Filed under: Art, featuredarticle2, garden, museums, top-feature
A Day at the Getty
I’ve told many people that I don’t like Los Angeles – it’s just not my kind of city. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate some of its attractions; in fact, one of LA’s art museums is not just a museum, but a destination outright. It’s The Getty Center (map), a methodically planned “experience” that must be one of America’s top galleries. Here’s how my experience went, and info on how you can start to plan your own.
First Impressions Matter
The museum was built on a plateau hidden away at the top of the Santa Monica mountains. The plan was announced in 1983, but due to a series of delays before getting the plans underway, the museum only opened in 1997. The only way to get to the museum is to ride a slick automated tramcar that whisks you up to the top. While I understand this is a practical measure – precious space up so high must have been quite limited, and the parking garage here is absolutely enormous – but this also makes for the first step in your experience. It’s a quiet ride, and as you glide up the mountain, your perspective across the horizon opens up, and up, and up – it’s as if one of the Getty’s is saying to you, open your eyes, you’re about to see something special.
As you step off the tram, you might not notice it, but the experience is still working its magic. Throughout the site, there are fountains placed throughout - designed to drown out any outside noise.
The Galleries
Sculpture is one of the Getty’s strengths, and this is obvious because it seems “just the perfect thing” is sitting in every nook and cranny. That’s not to say that it feels overcrowded or too much, as the balance is just right.
As for the main museum, there are four main galleries, each named after a cardinal direction:
- North Pavilion: Here you’ll find medieval and renaissance sculpture. There are some wonderful old books, stained glass, and a very interesting video that explains how they made those statues in the medieval age.
- South Pavilion: This pavilion reminds me of some of Europe’s larger museums, like the Prado. Most of the work in here is European, mostly decorative arts.
- East Pavilion: 17th century arts are here in the east pavilion, with some great names out of the Netherlands and Italy.
- West Pavilion: A very interesting collection of works that focuses on “symbolist sculpture” as well as neoclassical and romantic art. It’s a fascinating roundup – I had a lot of “oh, I didn’t know that” moments wandering around in here.
The galleries all work off a central axis, or set of squares, so you can go in any order you like, or skip one or two entirely if you want. I suggest, though, at some point you make it a priority to stop and have a coffee from the coffee lady parked centrally just between the first two pavilions you come to. It’s a good cuppa, and with the fountains and the view, it’s all part of the experience.
The “Outdoor” Gallery
The Getty Center has what I feel is another “secret” gallery. There’s nothing secret about it, actually, it’s just that most people don’t look at it as a gallery – but it’s the outdoors! The Getty has such a wonderful planned layout; it’s like this utopian hilltop village, with sneak peek views of the horizon. Towards the back of the center is what is called the Central Garden, an exquisite circular gardens (at the foot of the image above). It’s full of different, sizes, and textures, and like a siren song, you can’t help but be pulled in to wander around down to the small pond at the bottom of the gardens.
Once down, you’ll look up and you’ll notice some of the random pieces of art hidden in the trees, and from here you can also see that the buildings themselves have been designed to be works themselves. The designers clearly left no stone unturned when designing this place. I spent the better part of a day at the Getty, and you might to, wandering from building to building and square to square, looking for yet another secret passageway or hidden exhibit. Or maybe you’ll just want sit and relax, admiring the view along with the sound of the waterfalls. That’s ok too.
Essential Info
Driving to the Getty (how you’ll likely be getting there) is kind of tricky. It’s well signposted, but still I found the route to be kind of quirky. I encourage you to review the directions on The Getty’s website before you leave, especially if you don’t live in LA and are just visiting.
Hours: Sun 10-5:30, Mon Closed, Tues-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-9
Admission: FREE, but you’ll likely be paying for parking, which is $15. If you arrive after 5, it’s free, which is a popular option with the locals to go up to watch the sunset.
Photo Copyright Andy Hayes.
