<![CDATA[J. Paul Getty Museum · Storify]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseumNodeJS RSS ModuleWed, 22 May 2013 15:14:22 GMT<![CDATA[A Valentine for Vermeer]]>

"What do you imagine the first line of this letter might say? Share your ideas, and I'll do my best to continue the story."

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Sat, Feb 23 2013 12:40:15

Write the Opening Line to Vermeer's "Lady in Blue"|The Getty IrisWrite the Opening Line to Vermeer's "Lady in Blue"|The Getty Iris
The paintings of Johannes Vermeer are tantalizing and elusive. We want to know what his models-often young, beautiful women -are thinking...
Getty

The paintings of Johannes Vermeer are tantalizing and elusive. We want to know what his models—often young, beautiful women—are thinking and feeling, but we can never know. We can only imagine.


As a multimedia writer at the Museum, my job is to help visitors use imagination to connect with art. I travel between past and present, learning and sharing what’s known and what’s notknown about artworks, artists, and subjects. Imagination erases the distance between “older” works of art and our 21st-century lives.

Vermeer painted several women reading letters, which are famously enigmatic. Next week we’re meeting one of them firsthand: Woman in Blue Reading a Letter from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam arrives at the Getty Center on Saturday, February 16, for a six-week visit.


A young woman stands before a window. The light casts a glow across her face, and she looks enraptured. She grips the top of a letter with both hands, as if she has just eagerly unfolded it. Her eyes are downcast, her lips parted…In anticipation? Pleasure? Astonishment?


Getty
The first question that comes to my mind is: What does this letter say? Is it a love letter? I imagine it is; there’s a strong tradition in Dutch 17th-century painting of using letters to hint at women’s secret yearnings. If so, who is sending her this intimate missive? A traveling husband? A secret lover? A man, or perhaps a woman? Is it a letter that, as she reads further, will bring joy or heartache? Or both?

As we eagerly await the young woman’s arrival, we’ve been actively imagining what this letter might say, and how it might begin.


What do you imagine the first line of this letter might say? In celebration of the painting and your creativity, I’ll take on the challenge to write the rest of the letter based on one of your suggestions shared by February 25, and publish it here on The Iris, with special thanks to you.


Let’s get started. Write the first line of this letter and I’ll do my best to continue the story!

---------------------
Annelisa

Posted February 8, 2013 at 11:44 am | Permalink


It is very wrong of me to imagine something dark and unhappy? If not (or even if so), I imagine this:

Dear madam, I hereby return the letter you sent to my husband Friday week.

---------------------

Jose
Posted February 8, 2013 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

My Love,

Will it pain you or console you to know that I believe I can now endure this unfortunate distance between us, though daily there are moments, mere moments, when life seems futile, then I recall the vision of your gaze, and the taste of your lips? …

---------------------
Kim
Posted February 8, 2013 at 2:22 pm | Permalink


My Dearest,

It pains me to be away from you – especially while you are round and soft with the child we have been awaiting – but when duty calls, one must answer with the fierceness and dedication of spirit befitting the country that will soon be home to the blood of his blood.

---------------------

Vermeer Lover
Posted February 8, 2013 at 2:38 pm | Permalink


I can’t wait to see the Vermeer at the Getty!


My darling,
It has been three long weeks since I last looked upon your face, and yet it feels like no time has passed since we held each other….

---------------------

Juvenio L. Guerra
Posted February 8, 2013 at 2:47 pm | Permalink


Esteemed client,

We regret to inform you that we are out of stock on the set of porringers you requested. However, Captain van Leeuwen’s ship should arrive within twenty days with new cargo.


Please accept our apologies, and present this letter during your next visit to receive an additional 15% discount on our selection of tankards, quarts, and trenchers.


Attentively yours, the number one trading company on the Westside,

Pieter van den Jurgens & sons.

---------------------
M.
Posted February 15, 2013 at 8:45 am | Permalink

V.D. Jurgens & Son? – is their competitor, S.T.D Blue Boy, willing to offer an unheard of 20% discount?

---------------------

M.
Posted February 15, 2013 at 9:07 am | Permalink

Dearest Sister,


We are informed of thou’s condition by your renowned and esteemed family and are preparing rooms at the convent. Our convent nursery is a busy and happy one staffed by dedicated and trained women in the art of caring for newborns.


Thou will enjoy our lush gardens, our magnificant scenery and our 5 star accommodations will delight thou. Our trained staff will make thou’s stay a memorable one.


Our chefs are skilled at shooting and skinning so that our cuisine is fresh daily. Our tables are graced by handmade Dutch linens and finest tableware brought to us by the Dutch East India Company.


Upon the end of thou’s stay with us, thou will receive a complimentary pink or blue blanket with our convent logo.


Our staff looks forward to seeing you soon.


Our deepest gratitude for thou’s family generous contribution to our 5 star rated convent.


Sister Wilhelmina
Prioress

---------------------

Anne Martens
Posted February 8, 2013 at 4:22 pm | Permalink


What fun. Thank you for the great posts!
And please keep ‘em coming! The Lady in Blue will be here soon enough …

---------------------
Ron Hartwig
Posted February 8, 2013 at 4:23 pm | Permalink

My dearest Hilde,
The crossing to London was difficult but the rough seas were calmed by my thoughts of you and the new life that awaits us upon my return.

