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.