Getty: America's "Home of Art for All" that Helps Preserve Dunhuang
March 8, 2024 Fanyu Lin for Financial Times (Chinese)
“Nobody is out in the world, like, oh, that's Katherine Fleming. If people introduce me, that's Katherine Fleming, comma, the CEO of Getty. The reason I'm important is because I'm attached to the Getty, and the Getty is important, not the other way around.” In the latest feature of the Global Leadership Conversation Series, Dr. Katherine E. Fleming, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, humbly stated.
As one of the most influential cultural and philanthropic organizations in the world, this iconic institution led by Katherine is dedicated to preserving and propagating the world's artistic and cultural heritage for the benefit of all humanity.
Image: Katherine E. Fleming Portrait by Julie Skarratt
Katherine's view on J. Paul Getty himself reveals her strong respect and a deep sense of duty she feels towards Getty’s enduring legacy. “I try to always be acutely aware of the fact that it was an act of astonishing generosity on the part of one individual that made all of this possible, and to be respectful of and cognizant of what it was that he hoped would be achieved by leaving behind such an enormous bequest for the support of art.” Katherine’s contemplation of the founder’s original intentions and the significant responsibility placed on current leadership showcases a keen recognition of the lasting impact of his philanthropy.
Before her current role, Katherine has been recognized for her visionary leadership and scholarly contributions, particularly in the field of history and culture. With a rich background in academia, Katherine brings a strategic focus on educational initiatives to her role, emphasizing the Getty’s multifaceted nature as a collective of the Museum,Conservation Institute, Foundation, and Research Institute. This focus aligns with the Getty’s efforts to make their collections accessible and relevant to the broadest possible audience, which stays true to Getty’s desire for a lasting institution that enriches public understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.
Aerial view of the Getty Center looking toward the Pacific Ocean © J. Paul Getty Trust
In our conversation, Katherine begins by painting a vivid picture of her daily inspiration at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, “The greatest pleasure is that at some point during the day, every day, I will make sure that I get out of my office and walk across the campus. And you see schoolchildren, unbelievably excited, jumping up and down at the top of the steps. You see families who are up here to look at the beautiful views, enjoying themselves. I’m constantly reminded that I work at a place that exists solely to give other people pleasure, knowledge, beauty, exposure to art, opportunities. And that’s a really unbelievable privilege to work in that kind of environment.”
Central Garden at the Getty Center designed by Robert Irwin. Photo: Cassia Davis © 2022 J. Paul Getty Trust
Considering its esteemed historical legacy, Katherine refers Getty as a luxury cultural brand, dedicated to offering visitors with a rich and contemporary experience. Whether through the physical beauty of its architecture or the digital exploration of its collections, the luxury Getty embodies is a shared experience that’s universally accessible and inclusive, evolving from a family legacy to “a home of art for all”.
Preserving Culture Heritage through Reconstructing
Katherine’s move to Los Angeles in July of 2022 marked a return to a city with deep personal connections and memories, including her initial encounter with the newly completed Getty Center in the 1990s. We talked about recreating historical environments and architectural marvels as a unique form of cultural heritage conservation, which serves as a bridge between past and present. The Getty Center, with its design inspired by the concept of an Acropolis, showcases how contemporary architecture can echo historical forms, creating a space that is both a nod to the past and a celebration of the present.
Getty Museum entrance. Photo: John Linden © 2003 J. Paul Getty Trust
Similarly, the Getty Villa originally conceived by J. Paul Getty is a meticulous reconstruction of an ancient Roman villa. This method not only safeguards the physical and aesthetic aspects of cultural sites but also revitalizes the intangible elements that define the essence of a place and its significance to humanity.
Another example is the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China’s Silk Road”. In 2017, artists from Dunhuang meticulously crafted life-size replicas of the Mogao caves at the Getty Center, enabling visitors to grasp the grandeur, spiritual essence, and artistic scale of the original sites. These replicas, along with the exhibition of scrolls and sculptures in adjacent galleries, serve to place these artifacts within their historical and cultural context. The exhibition also includes a virtual immersive exploration of the 8th-century Cave 45. The reconstruction of spaces, both physically and digitally, offers contemporary audiences a tangible connection to distant cultures and epochs. It embodies a commitment to educating the American public about the richness of global histories and the interconnectedness of human cultures.
Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road, Photo by John Kiffe © J. Paul Getty Trust
Katherine explained that through the Getty Conservation Institute's proprietary platform, ‘Arches’, cultural heritage sites can be identified, mapped, and explored online – often the first steps towards their future protection. It's a testament to leveraging technology in preserving our global heritage, making it accessible to audiences who might never have the opportunity to visit these places in person.
Partnerships as a Rising Tide That Lifts All Boats
Katherine articulated a strategic vision for Getty that includes both 'Getty Local' and 'Getty Global' initiatives, “Getty is a global organization that is also deeply committed to Southern California and its local communities. ‘Getty Global’ encompasses both and works in the same way with both: through partnerships. We support projects – of conservation, research, and exhibition – around the world and at home, but more than simply providing support, we seek real relationships that rest on shared interests and complementary strengths.”
Their activities both within California and internationally enhance and support each other. For example, the conservation efforts and research they conducted on David Alfaro Siqueiros’ América Tropical in downtown Los Angeles have become a benchmark for similar outdoor mural conservation efforts both locally and globally. Their conservation specialists also offer their knowledge worldwide. By participating in collection-sharing initiatives, such as their current project with the CSMVS museum in Mumbai, they are inspired to reconsider and innovate the way they exhibit their own collections.
In today's cultural landscape, Getty embodies an inspiring approach towards the stewardship of the visual arts, trusting in collaboration over competition. This ethos is manifested in various facets of its operations, from co-ownership of artworks to the development of open-source tools, and in providing programs and training to support other organizations. At the heart of Getty's philosophy is the belief in partnerships as a rising tide that lifts all boats, a principle that guides the collective efforts to advance the presentation, conservation, and interpretation of the world's artistic legacy.
A notable illustration of this collaborative spirit is Getty's partnership with the National Portrait Gallery in London. This collaboration, centered around the joint acquisition and co-ownership of a significant work of art, Sir Joshua Reynolds’ Portrait of Mai,’ showcases how institutions can come together to preserve cultural heritage, moving beyond the confines of nationalistic interpretations. This artwork not only holds value as part of English and British cultural heritage but also embodies connections to the Pacific, highlighting the global relevance of such cooperative endeavors.
Katherine expressed that, "The art market is a very competitive one, and I would love to see as many instances of that competition being turned into collaboration as possible.” She elaborated on the unique position museums hold in the art world, “When you're a museum, you're not purchasing a work of art for any reason other than to preserve cultural heritage and disseminate it as widely as possible. So I really like the idea of fractional or shared ownership of works of art, not for investment upside, but to maximize visibility and exposure of specific works of art.”
Getty's collaborative approach extends to the creation and sharing of knowledge and resources with the global community. This includes developing digital tools like the open-source 'Arches' platform for cultural heritage inventory and management, which is freely available to other institutions.
In addressing cultural asset management, and the challenge of balancing the preservation of the J. Paul Getty Trust's rich legacy with imperative for innovation in an ever-evolving world, Katherine illuminates a thought-provoking perspective, "These are one and the same thing.” According to her, the drive towards digital innovation and adaptation is essential for safeguarding Getty's remarkable collections of art and archives for future generations. This commitment goes beyond preservation, embracing a broader vision of making these cultural treasures universally accessible. With initiatives like making over 160,000 images from the Getty collections' public-domain art and archives freely accessible, along with offering more than 65,000 digitized books through the Getty Research Institute library online, Getty is redefining accessibility in the digital age. As Katherine pointing out, “The main thing that I would want to emphasize is that we're using the digital not simply to be innovative, but to make sure that we are maximally accessible and open and free to all users.”
Katherine shared that Getty's multifaceted engagement with the conservation and study of the Mogao Grottoes in partnership with the Dunhuang Academy was one of their most significant engagements with China, “The project is now a global model for international collaboration, and heritage sites with similar challenging climates use our partnership on the project as a valuable resource.” This enduring relationship, spanning over three decades, demonstrates a unique blend of conservation science, academic research, and public education.