---------------------

Maria L. Gilbert
Posted February 8, 2013 at 5:23 pm | Permalink


My Catharina, My heart aches for you. You *must* leave the Netherlands as soon as possible and come to me in L.A.! Tell no one of our plan…. @oldmaninmilitarycostume

---------------------
Timothy Dougherty
Posted February 8, 2013 at 7:57 pm | Permalink

Assuring you of every courtesy, and with the suggestion of one of our patrons, conditions make it obligatory for us to take this pleasure and most faithfully beg for your hand.

---------------------
Suzanne Fredericq
Posted February 8, 2013 at 8:01 pm | Permalink

My darling, let’s elope as soon as I’m back in Delft from Batavia and my stint with the Dutch East India Company is over. Only three more months. Three little months.

---------------------

Rachelle Zukerman
Posted February 8, 2013 at 8:16 pm | Permalink

My Darling Sophia,
Your tender letter, carried by Horst, arrived only hours ago with the news that you are are glowing with our love child. I am overwrought with …

---------------------
Karen
Posted February 8, 2013 at 9:16 pm | Permalink

This must be my last letter to you; please put me from your mind.

---------------------
Yannis
Posted February 9, 2013 at 6:24 am | Permalink

Dear Precious,
Lonely days are gone! Captain Nook has just given me your letter. …

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Erin
Posted February 9, 2013 at 9:42 am | Permalink

Dear Sister,

Father refuses to hear discussion of the situation and I am mad with grief. There must be some hope, somewhere, that this will not all lead to savage tragedy.

---------------------
Jolan
Posted February 9, 2013 at 9:59 am | Permalink


Never greater was my pain, for now I know you are his muse.. my love..

---------------------
Melinda
Posted February 9, 2013 at 11:06 am | Permalink


My Darling,


I know not how to begin to express the terror and uncertainty your love ignites in me. I am afraid I am to weak and undeserving of your strength and forgiving love. I’m sorry my dear, I am a coward . . .

---------------------
Elaine
Posted February 9, 2013 at 10:35 pm | Permalink

Dearest Cousin Greetja,

At long last I can tell you, we safely arrived at the Fort de Goede Hoop, and never have I been so glad of a harbor, for we lost eight men in the crossing.

---------------------
Ruth Cuadra
Posted February 10, 2013 at 9:06 pm | Permalink

My Dearest Wife,

I promised I would write as soon as I arrived. My feet are here in the East Indies now, but my heart is still with you…

---------------------
butter
Posted February 11, 2013 at 3:15 pm | Permalink

Even now, I can smell the blunt perfume of your skin, and I am holding you beyond that tiny corridor of time between us- you and ours.

---------------------
Ali
Posted February 11, 2013 at 3:58 pm | Permalink


Hello friend:


I must warn you that the man you keep company with is strange indeed – he gave my daughter a single pearl earring for reasons unknown, and who knows what other errant jewelry may soon befall you.

---------------------
Arlyne Moi
Posted February 15, 2013 at 12:25 am | Permalink


Dear Agatha,
Greetings, and the peace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be upon you. I just finished hanging up the laundry and it started to rain.

---------------------
dorothy
Posted February 15, 2013 at 12:27 am | Permalink

Dearest Love,
As my ship sails farther and farther from shore, the patchwork parts of you, widening, widening are with me still. What mysteries you have revealed. What mysteries still to come?

---------------------
Marie Taber
Posted February 15, 2013 at 7:01 am | Permalink

Dear Florence,
Your portrait that is being painted this moment will be on display in the year 2012 at a museum called the Getty that hasn’t been built yet.

---------------------
Regina Morin
Posted February 15, 2013 at 9:00 am | Permalink


First line: My Darling Lubchee, I adore you more than that assertive Saenkanter that you first served me at your father’s shop in Weert.

---------------------
Regina Morin
Posted February 15, 2013 at 9:03 am | Permalink

A jolly good read.

---------------------

Ana
Posted February 15, 2013 at 9:34 am | Permalink


Hi Anne,


How about some background to this young girl’s story? I believe the color blue of her clothing was very intentional and not only for esthetic and artistic reasons. Blue is the color of purity, communication, and distance. It’s the color of the 5th chakra (our throat), and implies “speaking our truths”. Her lips are slightly open, as an indication perhaps of surprise. My take on this is she got news from someone, a male friend, that finally have built the courage, perhaps because of the distance, to confess his love for her.


Good luck with the letter, I am looking forward to read it!

---------------------

emi hattori
Posted February 15, 2013 at 10:29 am | Permalink


Dear Sanne,
It is nightfall here in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. I can hear the horse’s hooves ringing on the cobbled road and the tippstaff making his rounds. The rivers, Aa and Dommel, murmur in the distance and I think of the last time we two were together…

---------------------
Marie
Posted February 15, 2013 at 12:11 pm | Permalink

My Darling, why so blue?

---------------------
Ann
Posted February 15, 2013 at 5:53 pm | Permalink


My Dearest and My Joy:

I cannot wait to see your beautiful face, hold you in my arms, and tell how I love you.

I begin my day with thoughts of you and end it knowing we both stand in the light of the same moon,
dreaming of the time we will be together.
I will return before the tulips bloom.

Ann

---------------------
Patricia
Posted February 16, 2013 at 9:50 am | Permalink


My dearest daughter,


While my continued accession in Naval life brings the pleasures of a long career, I have serious concerns that another war with England looms as their privateers aggressively pursue and capture our merchant ships signaling that England is not satisfied with our trade concessions ending the last war, (along with the grievous death of your beloved brother), they want more and that means we must ready ourselves for another fight and more needless loss.

