The Getty Center, Los Angeles

The Getty Center Los Angeles is home to the J. Paul Getty Center Museum. It also houses a research institute a leadership training institute, a grant program and a conservation institute. The Getty Center Los Angeles was opened on December 16^th, 1997.

The Getty Center Los Angeles which was designed by architect Richard Meier is the flagship museum of the J. Paul Getty Trust. The center has a seven-story deep underground parking garage, complete with over 2,000 parking spaces. It's location on a hill in Brentwood Los Angeles is high enough that on a clear day, one can see the snow at the top of Big Bear, along with the Pacific Ocean and all of the Los Angeles basin. The buildings of the Getty Center Los Angeles are made of travertine and white marble. A three-car tram carries passengers to and from the Getty Center Museum.

The Getty Center Museum has a number of fine collections and exhibitions of classical sculpture and art. They also exhibit European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture, decorative arts, and photographs. In general, most of the works are pre-20^th century. About 25 special exhibitions take place each year at the Getty Art Center. The constantly growing Antiquities Exhibit at the Getty Art Center includes marble sculptures, bronzes, Greek and Roman gems, Hellenistic silverware and Greek vases.

The 134,000 square foot Central Garden at the Getty Art Center is the creation of the well-known artist, Robert Irwin. The Center Garden design creates a natural pathway between the Museum and the Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities. The walkway passes over a stream that culminates in a dramatic waterfall.

This section of the Getty Art Center is devoted to conservation, which is a fundamental responsibility of the Getty Center Museum. Their conservation projects involve acquiring, conserving, exhibiting, and interpreting works of art. The Getty Art Center conservation professionals perform a variety of services which include damage prevention and restoration.

In addition to conserving the art works of this popular Los Angeles museum also has a research center for discovering the provenance of the different pieces. Of particular interest is the research done on the Holocaust period lootings and the post-war distribution of the stolen art.

Not only is the Getty Art Center a fascinating Los Angeles Museum, it also sponsors some excellent symposiums. The Symposium on Contemporary Performance of Ancient Greek and Roman Drama was held on June of 2002. This event brought together well-known theater practitioners and theater academics to address the forms of contemporary adaptations of ancient drama.