Further Forays into the Museum World

I wrote an earlier blog post entitled “Forays into Museum Exhibitions,” in which I talked about the Exhibit opening I worked and the curator tours I went on. Over the past few weeks I’ve also had the chance to visit various Museum departments and talk with curators and conservators, as well as work another Exhibit opening. The opening was for our new show, London Calling, which is showcasing six British Modernist artists. For this opening we had a DJ performing (of course he played The Clash’s London Calling) and a British cuisine inspired menu with the best item being fish and chips. While staff and press previews ran normally, a new element was added during the press preview. “Social Media Influencers” (read: popular Instagrammers) were invited to attend so that they could post photos and videos to various social media outlets to hopefully increase attendance to the exhibition, particularly from a younger audience. The event ran smoothly and the DJ added a really lively ambience to the experience, so it was definitely an exciting event to work.

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Return of Friday Flights and Saturdays Off the 405

I’ve decided to lump all of July’s Friday Flights and SOT405 into one post, rather than include them in my roughly weekly blogs so that I can reflect on my experience of working these big public program events all at one time since I won’t be around for the August ones.

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Camouflage, Creativity and Kids 

One of the many programs that happen during the summer here at the Getty are educational art labs for children and families. Museum Education works with a local artist to create a 20 minute art lesson based on a piece in our permanent collection. This summer, artist Bryan Keene crafted a lesson on animal camouflage and coloration, inspired by “A Hare in the Forest,” a painting by Hans Hoffman from the 1530s.

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Visiting the Villa

Four years ago I visited my grandparents, who live outside of LA. The week was filled with beach trips, mini-golf, watching the Olympics, and a visit to a museum I’d barely heard of–The Getty Villa. My parents, who’d planned out our whole week for maximum enjoyment, had chosen this museum because of my and my brothers’ interest in Roman history. Well, needless to say, a recreation of a 1st century villa, family room filled with interactive activities like drawing on amphoras and shadow theater with props (my brothers and I are fundamentally kids at heart), and incredible art and artifacts made it one my most vivid memories of that trip. And despite my mother saying, as only a mother can, “how wonderful it would be if you were able to work here someday,” I never thought I’d return.

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