---------------------
Murray Siegel
Posted February 16, 2013 at 9:58 am | Permalink


Madame –

We regret to inform you…

---------------------
sheila kanter
Posted February 16, 2013 at 10:18 am | Permalink


My darling,
I see where our little one is making his presence known. I do so wish that I could hold you in my arms once more and feel the stirring life within you. The ache in my heart is ever present, my love for you is eternal.

---------------------
Lesley Stein
Posted February 16, 2013 at 1:53 pm | Permalink


Oooh, beautiful and romantic!!!!

---------------------
Denise Bowen
Posted February 16, 2013 at 10:38 am | Permalink


United East India Company
Amsterdam, 1693


The Lord be praised, good wife van den Broek, your good husband did not perish last year after the devastation of our Formosa establishment and even now is sailing for the Netherlands!

---------------------
Denise Bowen
Posted February 17, 2013 at 1:01 pm | Permalink


Make that 1663!

---------------------
Lesley Stein
Posted February 16, 2013 at 2:05 pm | Permalink

Good God woman, as your physician it is my obligation to forewarn you to prepare for the birth of not one blessed child, nor two, but alas, three!

---------------------
Chris
Posted February 16, 2013 at 2:16 pm | Permalink


My Dearest,

Please do not let the cat go outside.

---------------------
Sarah O'Brien
Posted February 16, 2013 at 4:23 pm | Permalink


My secret love,

How I have been tormented since our last meeting nearly nine months ago and imagine that you must have forgotten me by now.

---------------------
Tatyana
Posted February 16, 2013 at 4:41 pm | Permalink


My darling!
The letter is not enough,I know,but what of that? It will surely seem enough to you,since your husband wrote it and meant so well.

---------------------
Loretta Ramirez
Posted February 16, 2013 at 5:22 pm | Permalink


Dear Lucinde,


I understand your father still refuses consent of your marriage, even given your current complicated state. Your father is merely jealous of any man who may secure both your affection and his estate. Yet, do not discount his love for you. That very love is our most powerful weapon.

This, my dear, is what you must do. Fall into a melancholy, so deep that your father will summon the doctor, who he has faithfully trusted all his life. Arrange the doctor to declare that there is nothing more to do and that you will surely die. The doctor will agree to this plan if you mention that your dear friend knows what he did last Christmas Eve in Paris. I will send you details about that night only if he refuses your request. In the meantime, do not concern yourself with that affair, my sweetness.


Now, as an act of desperation, your father will seek alternate assistance, even in the form of street charlatans. Remember, his love for you is our most powerful weapon. Whatever remedy he offers from these charlatans, take but do not fear their effect since charlatans rarely sell anything with potency. Then, instruct your lover to pose as one of these charlatans but with the request to examine you. Your father has never met your secret love, so he will fail to recognize your heart’s desire. In desperation, he will do as requested.


When your man arrives, he should declare that the patient has a severe case of depression and only a marriage will cheer her. Further, he should propose that he trick the patient into believing that he and she will be married. He must assure your father that this will rescue the patient from the claws of death.


Your father will agree to the proposed fake marriage, knowing that you had hoped to be wed as soon as possible, given your current complicated state. He will likely slap his own forehead and laugh aloud, realizing that this is exactly the love medicine that you, indeed, required all along. With hope and delight, your father will arrange a lavish wedding.


You will then be married and your father will sign a marriage contract which he will believe is fake—but it will not!


The problem is solved.


Your dearest friend and the namesake (I expect) of your future son,
Moliere

---------------------

Ana
Posted February 21, 2013 at 10:55 am | Permalink


Cool read! Great imagination 

---------------------
Jerry
Posted February 16, 2013 at 6:33 pm | Permalink


My dearest Wilhelmina!


The delight of my soul! The Lord has heard,and has had mercy on me. Your prayers have upheld me, and soon , very soon we will be reunited again….

---------------------
Mike Hippler
Posted February 16, 2013 at 9:34 pm | Permalink

Unfortunately your pregnancy is not a valid excuse from your Jury Duty summons.

---------------------
Jack Shakely
Posted February 17, 2013 at 7:43 am | Permalink


Here is my first sentence to Ver Meer’s letter:

My dearest:

After more than a year at sea, I can barely contain my joy, knowing that soon we shall be swept away in our long-postponed hour of connubial bliss.

---------------------
Margaret
Posted February 17, 2013 at 9:03 am | Permalink


My dearest love,

Shall we have a cup of tea and a currant bun? Shall we dance beside the sea after work is done? Shall we walk together in the twilight grey? Shall we be best friends, shall we start today? You fill my thoughts these long days…

---------------------
Judy W.
Posted February 17, 2013 at 11:56 am | Permalink

Mijn geliefde vrouw, ik weet dat onze lange scheiding heeft eindeloos leek, maar toen ik thuis uit Perzië volgende maand varen, zal ik u enkele nieuwe rassen van tulip lampen voor uw tuin, zowel ikzelf als voor uw visfond met omarmen.


(translation)
My Dear Wife, I know that our long separation has seemed endless, but when I sail home from Persia next month, I will bring you several new varieties of tulip bulbs for your garden, as well as myself for your fond embrace.


---------------------
Paul
Posted February 17, 2013 at 12:43 pm | Permalink

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogworts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.


Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31

---------------------
Paul
Posted February 17, 2013 at 12:56 pm | Permalink

Sara,


Fine, I’ll go on the Maury Show and get a paternity test.


Tom

---------------------
Catherine
Posted February 17, 2013 at 1:40 pm | Permalink

Dear Miss Burkhalter,


I am most regretful to decline the commission to paint your portrait.


Although your father is an old friend and you have grown into a most comely young woman, I have reached a stage where I paint only those who have reached a certain depth of maturity in life. Youth, I am afraid, is too shallow a field for my plow. Perhaps you should approach Johannes Vermeer. I have heard he is quite accomplished at the modern taste and can dazzle the eye with the mundane.

With you as his subject, he may produce a masterpiece.


With kindest regards,
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

---------------------
Deborah Moreno
Posted February 17, 2013 at 6:24 pm | Permalink

When my sister Pam passed away unexpectedly last December at the young age of 55, I especially remembered the closeness we shared when we were pregnant and then raising our babies at the same time. I imagine the woman in blue reading:


Dear Sister,

It seems we shall have our babies together!



En route, guilders in hand. Keep it in water till I get there for the love of all that is holy http://pic.twitter.com/hQWSYwVBtC http://bit.ly/dearX · J. Paul Getty Museum
---------------------
Patrick Ward
Posted February 18, 2013 at 7:19 am | Permalink


My dearest Catharina, I should return from Antwerp within a fortnight and all is well. I have received a commission from Senor Duarte to do a painting with a musical setting, featuring his prized Ruckers virginal of which he is most proud. He has also given me a generous advance we dearly need. I could not resist however, sending you this beautiful set of pearls that I purchased from a merchant recently returned from the Orient. I know how much you love pearls and they should go well with your earrings.

---------------------
radagaz
Posted February 18, 2013 at 9:48 am | Permalink

Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss:

We regret to inform you that your father/brother/husband has been killed in action in:

---------------------
david kasper
Posted February 18, 2013 at 10:53 am | Permalink


dearest tulip,


i found you the most splendid present in your favorite shop in paris.
a pair of pearl earrings that are as magical as you eyes. i count the days
till i can gift them to you…

---------------------
Maxwell
Posted February 18, 2013 at 11:51 am | Permalink

Dear Sister,


It brings a heavy heart and nothing but sadness and regret to report to you that your husband has died in from plague like symptoms.

---------------------

Mary Motheral
Posted February 18, 2013 at 12:01 pm | Permalink


My dear Helena,


Regarding our upcoming nuptials – we need to talk…

---------------------
Claudia
Posted February 18, 2013 at 12:54 pm | Permalink

Every star that punctuates this bleak sky seems eager to expose us.

---------------------
Glenda Harrison
Posted February 18, 2013 at 3:43 pm | Permalink

I imagine you in your blue dress…the one that mirrors the color of your eyes.

---------------------
Kathleen J. Jackson
Posted February 18, 2013 at 5:13 pm | Permalink

If you can elude your servant and husband, I will be waiting at the new canal in Utrecht one week from the date of this letter at the vespers bell. I eagerly await your two lips, whose sweetness makes our Dutch tulips bloom anew! Jan V.

---------------------
Joseph Freenor
Posted February 19, 2013 at 7:26 am | Permalink

When the King’s agent offered this voyage I knew I could not turn it down, for mine has ever been a life that sought fame and glory, but though I’ve often sailed with rough sailors, this is the first time I’ve done so after tearing myself away from she who has brought to my life a bliss I never knew possible; I now fear I have made a poor bargain.

---------------------
Victoria Miller
Posted February 19, 2013 at 10:44 am | Permalink

“If I missed you any more, it would be my heart and not this bit of paper you would be holding in your hands right now, for it would surely have fled my body and flown to be with you.”

---------------------
Robert Drew
Posted February 19, 2013 at 11:19 am | Permalink


Dear Madam:


Congrats! You’re pregnant!

---------------------
Paul
Posted February 19, 2013 at 1:18 pm | Permalink


Friend,

This letter is long overdue.

Coming to Brokeback on the 24th, Fishing?

Jack

---------------------
Sonia Remick
Posted February 19, 2013 at 2:58 pm | Permalink

This letter informs the family of Michiel de Ruyter that he resides as prisoner on the island of Jamaica having been captured on the 16th day of February in the year of our lord, 1663, in battle along the coast of St. Eustatius by Captain Henry Morgan privateering under Letters of Marque from English Commodore Christopher Mings and further informs you that a ransom of 10,000 pieces of eight must be paid to secure his release and passage home.

---------------------
Beth
Posted February 19, 2013 at 7:41 pm | Permalink


Let me tell you of the future.

---------------------
Paulette Rochelle-Levy
Posted February 19, 2013 at 10:10 pm | Permalink


My Dearest Wilhemena,


Please accept the truth of my confession. I cannot continue the fakery of untrue love any longer,. I do not love you and have never loved you. I just lusted for your body for sex. After we had declared that we were merely “Friends with Benefits”. Well, it was fun while it lasted. I had trusted that you were taking precautions but as it happens you are now great with child. My dear, I am so regretful that you must face a life as a single Mum, hopefully well supported by our liberal country on welfare and foodstamps.


I wish you and the child good fortune- however it appears.


Your Friend,
Deamon

---------------------
Elie Corrick
Posted February 20, 2013 at 12:02 am | Permalink


Schat lief,


I have not heard a word from you in a year, how is it you write to me now to say you are expecting and I am the father?

