Descriptive Summary
Administrative History
Administrative Information
Related Archival Materials note
Scope and Content of Collection
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Department of Education and Academic Affairs records
Date (inclusive): 1973-2004 and undated (bulk 1987-2002)
Number: IA30010
Creator/Collector:
J. Paul Getty Museum. Education Department
Physical Description:
37.45 linear feet
(51 boxes, 3 flatfiles)
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Institutional Records and Archives
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688
(310) 440-7390
archives@getty.edu
Abstract: Records consist of memoranda, correspondence, reports, handouts, meeting notes, exhibit designs and related materials, public
announcements, policy guidelines, visitor responses, educational materials, photographic materials, contracts, and publicity
concerning the activities of the J. Paul Getty Museum Department of Education and Academic Affairs, dating 1973-2004 (bulk
1987-2002) and undated.
Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record at
library catalog record for this collection and click "Request an Item." 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.
Language: Collection material is in
English
Administrative History
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." To fulfill this mission, the J.
Paul Getty Trust (founded in 1981) immediately began developing new initiatives and programs, including the Education Department
of the Museum.
The Education Department was formally created in 1982, and in 1984 Bret Waller became Associate Director for Education and
Public Information. The Department merged with Academic Affairs in 1986; Laurie Fusco, who had been Head of Academic Affairs,
accepted the position of Educator, while David Ebitz was hired as Head of the Department of Education and Academic Affairs.
Diane Brigham became Head after Ebitz's resignation, and the Department was reorganized to include three divisions: Adult
and Community Programs; Family, Student Teacher Programs; and Technical Resources, which was dissolved in 2002. (paraphrased
from email from Jennifer Kellen to Clare Kunny, May 12, 2005)
As of 2013 the Getty Trust supports and oversees four programs: the Getty Foundation, The Getty Conservation Institute, the
Getty Research Institute, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. The Education Department at the J. Paul Getty Museum offers a range
of educational programs and resources for a variety of audiences at both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa. Through education
programs of the highest quality, the Department enables the Museum to engage and inspire visitors to look more closely and
understand better the art objects they view. The audiences served include adults, college students and faculty, K-12 teachers
and their students, families with kids, teens, community groups, and museum educators.
The Education Department supports the J. Paul Getty Museum's mission to encourage the appreciation and understanding of art,
and its history, context, and meaning, by facilitating a variety of learning experiences centered on works of art; developing
interpretive strategies that promote visual comprehension of the collection; enhancing educational opportunities for a wide
range of audiences; and collaborating across the Getty in order to actively contribute to creative opportunities.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Open after review. The records in accessions 2006.IA.19, 2009.IA.03, and 2011.IA.22, subject to review for permanently closed
information, are open to qualified researchers.
The following types of records are permanently closed: records containing personal information, records that compromise security
or operations, legal communications, legal work product, and records related to donors. The J. Paul Getty Trust reserves the
right to restrict access to any records held by the Institutional Archives.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
[Cite the item], Museum, Department of Education and Academic Affairs records, J. Paul Getty Museum. Department of Education.
The Getty Research Institute (IA30010)
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Accession 2009.IA.03 was transferred as part of the Legacy Records Appraisal Project in 2009. Accessions 2006.IA.19 and 2011.IA.22
were transferred from the Museum Education Department.
Processing Information note
Processed by Lauren Jordan in 2012-2013.
Related Archival Materials note
The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the people and subjects covered by the records.
The listing is not exhaustive.
Docent Program Records, Department of Education, J. Paul Getty Museum. The Getty Research Institute, Finding aid no. IA10022.
Scope and Content of Collection
Records consist of memoranda, correspondence, reports, handouts, meeting notes, exhibit designs and related materials, public
announcements, policy guidelines, visitor responses, educational materials, photographic materials, contracts, and publicity
concerning the activities of the J. Paul Getty Museum Department of Education and Academic Affairs, dating 1973-2004 (bulk
1987-2002) and undated. The records are centered around four types of activities: administrative records, educational programs,
public events and performances, and photographs.
The administrative records cover general departmental activities and procedures, as well as individual staff members' records.
Records relating to education and outreach cover adult courses, staff education and training, exhibitions and informative
displays, school and youth programs, scholarly programs, and community outreach. School programs include student tours and
informational game sets to be used in the Museum, and the Multicultural Art Print Series (MAPS) to reach out to students in
the classroom. Scholarly programs records refer to interns and visiting guest scholars.
Records for public events and performances concern lectures and seminars, concert series, film series, and theatrical performances.
Most of the files pertain to individual speakers and performers (or groups).
Photographic materials in the collection consist of promotional images from the opening of the Getty Center, daily activities
from the Villa and the Center, and a "Slide Library" comprised of images of artwork used for reference and research that was
maintained by Peggy Fogelman.
Significant contributors to the collection include Ann Friedman (Administrator of Lectures and Concerts), Diane Brigham (Head
of Education), Laurie Fusco (Educator), Bret Waller (Associate Director for Education and Public Information), and David Ebitz
(Head of Education).
Arrangement note
The records are organized into four series:
Series I. Administrative records, 1981-2004;
Series II. Education and outreach, 1980-2003, undated (bulk 1984-2001);
Series III. Public events and performances, 1973-1998 (bulk 1987-1998);
Series IV. Photographic materials, 1994-1999, undated.
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Corporate Bodies
J. Paul Getty Museum. Department of Education and Academic Affairs
Subjects - Topics
Art museums--Educational aspects
Art museums--Exhibitions
Museum outreach programs
Genres and Forms of Material
Administrative records
Educational games
Contributors
Brigham, Diane
Ebitz, David
Friedman, Ann Marti
Fusco , Laurie S. (Laurie Smith)
J. Paul Getty Museum. Department of Education and Academic Affairs
Waller, Bret