J. Paul Getty Museum Exhibition Design Records, 1991-2006 (bulk 1997-2005)

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Summary

Creators:
J. Paul Getty Museum. Exhibition Design
Abstract:
Records consist of design plans, gallery and promotional graphics, material samples, slides, photographs, and administrative materials created and maintained by the J. Paul Getty Museum's Exhibition Design Department, dating from 1991 through 2006 (bulk 1997-2005). The records include exhibition planning materials and a slide show/presentation about design at the Getty Center.
Extent:
13.8 linear feet (25 boxes)
Language:
Collection material is in English

Background

Scope and content:

The records consist of design plans, gallery and promotional graphics, paint and material samples, slides, photographs, and administrative materials created and maintained by the J. Paul Getty Museum's Exhibition Design Department, dating from 1991 through 2006 (bulk 1997-2005). Getty Center exhibition design records cover the physical design of exhibitions (not the featured artwork), including their layout, paint and material samples and colors, signage, graphics, and audio-visual elements. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) lecture slides are from a presentation given by Merritt Price, Exhibition Design Manager, and Dennie Yudell, Publications Design Manager for the J. Paul Getty Trust, that focused on design at the Getty. They not only cover book and exhibition design, but also design elements found throughout the Center including signage, the gardens, and merchandise. The materials were compiled by the staff of the Exhibition Design department.

Organization

The collection is organized into two series:

Series I. Getty Center exhibition design records, 1991-2006 (bulk 1997-2005);

Series II. American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) lecture slides, 1999.

Biographical / historical:

The J. Paul Getty Museum was established as a charitable trust in 1953 by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in order to house his growing art collections, with his original Museum opening in 1954. Upon Getty's death in 1976 he bequeathed almost his entire estate to the Museum with a mission to promote "the diffusion of artistic and general knowledge." Today the J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic organization serving both general audiences and specialized professionals. The Trust is a not-for-profit institution, educational in purpose and character, that focuses on the visual arts in all of their dimensions. As of 2014 the Trust supports and oversees four programs: the Getty Foundation, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Research Institute, and J. Paul Getty Museum. The Museum serves a wide variety of audiences through its expanded range of exhibitions and programming in the visual arts from two locations in the Los Angeles area: the Getty Villa near Malibu and the Getty Center in Brentwood.

The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Center, which opened to the public in 1997, houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa underwent extensive renovation and expansion from 1997-2006 and reopened to the public on January 28, 2006. The Villa houses works of art from the Museum's collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks to further knowledge of the visual arts by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting works of art of the highest quality. The Center and the Villa serve diverse audiences through the Museum's permanent collection, changing exhibitions, conservation, scholarship, research, and public programs.

"The Exhibition Design Department is a multidisciplinary group, including interior design, graphic design, industrial design, and architecture. Designers work in small teams with varied assignments that include planning and design of special exhibitions and permanent installations: interior architecture, space planning, lighting, furnishings, fixtures, showcases, pedestals, environmental graphics, color, interpretive materials, interactive exhibits, media production, print graphics, site mapping, and wayfinding signage for gallery and public spaces. The group is responsible for work at the Getty Center and the Villa, supporting 25-30 exhibitions each year." - from AIGA "Going to the Getty" mailer (1999)

At the time of records creation Irene Martín was Exhibitions Manager, Merritt Price was Exhibition Design Manager, and Ann Marshall was Exhibition Designer.

Acquisition information:
Materials were transferred by Merritt Price, Head of Museum Exhibition Design, in September 2013.
Physical location:
Request access to the physical material described in this inventory through its corresponding library catalog record and click "Request." Click here for general library access policy. See the Administrative Information section of this finding aid for access restrictions specific to the records described below. Please note, some of the records may be stored off site; advanced notice is required for access to these materials.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Exhibitions--Design
Museum exhibits

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
Website