---------------------
E. Clark
Posted February 20, 2013 at 12:16 am | Permalink

My dearest Berit,


I am certain that you shall be relieved as I am to know that after this long and wretched voyage I am safely landed in Cape Town, and I can only hope that with God speed this letter will be delivered to your hands sooner than any man can imagine is possible.

---------------------
Joye Johnson
Posted February 20, 2013 at 10:39 am | Permalink


Dear Sis,


Our little joke has come to haunt us – the guild rewarded me the commission based on your drawings, which they of course believe to be mine.

---------------------
Jackie Ibragimov
Posted February 20, 2013 at 12:11 pm | Permalink


Dearest Lovely,


Even violets are not as blue as you, and roses may well be red, but not redder than the blush of your cheeks I hope this letter will inspire.

---------------------
Pants
Posted February 20, 2013 at 12:18 pm | Permalink


Dear Madam,


I have your tulip. If you ever want to see it again you will meet me at the port with the money I have requested. Tell no one and come alone. I will be wearing a vermillion colored cape and have no teeth.

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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/a-valentine-for-vermeerhttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/a-valentine-for-vermeerSat, 23 Feb 2013 20:40:15 GMT<![CDATA[#MuseumSuperBowl 2013]]>

Can you imagine if art had announcers like football? Yes. Yes, we can.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Thu, Jan 31 2013 00:52:10

Getty
#MuseumSuperBowl play-by-play will take place Feb 3 on Twitter. Join the fun!
Red and Gold Go 49ers! · Pinterest
Red and Gold Go 49ers!Red and Gold Go 49ers!
We've selected a group of our most spirited red and gold artworks in support of our own San Francisco 49ers and to wish them luck in the ...
SFMOMA | Unknown | Untitled [Man holding eagle with spread wings]SFMOMA | Unknown | Untitled [Man holding eagle with spread wings]
Untitled [Man holding eagle with spread wings], n.d.; photograph; gelatin silver print, 2 13/16 in. x 4 3/4 in. (7.14 cm x 12.07 cm); Col...
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/museumsuperbowlhttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/museumsuperbowlThu, 31 Jan 2013 08:52:10 GMT<![CDATA[Advent Calendar]]>

A countdown to Christmas! Featuring a work of art paired with "a little piece of chocolate" from another museum each day during December.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Tue, Jan 01 2013 09:45:10

Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
Advent Calendar · Pinterest
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/advent-calendarhttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/advent-calendarTue, 01 Jan 2013 17:45:10 GMT<![CDATA[Do We Need Artists in Art Museums?]]>

A panel discussion at the J. Paul Getty Museum, November 14, 2012.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Thu, Nov 15 2012 08:40:26

Live Personal Soundtrack Signage · Machine Project
Does the role of an artist at museums stop once his or her art enters the collection and is displayed in the galleries? A growing number of museums are bringing artists into the fold—beyond displaying their works of art—and asking them to call on their own practices to devise creative opportunities.
Panelists include Mark Allen and Elizabeth Cline from Machine Project, who worked together on projects at the Hammer Museum; artist Olga Koumoundouros, who created a Wall Works installation at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, along with Asuka Hisa, Director of Education and Public Programs at the Santa Monica Museum; and Robert Sain, former director of LACMA Lab, and Christoph Korner, partner at GRAFT architects, which designed the Lab's Seeing exhibition. 
Recording will be available soon at Freewaves.org
A series of discussions about Socially Engaged Art in L.A., Fall 2012 | FREEWAVESA series of discussions about Socially Engaged Art in L.A., Fall 2012 | FREEWAVES
Say passé to the sculpture in the square; the leading edge of public art is changing. Art is passing from isolation, to intervention, to ...
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/do-we-need-artists-in-art-museumshttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/do-we-need-artists-in-art-museumsThu, 15 Nov 2012 16:40:26 GMT<![CDATA[#AskACurator ]]>

#AskaCurator brings together curators and the public for a conversation. We participated in the 2012 edition and received a lot of great questions.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Wed, Oct 24 2012 17:16:02

undefined · Getty
Still not sure what #askacurator is all about? Check out this post on Fast Company on how the social media event is bringing a larger, international community together. 
"Ask a Curator" Makes Museum Twitter Feeds Fun Again"Ask a Curator" Makes Museum Twitter Feeds Fun Again
When you think of museum curators, does the image of an isolated librarian come to mind? Someone peering into their book or painting--som...
We couldn't agree more! We included art professionals from across programs and departments. With different experiences, perspectives and expertise, we wanted questions to go to those who could answer it best. You can see a list of experts and their field of study here:  
News from the Getty | Getty ExpertsNews from the Getty | Getty Experts
Current press releases from the J. Paul Getty Trust.
We let our community know through different channels, including Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and Facebook, we were participating and could ask our curators anything. 
How do curators come up with ideas for ... · Facebook
Great conversation taking place for #AskaCurator here: http://bit.ly/OcrDDv It's not too late to join! "Saint Hedwig Listening to a Reading," 1353, Court workshop of Duke Ludwig I of Liegnitz and... · thegetty
How do curators come up with ideas for exhibitions? - —Diana on Facebook


