Art in Our Own Words

What does it take to put together a Getty exhibition?

Last summer the cohort of Getty Marrow Undergraduate Interns found out. Working with Getty curators, designers, and conservators, the interns selected artworks, wrote labels, and assisted with various other aspects of an exhibition. The result was a remarkable learning experience and a new show, Our Voices Our Getty: Reflecting on Drawings, on view until April 30, 2023, at the Getty Center.

A Warm Welcome

Our introduction to the project was a visit to the Drawings Department’s study room. The room had large tables, high ceilings, bookshelves, and tall windows facing the 405 Freeway. The drawings were placed on easels without any glass or frames covering them. There were chairs placed in front of each drawing, giving us the opportunity to sit and contemplate the works. We were encouraged to take photos and notes and use magnifying glasses to observe details. We were also given prompts asking us to think about why we chose a particular drawing and what the drawing reminded us of. This would fuel our inspiration to contribute to the exhibition through our words and ideas. I chose Wooded Landscape by Paulus van Liender, a drawing that captivated me visually and emotionally due to the artist’s portrayal of nature and family. —Jessica Jurado

Preserving Yesterday for Tomorrow

When I walk into a gallery, I hear the voices of curators, designers, conservators, and interpretative content creators. This is thanks to the time we spent with museum professionals from different Getty departments learning about their roles in exhibitions. I was fascinated by our visit to the conservation lab, where conservator Ronel Namde showed us how the condition of objects is examined before they are cleaned, treated, and finally hung in the gallery. I learned about the importance of identifying the materials used in an artwork in order to conserve it. This can be achieved with the help of a microscope or chemical analysis. If necessary, any stains or rips in the paper are repaired. The key to all of this is to use reversible, conservation-grade materials. I also learned that preventative conservation is just as important as these active treatments. In all, art conservation is a careful dance that must balance making works accessible to today’s audiences with preserving them for the future. —Corey Solorio LoDuca

It’s in the Little Things

When you walk into a gallery and glance around, nothing about the way it looks is coincidental. The placement of the drawings, the typography on the labels, and even the wall color is part of a careful planning process. I had the opportunity to come up with an initial layout for the exhibition, which I visualized by gluing images of the drawings onto a diagram of the gallery. Along the way, I learned some enlightening tips from the curators. For example, you’ll never see figure drawings gazing off into a corner.

I also got to participate in frame selection with curator Edina Adam and mountmaker Ron Stroud. There were what seemed like hundreds of frames, varying in width, color, and decorative style. We looked at each drawing individually, comparing how different frame profiles looked against it and finding the one that would match best with both the artwork and the sage green wall color swatch. For a few of them, we also discussed changing the size and color of the matboard that the drawing was attached to. These are things that you hardly notice in the end but perhaps that’s exactly the point. It’s fascinating how such minute details contribute to the eventual gallery experience. —Bridget Zhang

In the Design Studio

After a few minutes, brightly colored Post-it Notes covered the walls of the design studio. The air smelled like Sharpies, and our excitement grew as we looked at our work. The whiteboard in front of us was divided into three columns, where we had shared our ideas about what we wanted visitors to feel before, during, and after seeing the exhibition. Designer Erin Hauer surveyed our thoughts and began placing the sticky notes into groups, pointing out connections between the ideas. Our colorful wall showed us that we all wanted visitors to feel “welcome,” “familiar,” and “understood.” We knew firsthand how daunting and inaccessible some gallery spaces could feel, and on our sticky note wall, we gathered ideas to work against that.

We decided that we wanted the gallery space to feel approachable, welcoming, and reflective to the visitors. The experience allowed us to communicate in a way that felt personal. By including our perspectives in a traditional gallery space, we hoped visitors would feel inspired to create their own connections, demonstrating that art can and should be for everyone. —Skylar Masuda

Cooperation, Collaboration, Connection