J. Paul Getty Trust facts for kids
The Getty wordmark
(designed by Saul Bass in 1993) |
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| Founded | 1953 |
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| Founder | J. Paul Getty |
| Focus | "Aims to further knowledge and nurture critical seeing through the growth and presentation of its collections and by advancing the understanding and preservation of the world's artistic heritage." |
| Location |
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| Method | Grants, research |
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Key people
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Katherine E. Fleming, President and CEO |
| Endowment | $7.7 billion (as of 2020) |
| Website | www.getty.edu |
The J. Paul Getty Trust is a very rich art organization located in Los Angeles, California. It has a lot of money, called an endowment, which was about $7.7 billion in 2020. This makes it one of the wealthiest art groups in the world.
The Getty Trust runs the J. Paul Getty Museum, which has two locations. One is the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and the other is the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. The trust also has other important programs: the Getty Foundation, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Conservation Institute.
Every year, about 1.6 million people visit the Getty Museum, making it one of the most popular museums in the United States. The trust also helps other museums and cultural places by giving them money and training. It has a large library, publishes books, and hosts visiting scholars. The Getty's conservation program works to protect art and historical sites.
Contents
History of the Getty Trust
How the Getty Trust Started
The J. Paul Getty Museum Trust was created in 1953 by a very successful businessman named J. Paul Getty. He founded the Getty Oil Company in 1942. By 1957, Fortune magazine called him the richest person living in America. When he passed away in 1976, he was worth more than $2 billion.
Mr. Getty left most of his money, including about $660 million worth of stock in Getty Oil, to the J. Paul Getty Museum Trust. It took several years to sort out his will. Finally, in 1982, the trust received all of his generous gift. That same year, the trust started many new programs. In 1983, it officially changed its name to 'The J. Paul Getty Trust'.
Leaders and Growth
In 1997, Barry Munitz became the president and CEO of the trust. He started in 1998, taking over from Harold M. Williams. Mr. Williams was the first president and oversaw the building of the huge Getty Center, which cost $1 billion. This amazing building was designed by architect Richard Meier.
By 2009, the Getty Trust had an endowment of $4.2 billion, making it the richest art institution globally. Barry Munitz made some changes, closing two of the trust's programs. He also tried to get more donations from people and companies. However, his time as leader became difficult due to some issues. He resigned in 2006.
After Mr. Munitz, James N. Wood, an art historian, became the new president and CEO in December 2006. In 2009, after the trust's money decreased, Mr. Wood had to reduce the number of employees. He also increased parking fees at the museum. Sadly, Mr. Wood passed away suddenly in June 2010.
In May 2011, James Cuno, who was the director of the Art Institute of Chicago, became the new president and chief executive of the Getty Trust. He started in August of that year. More recently, in April 2022, Katherine Fleming was named the new president and chief executive of the Trust. She began her role in August 2022.
Getty Programs
J. Paul Getty Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum is an art museum with two main locations. One is at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California. This museum shows "Western art from the Middle Ages to today." About 1.3 million people visit it each year. The other location is the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. This museum focuses on art from ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. The museum started from J. Paul Getty's own personal art collection.
Getty Foundation
The Getty Foundation helps other art organizations and scholars. It used to be called the "Getty Grant Program." Since 1984, it has given millions of dollars in grants to art historians, conservators, and museums around the world. For example, a grant from the foundation helped restore the beautiful Cosmati Pavement in the floor of Westminster Abbey. The foundation also used to run a program called the Museum Leadership Institute, which trained museum professionals from many countries. This program is now part of Claremont Graduate University.
Getty Research Institute
The Getty Research Institute (GRI) is located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California. Its goal is to learn more about and understand the visual arts. The GRI has a large research library with about 900,000 books, magazines, and auction catalogs. It also has special collections and two million photographs of art and buildings. The GRI organizes art exhibitions, hosts scholars, and publishes books. It also keeps digital records, including the trust's own history.
Getty Conservation Institute
The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) is also in Los Angeles, California, with offices at both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa. It started in 1985. The GCI is a private international research group that works to improve how we protect and preserve art and historical sites. It helps the conservation community through scientific research, education, and training. The GCI studies how objects and buildings get damaged and how to prevent it. It also helps create long-term education programs, like a master's degree program in conservation with the University of California, Los Angeles.
How the Getty Trust is Managed
The Getty Trust was set up in 1953 to spread artistic and general knowledge. It is managed by a group of 13 people called a board of trustees. These trustees serve for four years and can serve up to three terms. The board chooses its own members. They have a meeting once a year, usually in May or June. Most decisions are made by smaller groups called committees, but big decisions, like buying art that costs more than $1 million, are made by the whole board.
In 2006, the California Attorney General looked into how the trust was run. After the investigation, an independent person was hired to make sure everything was managed correctly. By May 2008, this monitoring process was completed.
The trust's money was affected by the economic problems after 2007. Its endowment dropped from $6.4 billion in 2007 to $4.5 billion in 2009. Because of this, the trust reduced its yearly budget. For example, the Getty Research Institute used to help produce a list of architectural articles, but that work was moved to Columbia University in 2009. As the economy improved, the trust's endowment grew back to $6.9 billion by 2018.
J. Paul Getty Medal
The J. Paul Getty Medal was created in 2013 by the Getty Trust. It is given to people who have made amazing contributions to art, helped us understand art better, or supported the arts in special ways.
The first people to receive the Getty Medal in December 2013 were Harold M. Williams and Nancy Englander. They were honored for their leadership in helping the Getty become what it is today. In November 2014, the medal was given to Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, who is known for his work in preserving and sharing Waddesdon Manor with the public.
In September 2015, the Getty Medal was awarded to architect Frank Gehry. He has designed many famous buildings around the world for over fifty years. His work has earned him important awards, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
The 2016 Getty Medal was given to musician Yo-Yo Ma and, after his passing, to artist Ellsworth Kelly. Yo-Yo Ma is a master cellist who also started the Silk Road Ensemble and the nonprofit Silkroad. These groups encourage new music and partnerships between different cultures. Ellsworth Kelly, a painter and sculptor, supported the protection of art and natural places through his foundation.
Artist Anselm Kiefer and writer Mario Vargas Llosa received the 2017 J. Paul Getty Medal.
In September 2018, the Getty Medal was awarded to Thelma Golden, who directs The Studio Museum in Harlem, Agnes Gund, a past president of the Museum of Modern Art, and Richard Serra, a sculptor known for his large works.
The 2019 J. Paul Getty Medal was given to classicist Mary Beard and artists Ed Ruscha and Lorna Simpson. The recipients for 2020 were Alice Walton, Martin Puryear, and Kwame Anthony Appiah.
See also
In Spanish: J. Paul Getty Trust para niños