This varies, of course, but for me I would say principally by encountering materials in the Research Institute’s special collections that have not been studied and are visually compelling. Sometimes it starts with just a few items, and as I explore the collections further, I discover a whole body of related material. An example would be the printed matter and concrete poetry of Ian Hamilton Finlay. You can also start with an idea (such as an exhibition on John Cage) and discover that although we own some of his scores and manuscripts, we don’t have a critical mass to create an exhibition.
—Nancy Perloff, Modern and Contemporary Collections, Getty Research Institute



Exhibition ideas come out of things you studied before. My dissertation on the Trojan legend grew into an exhibition called Imagining the Past in France. It was rooted in studies done ahead of time. An exhibition’s origin doesn’t always have to be scholarly, however. Medieval Beasts was an exhibition that showed some of my personal interests—I’ve been fascinated by the roles of animals in society. Animals in the Middle Ages had a different roles than they do today, and it’s interesting how that has changed.
—Elizabeth Morrison, Manuscripts, Getty Museum



There are many paths. Sometimes the idea is suggested by an object in the collection, around which other objects in other museums cluster.  Borrowing those objects illuminates the one we have and results in an exhibition. At the Getty Villa we do a lot of conservation-loan-exhibition projects, where we borrow objects from partner institutions that are in bad shape for one reason or another. We fix them up, display them for a period of time here, and send them back better than they were. a true win-win situation. Other ideas arise from research interests—or from seeing other exhibitions. For example, there have been several Pompeii exhibitions over the years (hundreds actually), and these usually—and quite reasonably—focus on the archaeology of Pompeii.  Often at the end they have a coda or a section on the afterlife of the city. One of these exhibitions made me think that the modern reception of Pompeii was more than just an add-on and, critically and thoughtfully examined, could be the subject of an exhibition of its own. Thus was born the current Villa exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection, which is non-archaeological, examining the influence of Pompeii in the art of the last four centuries since its rediscovery in the early 1700s.
—Kenneth Lapatin, Antiquities, Getty Museum


For me personally, a great exhibition is one that responds to a need that no one quite knew existed. For instance, the recent Ends of the Earth exhibition at MOCA was wonderful because it took something people thought they knew—Earth Art—and totally changed prevailing ideas about what it was all about. Everyone knows about the monumental pieces, like Michael Heizer’s Double Negative or Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, that were made out in the American desert. But I’m willing to bet that few knew about the Icelandic Hreinn Fridfinnsson or the Israeli Micha Ullman, or the Japanese Group “i,” or that much of the important work was actually being produced for television? In other words, the element of surprise, or maybe revelation, is an important one to consider in thinking about exhibitions.
—John Tain, Modern and Contemporary Collections, Getty Research Institute 
Mythological Scene (Getty Museum)Mythological Scene (Getty Museum)
A work by Dossi from the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection.

What is the educational path to becoming a curator? Is it primarily through the study of the history of art?
—Liz on Facebook

Generally speaking, and this is definitely the case with old European art, an advanced degree in art history, usually a PhD, is required of a curator, especially in today’s tough job market. As one former mentor told me, a doctorate basically served as your “union card.” 
—Scott Allan, Paintings, Getty Museum


Yes, I have a master’s degree and a PhD in art history. My major field of study was medieval manuscripts, so it’s very specific. You probably need at least a master’s degree. Medieval art is such a specific field: in order to study medieval manuscripts you have to know Latin, medieval history, and palaeography (the study of handwriting).
—Elizabeth Morrison, Manuscripts, Getty Museum


Yes, primarily, but there are other paths. For example, I and many of my colleagues in the Getty Museum’s Department of Antiquities studied classical philology (Greek and Latin languages and literature), ancient history, and/or classical archaeology.  These days you usually have to get a doctorate in order to make a career of it.
—Kenneth Lapatin, Antiquities, Getty Museum


The path to becoming a curator is long and arduous. I have a BA, MA and PhD in art history. But more importantly you need to have museum experience. I worked as an intern/research assistant in various museums throughout my studies. Studying art from books is not the same as working closely with objects and hands-on experience gives you a leg up when applying for curator positions. 
-Stephanie Schrader, Drawings, Getty Museum 

Sometimes, but the galleries are generally locked up (although we do have access) and there is a lot to be done in the office, storerooms, and conservation labs that usually claims a lot of attention.
—Kenneth Lapatin, Antiquities, Getty Museum


Yes, I do! We had an exhibition about the Belles Heures, a famous manuscript of the Middle Ages on loan from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. I came one hour early to work every week to spend that time with the pages. It was the only way to get through the entire exhibition. —Elizabeth Morrison, Manuscripts, Getty Museum
In my case it was rather providential. I was teaching ancient art history at Boston University, working on a project with the Getty’s Antiquities Department when a position opened up and I was invited to apply. As a classical archaeologist I had long worked in museums, but never for a museum—until then. The prospect was just too good to pass up.
—Kenneth Lapatin, Antiquities, Getty Museum


The position I originally had at the Research Institute was “Collection Development Specialist,” and I worked almost exclusively on acquisitions but did have the opportunity to curate one exhibition (The Eye and the Ear: New Directions in Twentieth-Century Musical Notation.) Exhibitions have been a particular passion of mine ever since. The draw of the curatorial job is the combination of scholarship with hands-on work with objects.
—Nancy Perloff, Modern and Contemporary Collections, Getty Research Institute 


Having done internships with various dealers, auction houses, and museums, I decided that only museum work offered a long-term relationship with works of art, investigating and researching them over time, and that I enjoyed presenting them to visitors and seeing their reactions.
—Julian Brooks, Drawings, Getty Museum

