000 after alleged improprieties including lavish expense account spending."
On December 4, 2006, the trust announced the hiring of art historian
James N. Wood, the former Director of the
Art Institute of Chicago, as the trust's new president and CEO, replacing Barry Munitz, who was forced to step down earlier in the year. In 2009, after a substantial drop in the trust's assets, Wood cut nearly 100 employees at the trust's various operations, most at the Getty Museum. Fees for parking at the museum and the
Getty Villa were raised by 50% to $15. Wood died suddenly of natural causes on June 12, 2010. In May 2011
James Cuno, director of the
Art Institute of Chicago, was named president and chief executive of the Getty Trust, to take office in August. In April 2022,
Katherine Fleming, Provost of
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
, was named president and chief executive of the Trust, to take office in August 2022.
Programs
The
J. Paul Getty Museum is an
art museum
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. Although primarily co ...
.
[About the J. Paul Getty Trust.]
. Retrieved August 15, 2008. It has two locations, one at the
Getty Center in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, and one at the
Getty Villa in
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California
Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles.
Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed b ...
.
[ The museum at the Getty Center contains "Western art from the ]Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
to the present;" its estimated 1.3 million visitors annually makes it one of the most visited museums in the United States. The museum at the Getty Villa contains art from "ancient Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
, Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, and Etruria". The museum started as J. Paul Getty's personal art collection.
The Getty Foundation
The Getty Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California at the Getty Center, awards grants for "the understanding and preservation of the visual arts".Getty FoundationAbout the Foundation. Retrieved September 18, 2008. In the past, it funded the ...
was originally called the "Getty Grant Program," which began in 1984 under the direction of Deborah Marrow.[Muchnic, Suzanne. Director wants a wider reach for Getty grants. ''Los Angeles Times'', March 5, 1990.] The J. Paul Getty Trust can spend up to 0.75% of its endowment on gifts and grants; by 1990 the Getty Grant Program (then based in Santa Monica) had made 530 grants totaling $20 million to "art historians, conservators and art museums in 18 countries".[ For example, a foundation grant funded the restoration of the Cosmati Pavement in the floor of ]Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
. For many years, the foundation conducted the Getty Leadership Institute (GLI). The major GLI program is the Museum Leadership Institute (MLI), formerly known as the Museum Management Institute, which "has served close to 1,000 museum professionals from the United States and 30 countries worldwide".[Getty Foundation]
About the Getty Leadership Institute.
Retrieved September 18, 2008. However, effective on January 2, 2010, the GLI was transferred to the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California and was renamed "The Getty Leadership Institute at Claremont Graduate University".
The Getty Research Institute (GRI), located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, is "dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts".[About the Research Institute (Research at the Getty)]
Retrieved August 31, 2008. GRI maintains a research library, organizes exhibitions and other events, sponsors a residential scholars program, publishes books, and maintains electronic databases including a Semantic Web service.[ The GRI was originally called the "Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities", and was conceived as early as 1983. Among other holdings, GRI's research library contains about 900,000 volumes of books, periodicals, and auction catalogs; special collections; and two million photographs of art and architecture. The library also includes the trust's "Institutional Archives" which document the activities of the trust's various programs.
The ]Getty Conservation Institute
The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, is a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. It is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985.J. Paul Getty ...
(GCI), located in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985.[J. Paul Getty Trust]
About the Conservation Institute.
Retrieved August 24, 2008. The GCI is a private international research institution dedicated to advancing conservation practice through the creation and delivery of knowledge. It "serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field" and "adheres to the principles that guide the work of the Getty Trust: service, philanthropy, teaching, and access".[ GCI has activities in both art conservation and architectural conservation.][Adams, Eric. The Getty's conservation mission. ''Architecture'', December 1997, vol. 86, issue 12.] GCI scientists study the deterioration of objects and buildings, and how to prevent or stop such deterioration.[Getty Conservation Institute]
About GCI Science.
Retrieved August 26, 2008. GCI has also been involved with long-term education programs, such as establishing a master's degree program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...
.
From 1983 to June 1999, the Trust ran the Getty Information Institute (GII) which sought to collect electronic information to serve cultural heritage institution and researchers. Together with the American Council of Learned Societies GII sought to build a broad coalition of non-profits to establish a National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage. Upon the dissolution of the GII, its data bases were transferred to the Getty Research Institute.
Governance
The trust was established by a Trust Indenture dated December 2, 1953 that created a California charitable trust was "the diffusion of artistic and general knowledge." The trust is governed by a 13-member board of trustees. Trustees are elected to serve four-year terms, with a maximum limit of three terms.[ The board is self-perpetuating with the board electing or re-electing the trustees. The board holds an annual meeting in May or June of each year. Although the board conducts most of its work through committees, a number of important decisions are reserved for the entire board including approval of any art acquisition costing more than $1 million.
