New Getty Villa Director Expressed Jubilation, Sadness

From the foothills to the sea, from the modern world to the ancient, a day trip to the recently reopened Getty Villa in Malibu is a unique feast for the eye. Filled with ancient Roman, Greek and Etruscan art and artifacts, it is the only museum in the world devoted exclusively to arts from the ancient world.

Closed for more than eight years for major renovations, the new Villa complex is now more visitor-friendly with ample parking, skylights for natural viewing, a new outdoor amphitheater for live classical dramas, an indoor auditorium for concerts and film screenings, a bookstore and restaurant. And the price is right ? free but with “timed ticket” reserved in advance. Also, be sure to bring at least $7 in cash for parking. The actual price for the renovations was a bit steeper though at $275 million.

The Villa houses 1,200 objects from their permanent collections in 23 galleries in the two-story structure. These objects d’art are arranged by theme such as sports, religion, family, war and include prehistoric and Bronze Age pieces such as the fertility goddess made between 3000 and 2500 B.C. Also on display are terracotta and marble vases as well as gems and jewelry excavated in the 18th Century.

To launch the reopening, the Villa is also presenting three additional exhibitions, including glass making in antiquity; 19th Century photography from ancient sites as well as the story of the Villa’s own renovation.

The Villa is the original site of J. Paul Getty’s ranch home, which he turned into a house museum in 1954. As his collections of ancient Greek and Roman art and French furniture grew, he commissioned a larger structure to be built on the 46 acre site, modeled on the ancient Villa dei Papiri, buried in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

Mr. Getty oversaw the construction from his home in England at the time but never returned to the states when it opened to the public in 1974.

The Villa has a new Director, Michael Brand, who was open and candid enough to give an interview during this conflicting time of jubilation as the museum is finally finished and sadness at the trial of former director, Marion True, is underway in Italy.

“Marion True has a palpable presence here,” Brand said. “It’s a sad situation. It’s sad on a number of levels. One is that it’s been unfortunate that one individual has been singled out - in this case in Italy.

It’s sad that this comes at a bad time for her. It’s very clear that she’s made a huge contribution to this whole {renovation} project.

On the museum side, she was the driving intellectual force, which is why so much of the didactic material still has her presence. And I think that’s entirely appropriate. It is sad for her colleagues as they’ve worked side-by-side with her.”

Brand added that on the positive side the new museum is a wonderful achievement and that this is a year when a lot of the issues are going to be aired and hopefully resolved.

Brand continued, “It’s not just the Getty. It’s not just Marion True. It’s not just us. It’s something that all American museums are grappling with in the field of antiquities. The Association of Art Museums Directors is grappling with it. British Museums are grappling with it.”

“I remain optimistic about the negotiations - the discussion over this coming year or so is that all the main players agree on the main issues: You want to preserve ancient works of art; you want to research them; and you want to give access to the objects to scholars and to public.”

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. It’s closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Tickets can be obtained online at www.getty.edu or by phone (310) 440-7300.