I was an unusual case. I had the opportunity, when I was 16, to take an art history class in high school. I fell in love with medieval art. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. We had a great museum in Kansas City, Missouri, that had a strong medieval collection. I was finishing my PhD when I got my job at the Getty, my first paying job as an art professional. I’ve been here for 15 years. 
—Elizabeth Morrison, Manuscripts, Getty Museum
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/askacuratorhttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/askacuratorThu, 25 Oct 2012 00:16:02 GMT<![CDATA[Getty Museum Super Bowl 2012]]>

Super Bowl 2012 as recounted by the J. Paul Getty Museum and other art #superbowl fans on Twitter, February 5, 2012.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Fri, Jan 25 2013 08:03:55

Getty
Lidded Bowl, Mennecy Porcelain Manufactory, French, Mennecy, about 1735. Soft-paste porcelain, polychrome enamel decoration
Getty
Wine Cup with Eyes, attributed to the Phineus Painter, Greek, Rhegion, South Italy, about 520 B.C. Terracotta 
Getty
Agate Glass Bowl, Unknown, Roman, possibly Eastern Mediterranean, about 75 B.C. - 100 A.D. Mosaic glass 
Halftime Performance by Madonna
Getty
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/getty-museum-super-bowl-2012http://storify.com/gettymuseum/getty-museum-super-bowl-2012Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:03:55 GMT<![CDATA[Saturdays Off the 405 | 2011 Highlights]]>

Saturdays Off the 405 wraps up on a high note.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Wed, Oct 26 2011 23:00:25

As the summer began, I had to come to grips with one excruciatingly sober fact: my iTunes playlist is showing its age. My music diet hasn't seen anything fresh since that Death Cab for Cutie release last May, and a friend brought to my attention the dust collecting on my 2005 Franz Ferdinand playlist. 

Sure, I can just as easily let Last.FM decide to play what all the cool kids are listening to, but why leave it to chance and scary-sounding algorithms out to get me. Enter Saturdays Off the 405.  


Saturdays Off the 405 wrapped up its 2011 season last Saturday and, in the end, welcomed 27,500 art and music lovers. While it may be over, it lives on thanks to you!

Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band - "Lovin' You, Baby" - Live at The GettyCharles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band - "Lovin' You, Baby" - Live at The Getty
Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band - "Lovin' You, Baby" - Live at The J. Paul Getty Museum (Saturdays Off the 405) - Los Angeles,CA - August 27, 2011. Recorded by Joshua J. Smelser. http://www.thecharlesbradley.com/ http://www.getty.edu/museum/programs/performances/saturdays_405.html
Saturdays Off the 405 is a program that combines art and live music at the Getty Center once a month from May to October (and sometimes, when we get very lucky, twice a month), is a great way to discover new music. Just check out some highlights of the line-up from summer 2011:


Avi Buffalo
Dengue Fever
Best Coast
Lord Huron
Charles Bradley
Surfer Blood
Thundercat
Saturdays Off the 405 (Getty Museum Programs)Saturdays Off the 405 (Getty Museum Programs)
Saturdays Off the 405 will return in 2012. Thudercat Saturday, October 15, 2011 Thundercat's bassist and frontman Stephen Bruner uses his well-honed chops to turn out sunny yet layered ear candy on his debut LP The Golden Age of the Apocalypse. LA Weekly raves that Bruner "melds astral jazz and forward thinking electronic music.
Avi Buffalo @TheGetty 5/7/11 · Cassie LaRussa
Avi Buffalo At The Getty Center 05/07/11 · matcaster

The music doesn't stop once the last note is played. Bands often hang out at the Getty and meet fans after their set.

Went to the Getty tonight to see Lord Huron. After the show we stayed around the museum for a bit and a couple hours later I saw Ben (LH) hanging around. Got to meet him! &he was really nice …..and... · thenameiskelsea.tumblr.com
natvralism's photo · instagr.am

A few Getty visitors found themselves on stage singing with Chhom Nimol, lead singer of Dengue Fever. Sweet!

w6432 · flickr.com

Saturdays Off the 405 wasn't always…Saturdays Off the 405. In 2002, Summer Sessions started at the Getty, featuring multi-stage concerts with world music by different DJs and music curators. Starting in 2007, we had Fridays Off the 405, and in 2009, Summer Sessions and Fridays merged into one: Saturdays Off the 405! Voila!

w6427 · flickr.com

Parking is free after 5pm, and while you can't sneak in Pabst Blue Ribbon under that 'stache, you can pick up a Getty-tini at the cash bar. You also don't want to miss out on the Spotlight after Dark tours in the galleries.   


 Pick up a few more helpful tips from these Yelpers:

Saturdays Off The 405Saturdays Off The 405
28 Reviews of Saturdays Off The 405 "Visiting the Getty around sunset is beautiful. Sadly, this summer has been plagued by constant evening fog, but even the fog added a mystical quality to the garden. There was a mix couples, friends, and…
Best Coast - "This is Real" live at the Getty Museum 7/9/11Best Coast - "This is Real" live at the Getty Museum 7/9/11
Best Coast came back on and played an Encore ending it with one of there "classics" This is Real
best coast live at the gettybest coast live at the getty
best coast 2011
L9997351.jpg · flickr.com
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/saturdays-off-the-4052http://storify.com/gettymuseum/saturdays-off-the-4052Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:09:36 GMT<![CDATA[Saturdays Off the 405: Dengue Fever]]>

Six months, seven bands: Saturdays Off the 405 is a free outdoor music series held at the Getty Center every summer. Here's the story of one of these concerts.

