Research Institute

An international center for the study of visual culture

What We Do

The Getty Research Institute cultivates advanced knowledge of art and its varied histories through scholarship, collections, programs, and public resources.

Two people chat on a ramp leading to library stacks and desks in the Getty Research Library, while other readers and staff study or shelve books in the background.

Who We Are

  1. About the Getty Research Institute

    People wander in front of a circular modern building with a travertine courtyard on a sunny day

    Discover our mission and history

    Learn about our purpose

  2. Getty Library and Special Collections

    A person sits at a desk in a library and looks at papers on a book while another person standing between bookshelves flips through a book.

    Explore our research collections, including books, rare materials, and archives

  3. Research Programs and Tools

    Two people sit at a table in a library with books, notebooks, and a laptop. One person points to something on the computer screen with a pencil.

    Find grants, programs, tools, and databases that support research and scholarship

Exhibition

See all Research Institute exhibitions

Exhibition Lost. Found. Returned.

The story of how a drawing by Otto Greiner disappeared from Dresden during World War II and re-emerged in Los Angeles decades later

A drawing on brown paper of a nude male figure, seen from the back and cropped at the torso, surrounded by dark shadows. His head turns to the side and his left arm hangs over a ledge
Standing Male Nude From Rear and Re-Study (detail), 1892, Otto Greiner. Kupferstich-Kabinett Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Events

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  1. Screening: Of Color and Ink

    Film

    Film title card with blue and green watercolors and the white profile of a man with a beard. The text "Of Color and Ink" alongside Chinese characters appears as an overlay.
    Fri, May 8, 2026, 1am

  2. Tastemakers: Earth Mother with Paige Emery

    Food

    A woman with long dark hair wearing a blue kaftan holds a basket of herbs in a garden
    Sat, May 9, 2026, 7pm

  3. Backstage: An Unfurling of the JPC | Black Photography & Visual Culture

    Talk

    Four African American men in 70's-style suits pose with their cameras and lighting equipment.
    Thu, May 21, 2026, 5pm

Explore Our Work

Project Paul R. Williams: I Am an Architect

Bringing the work of this groundbreaking Southern California architect to the broader public

Williams sits behind a table and points something out on a 3D model of a house to another person sitting with his back to the camera.

Finding Aid Simone Forti Papers

Notebooks, diaries, sketchbooks, workshop notes, and other archival materials from the postmodern dancer and choreographer

Black and white photograph of a person in a white shirt and pants doing an expressive dance in front of a group of seated people

Special Collections

Highlights from the archives of the Getty Library

Sepia photo of a man in a tie and trousers standing before a drafting table and smiling

Project The Scores Project

Interdisciplinary research into the international proliferation of avant-garde scores from the 1950s to 1970s

A white sheet of paper covered in hundreds of small symbols and drawings in black ink

Resources

Access tools, databases, grants, and initiatives that advance research, teaching, and scholarship in the histories of visual art and cultural heritage

  1. Tools and Databases

    Find free tools and resources that support research

  2. Getty Library and Special Collections

    Explore one of the world’s largest art historical research libraries

  3. Funding Opportunities

    Find grants and fellowships that support new scholarship

  4. Research Initiatives

    Discover our collaborations and projects that support art research

  5. Academic Outreach

    Learn about our resources, partnerships, and programs for faculty and students

A group of people listen to a person speaking and look at art objects in a laboratory

Publications

See all Research Institute publications

News & Stories

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  1. The Art of Therapy

    Article

    People in a room with shelves and large tabletop counters covered in foam look at artworks and newspaper clippings

    The healing power of art is well documented, but what about the work made during therapy? The answer could change how we think about art

    Apr 28, 2026

  2. How the Getty Logo Started and Where It’s Going

    Article

    A painting of a large group of people dancing in a park overlaid by the Getty logo.

    As Getty’s new digital-friendly logo and first-ever tagline debut, we also look back to the 1980s, when typographer Larry Brady created Getty’s initial commissioned logo and typeface

    Apr 22, 2026

  3. Seven Movie MacGuffins in Celebration of Provenance Research Day

    Article

    Two men, an adventurer and his guide, raise a glowing, golden chest inside a tomb.

    In these films, an art object’s history is part of the plot

    Apr 7, 2026

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Staff & Contact

Senior Leadership

  1. Andrew Perchuk

    Interim Director, Getty Research Institute

  2. Susan Baldocchi

    Associate Director, Administration

  3. Kara Olidge

    Associate Director, Collections & Discovery

  4. Nancy Um

    Associate Director, Research & Knowledge Creation

  5. Khristaan Villela

    Associate Director, Dissemination & External Affairs

General Inquiries