During my internship at UCLA I had the great opportunity to visit with Mary Sackett of the Getty Research Institute. It was a wonderful tour of their facilities and a chance to meet with other conservators who received their training in Europe.
The GRI concentrates on the conservation of items coming up for exhibition and loans, which leaves them very busy and little time to work on side projects. It was my first chance to talk with a photo conservator, Teresa Mesquit, and an objects conservator, Albrecht Gumlich. Both were very friendly and answered questions about educational paths and projects they were working on.
I learned a lot about the importance of planning a building meant for conservation purposes. While the GRI is beautiful and filled with lots of natural light, that much light exposure can be problematic. The building is also designed in a cylinder style, which is great to look at, but provides storage problems in the vaults and sound to echo easily across the study areas of the library. Hush tones must be used at all times.
The GRI is actually part of the Getty Trust and operates separately from the museum and the Getty Conservation Institute. The GRI provides its own exhibits separate from the main museum. It was interesting to learn the operational aspects of the institution.
Check out the Getty Museum if your in LA , which is free admission and has a spectacular view!
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