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Thu, Oct 27 2011 00:21:47

The sound echoing from the travertine was as unmistakable as it was hypnotic. Dengue Fever, the sextet from Los Angeles, put on an energetic two-hour performance in June.

Saturdays Off the 405 (Getty Museum Programs)Saturdays Off the 405 (Getty Museum Programs)
Charles Bradley Saturday, August 27, 2011 6:00-9:00 p.m. Charles Bradley's voice has evolved from a lifetime of paying dues, having nomadically labored for decades at various day jobs from Maine to Alaska-singing and performing in his spare time-before settling in his hometown of Brooklyn and eventually finding a musical home at Dunham Records.

Dengue Fever's performance complimented the recent Gods of Angkor exhibition, featuring bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia.

Gods of Angkor (Getty Center Exhibitions)Gods of Angkor (Getty Center Exhibitions)
The ancient capital of the Khmer people at Angkor, in northwest Cambodia, was once the heart of a large sphere of influence that extended over much of mainland Southeast Asia. The bronzes in this exhibition-masterworks from the collection of the National Museum of Cambodia-represent the achievements of Khmer artists during the Angkor period (the ninth through the 15th centuries).
w6453 · polaroid-girl
w6375 · polaroid-girl

You don't have to be fluent in Khmer to feel lead singers' Chhom Nimol's passion behind the microphone. Listen to Nimol's solo as she opens Hold my Hips.

Saturdays Off the 405: Dengue FeverSaturdays Off the 405: Dengue Fever
Uploaded by gettytrust on 2011-08-23.
w6366 · polaroid-girl

They kept their set chock full of upbeat songs that kept listeners moving, including Cement Slippers, New Year's Eve, and crowd favorite A-Go-Go. They capped the night with their hit One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula.

One Thousand Tears Of A Tarantula / ESCAPE FROM DRAGON HOUSE by DENGUE FEVEROne Thousand Tears Of A Tarantula / ESCAPE FROM DRAGON HOUSE by DENGUE FEVER
Listen to One Thousand Tears Of A Tarantula / ESCAPE FROM DRAGON HOUSE by DENGUE FEVER | Create, record and share the sounds you create anywhere to friends, family and the world with SoundCloud, the world's largest community of sound creators.

Saturdays Off the 405 continues through October 2011. Charles Bradley and Surfer Blood were up in August and September, Thundercat in October. Then we're back again in 2012!

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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/saturdays-off-the-405http://storify.com/gettymuseum/saturdays-off-the-405Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:25:31 GMT<![CDATA[Your Haiku in Honor of Van Gogh's Birthday]]>

Haiku are short imagistic poems that, like Van Gogh’s paintings, capture a moment in time. We invited you to compose haiku In celebration of the artist's birthday on March 30, 2011, and you did!

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Thu, Oct 27 2011 02:21:59

Van Gogh’s Irises / Haiku Verses from Readers / An Invitation – The Getty IrisVan Gogh’s Irises / Haiku Verses from Readers / An Invitation – The Getty Iris
A new blog exploring the work of all four Getty programs. Learn what's new and get a glimpse behind the scenes.
one white iris
in a mass of blue
spring melancholy

--Deborah P. Kolodji
The breeze breathes purple · The Getty
arrow of purple
blossoms point toward white leader
advance on orange!

--Ellen Knopf
in the asylum
Vincent, seeking solace, finds
irises teeming

--Scott Allan
Clash of blue and orange · The Getty
the more that you see
the less your mind retains, but
art is forever

--Kristin Bader
Irises stand tall · The Getty
Provence in summer;
no! The cornflowers’ giving
will no more heal me…

--Mark Sealey
Passion in the garden · The Getty
LA cloud
frothy and gold-lined–
irises

--Patricia J. Machmiller
In Van Gogh I see · The Getty
flowery silhouettes
elegantly twisting in the wind
longing personified

--Rebecca Taylor
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/haikus-in-honor-of-vincent-van-goghs-birthdayhttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/haikus-in-honor-of-vincent-van-goghs-birthdayMon, 11 Apr 2011 03:24:33 GMT<![CDATA[Top Ten St. Valentine's Day Activities in Art]]>

Inspirations from the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection

Storified by J. Paul Getty Museum · Thu, Oct 27 2011 14:29:51

Embracing Couple (Mercury and Lara?) (Getty Museum) · getty.edu
Couple at Niagara Falls in Waterproofs (Getty Museum) · getty.edu
Dancing Peasant Couple (Getty Museum) · getty.edu
Johan IV van Nassau and His Wife Maria van Loon-Heinsberg (Getty ... · getty.edu
A Couple Embracing in an Artist&#39;s Studio (Getty Museum) · getty.edu
Couple Dancing (Getty Museum) · getty.edu
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/images/l/13575701.jpg · getty.edu
Michael and Pam (Getty Museum) · getty.edu
06227901.jpg · getty.edu
Engaged Observers (Getty Center Exhibitions) · getty.edu
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]]>http://storify.com/gettymuseum/top-ten-st-valentines-day-activities-in-arthttp://storify.com/gettymuseum/top-ten-st-valentines-day-activities-in-artTue, 22 Feb 2011 09:29:06 GMT