On October 2, 2006, the California Attorney General issued a report following an investigation of the trust and its operations. At the close of the investigation an independent monitor was hired to assure proper governance and expenditures of the trust. On May 7, 2008, the Attorney General closed the monitoring process.
The trust was hurt by the economic downturn following 2007 and reduced its annual budget by 14%. In 2007, the trust had $6.4 billion in endowment, but this amount dropped to $4.5 billion in 2009. In 2009, the trust had $300 million in expenses down from $349 million in 2008. For example, GRI co-produced the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals with the ]Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library
The Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library is a library located in Avery Hall on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University in the New York City. It is the largest architecture library in the world. Serving Columbia's Graduate Scho ...
, but transferred that activity to Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
on July 1, 2009.
With the recovery of the post-recession economy, the trust rose to $6.9 billion by 2018.
J. Paul Getty Medal
Th
J. Paul Getty Medal
was established in 2013 by the Trustees of the J. Paul Getty Trust to honor extraordinary contributions to the practice, understanding and support of the arts.
The first recipients of the Getty Medal, which was presented in December 2013, were Harold M. Williams and Nancy Englander, who were honored for their leadership in creating the Getty as it exists today. In November 2014, the Getty Medal was presented to Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild
Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, (born 29 April 1936) is a British peer, investment banker and a member of the Rothschild banking family.
Now mostly retired, he has held many important roles in business, finance ...
, a volunteer cultural leader known for his dedication to the preservation and public interpretation of Waddesdon Manor.
In September 2015, the Getty Medal was awarded to architect Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions.
His works are considered ...
, who has built an architectural career over five decades and produced public and private buildings in America, Europe, and Asia. His work has earned Mr. Gehry several of the most significant awards in the architectural field, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
The 2016 Getty Medal was awarded to musicia
Yo-Yo Ma and, posthumously, to artist Ellsworth Kelly
at a celebratory dinner in October. In addition to his accomplished career as a master cellist, Ma founded th
Silk Road Ensemble
and th
nonprofit Silkroad
to promote the creation of new music, cross-cultural partnerships, education programs, and cross-disciplinary collaborations to create meaningful change at the intersection of the arts, education, and business. Accomplished painter and sculptor Ellsworth Kelly has supported the conservation of historical and contemporary art at museums and heritage site
in the U.S
an
around the world
as well as the preservation of natural environment, through the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation.
Artist Anselm Kiefer and writer Mario Vargas Llosa
Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (born 28 March 1936), more commonly known as Mario Vargas Llosa (, ), is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Vargas Ll ...
were presented with the 2017 J. Paul Getty Medal at a dinner in New York City on November 13, 2017.
In September 2018, the Getty Medal was awarded to Thelma Golden
Thelma Golden (born 1965 in St. Albans, Queens) is the Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City, United States. Golden joined the Museum as Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Programs in 2000 before succeeding ...
, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem
The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 W ...
, Agnes Gund
Agnes Gund (born 1938) is an American philanthropist and arts patron, collector of modern and contemporary art, and arts education and social justice advocate. She is President Emerita and Life Trustee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Chair ...
, president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...
, and Richard Serra, minimalist sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
.
The 2019 J. Paul Getty Medal was awarded to classicist Mary Beard and artists Ed Ruscha and Lorna Simpson. The 2020 recipients, announced in February, were Alice Walton
Alice Louise Walton (born October 7, 1949) is an American heiress to the fortune of Walmart. In September 2016, she owned over in Walmart shares. As of October 2022, Walton has a net worth of $59 billion, making her the 19th-richest person, and ...
, Martin Puryear
Martin L. Puryear (born May 23, 1941) is an American artist known for his devotion to traditional craft. Working in wood and bronze, among other media, his reductive technique and meditative approach challenge the physical and poetic boundaries ...
, and Kwame Anthony Appiah.
References
{{Good article
Getty family
Arts organizations based in California
Museum organizations
Getty Trust
The J. Paul Getty Trust is the world's wealthiest art institution, with an estimated endowment of US$7.7 billion in 2020. Based in Los Angeles, California, it operates the J. Paul Getty Museum, which has two locations—the Getty Center in the ...
Getty Trust
The J. Paul Getty Trust is the world's wealthiest art institution, with an estimated endowment of US$7.7 billion in 2020. Based in Los Angeles, California, it operates the J. Paul Getty Museum, which has two locations—the Getty Center in the ...
Organizations established in 1982
1982 establishments in California