DATE: January 20, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONSERVATION THE GETTY AND UCLA OFFER FIRST MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOGRAPHIC CONSERVATION Program Will Be Closely Connected to Research Activities at the Getty Villa LOS ANGELES—The Getty has partnered with the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to offer the UCLA/Getty Master's Program on the Conservation of Ethnographic and Archaeological Materials. The program, which began in fall 2005, is the first of its kind in the United States with such a specialized focus, designed specifically to meet the needs of the growing conservation field. The program will be based at the renovated Getty Villa in Malibu, which opens January 28, 2006, as an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. The master’s degree program will combine the resources of the Getty and UCLA; it will be administered by the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, an organized research unit at UCLA, and will be closely supported by research and art resources at the Getty Villa. The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) conceived the program to expand training opportunities and fill a gap in conservation education. The GCI began initial work towards developing the graduate-level course in the 1990s, and the partnership with UCLA was formally announced in 1999. The program reflects the firm commitment of the Getty and UCLA to the conservation of objects of cultural heritage. -more- Page 2 “By partnering with a major research university, this new program is able to offer the highest level of expertise and resources to train new professionals in the specialized areas of archaeological and ethnographic conservation,” explains Tim Whalen, director of the GCI. “At the Getty Villa, students will benefit from close contact with scholars, curators, conservators, and other specialized professionals. They will also have access to one of the finest collections of antiquities and to research resources focused on the ancient world, including a 20,000-volume library.” “We are delighted to combine the resources of both institutions to provide a unique and outstanding training program in the conservation of cultural materials,” says Charles Stanish, director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. “This program will contribute to the preservation and protection of vanishing cultural heritage. As scholars with a mission to study the past, we have an obligation to be stewards of this heritage for the future.” The renovated Villa features seminar rooms, a reading room, a classroom, and state-of-the-art scientific laboratories. In addition, the Villa’s scholarly and public programs, including workshops, lectures, seminars, and performances will offer students deeper insight into their studies and the cultures of the past. Spread over three years, the curriculum is designed to provide students with a solid combination of theory and practical training, with two years of classroom-based teaching and laboratory work at the Getty Villa and UCLA, followed by a one-year supervised internship at another museum or conservation facility. The program’s director, Dr. David Scott, says, “A strong interdisciplinary component to this course will equip students with a range of skills and knowledge to help them respond proactively to changing needs and conditions in the field.” Topics to be covered range from the nature and history of conservation to site management, museum practice, scientific methods, and ethics. Coursework will emphasize the multiple values and meanings that archaeological and ethnographic artifacts may hold for society, and encourage a sense of partnership with indigenous populations. The UCLA/Getty Master's Program on the Conservation of Ethnographic and Archaeological Materials will admit both U.S. and international students once every -more- Page 3 two years, with an incoming class size of 10 to 12 students. The first M.A. degrees will be conferred by UCLA in 2008. Visit www.getty.edu/conservation/education/ucla_getty/index.html for more information about the program. For application guidelines visit http://ioa.ucla.edu/conservation/. # # # MEDIA CONTACT: Tracy Gilbert Getty Communications 310-440-7282 [email protected] The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that features the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: The Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu. Visiting the Getty Villa The Getty Villa is open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Villa is always free. An advance, timed ticket is required for admission. Each Villa ticket allows you to bring up to three children ages 15 and under with you in one car. Parking is $8. Tickets can be obtained online at www.getty.edu or by phone at 310-440-7300. Groups of nine or more must make reservations by phone. For more information, call 310-440-7300 (English or Spanish); 310-440-7305 (TTY line for the deaf or hearing impaired). Additional information is available at www.getty.edu. Sign up for e-Getty at www.getty.edu/subscribe to receive free monthly highlights of events at the Getty Center and the Getty Villa via e-mail, or visit www.getty.edu for a complete calendar of public programs. .