DATE: January 20, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HISTORY THE GETTY LEGACY: HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY History: The Getty Villa and the Getty Center LOS ANGELES—Businessman and philanthropist J. Paul Getty viewed art as an enlightening influence and strongly believed in making it available to the public for education and enjoyment. In 1945, he purchased a home on 64 acres of oceanside land in Malibu, California, which he expanded to house his growing art collection. Nine years later, Mr. Getty opened the J. Paul Getty Museum to the public in his Ranch House to showcase his holdings, which included Greek and Roman antiquities, 18th-century French furniture, and European paintings. In 1968, fascinated with the ancient world of the Mediterranean, Mr. Getty began his plans to build a Roman-style villa on the Malibu site, modeled after the Villa dei Papiri, a country house at Herculaneum that was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Ground was broken in 1970. This new building was home to the J. Paul Getty Museum from 1974 to 1997, becoming one of Los Angeles’ cultural landmarks. When most of Mr. Getty's personal estate passed to the J. Paul Getty Trust in 1982, the Trustees sought to make a greater contribution to the visual arts through a broad range of programs. This led to the vision for the Getty Center in Los Angeles, an inspiring work of architecture and landscape design where the Trust is now based, -more- Page 2 bringing together the work of the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Getty Research Institute. Planning for the Getty Center began in the mid-1980s, with the renowned architectural firm of Richard Meier & Partners being awarded the design commission. The dramatic hilltop Getty Center campus opened in 1997, the same year the Getty Villa closed for renovation. When the Getty Villa opens on January 28, 2006, it will have a new mission as an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Like the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Getty Villa in Malibu will serve a varied audience through the permanent collection, changing exhibitions, conservation, scholarship, research, and public programs. Led by the award-winning design team of Machado and Silvetti Associates, Inc., along with SPF:architects, the local architects of record, the renovation of the Villa fuses contemporary design elements with architecture from the ancient world. The return of this classic is a fitting tribute to Mr. Getty’s passion and vision. Biography: Jean Paul Getty (1892–1976) Born in Minneapolis on December 15, 1892, Jean Paul Getty moved with his family to California in 1905. He attended the University of Southern California and the University of California at Berkeley before enrolling at Oxford University in London, earning a degree in economics and political science in 1914. At 21, he joined his father in the family oil business and soon made his own fortune. Over the years, Getty expanded his empire, holding interests in hundreds of concerns beyond Getty Oil, including hotels, real estate, and restaurants. In 1957, Fortune magazine named him the world’s richest person. In addition to his talent for business, Getty harbored a passion for art, which he began collecting in the 1930s. He was fascinated with antiquities and his collection of classical art soon grew to become one of the finest in the country. He housed his collection at Sutton Place, his residence in the United Kingdom, and also at his ranch in Malibu, California, which he opened to the public in 1954 as the first J. Paul Getty Museum. -more- Page 3 J. Paul Getty died in 1976 at the age of 83 in England, where he had lived for nearly 25 years. His will, which calls for “the diffusion of artistic and general knowledge,” is today honored by the work of the J. Paul Getty Trust, one of the largest supporters of the visual arts in the world, with programs in exhibition, conservation, research, and grant making. With the opening of the Getty Villa, the Trust serves its audiences from two locations—the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and the Getty Villa in Malibu. # # # MEDIA CONTACT: Tracy Gilbert Getty Communications Dept. 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 Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Getty Research Institute. 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. Advance, timed tickets are required for each individual. Tickets can be obtained online at www.getty.edu or by phone at 310-440-7300. Parking is $7 per car. 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. .