Mogao Grottoes Cave 85, Photo by Francesca Piqué © J. Paul Getty Trust
Getty's involvement in the development and refinement of the Conservation of Heritage Sites in China (or the China Principles) marks a significant contribution to the field of cultural heritage conservation. By assisting in the establishment of the first-ever national guidelines for the conservation of Chinese heritage, Getty has played a crucial role in shaping sustainable preservation practices. This collaboration has facilitated the training of professionals in China and beyond, ensuring that valuable knowledge and expertise are shared and applied across borders.
Looking ahead, Getty's ongoing collaboration with heritage professionals at the Dunhuang Academy and elsewhere in China strengthens their dedication to tackling complex conservation challenges. Katherine mentioned, “This April, for example, we’ll be holding a workshop in Beijing on the conservation of lacquer objects – an extremely difficult material to study and conserve, but one that is ubiquitous in Chinese art.” This work not only addresses the technical aspects of preserving material culture but also contributes to the broader mission of cultural understanding and exchange.
These efforts highlight Getty's role at the forefront of cultural heritage conservation and public engagement, more importantly, they serve to define the evolving role of museums and cultural institutions as guardians and interpreters of our shared history, tasked with presenting it in a way that resonates across cultural and temporal divides.
“Museums cannot be static institutions.”
In a time when the relevance of museums is frequently questioned, Katherine offers a compelling answer: These institutions are guardians of global cultural heritage, a shared treasury of human genius that transcends individual ownership and connects us all. “This is something that belongs to all of us, to all of humanity. It doesn't matter where it came from. It doesn't matter who bought it. In some sense, it really belongs to all of us. These are the output of a kind of human genius, human creation, in the same way that languages are or religions are, or philosophies,” she notes, highlighting the intrinsic value of cultural heritage to humanity's collective identity and knowledge, “Museums are incredibly important as one of the few institutions that exist with the explicit purpose of preserving that”.
As she contemplates on the purpose of museums, Katherine further envisions Getty not just as a guardian of art but as a catalyst for vibrant exchanges between the audience and the very core of human creativity. “I think the creative impulse, just as the storytelling impulse, is super deep within all of us. You see it in children, and then we sort of lose it, or we're told that it doesn't matter so much, and it's really only the few people who feel like they can't live unless they create, who continue with it.” She champions the notion that museums should offer direct encounters with art that reawaken our innate creativity, describing this as a vital opportunity to rekindle a universal connection, “I think it's a great thing to reconnect people to that, for them to see some incredible thing and have a very direct encounter with it and know that it was created by a human being, just as they're a human being.”
“Museum visitors continue to tell us that when they see a work of art, they not only want to understand the context in which it was created, but how it connects to social and political issues of the present day. Our job is to not tell these visitors what they should think, or how they should respond to any given piece of art. Rather, it is to provide them with enough context and information to allow them to have their own thoughts and reactions. What this means is that we ourselves are continually updating the ways that we think about our collections, taking an increasingly complex and critical eye to our collection and our cultural heritage work globally. Museums cannot be static institutions.”
In its commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, Getty Trust emerges as a steadfast advocate for free speech, thought, and expression, crucial across all spectrums of society, including the arts and academia. By presenting its collections and research in a context that encourages diverse interpretations, Getty invites a broad array of insights, recognizing the value of differing viewpoints in enriching the cultural dialogue. Getty's dedication to maintaining a neutral stance and fostering an open environment for broad discourse is central to Getty's mission, reflecting its belief in the power of art to inspire and educate, while actively contributing to the dynamic and evolving role of museums in today's society.
Getty Museum visitors take a selfie at the Getty Center. Photo: Cassia Davis © 2022 J. Paul Getty Trust
When asked about the advice she would offer to emerging leaders in the cultural and philanthropic sectors, Katherine emphasized again the importance of serving the institution's mission over personal ambitions or external validation, recalling the legacy of J. Paul Getty. “A man I never met left behind a substantial legacy for the creation of an entity that he wanted to exist in perpetuity for the preservation, study, and propagation of art. I am the custodian of that desire, tasked with ensuring we fulfill his vision in ways that resonate with our contemporary world,” she reflected so humbly yet ambitiously.
