All events are free, unless otherwise noted. Seating reservations are required. For reservations and information, please call (310) 440-7300 or see information on planning a visit.

Symposium

Seeing and Reading in 12th-Century England

Fourteen scholars from Europe and the United States discuss art, literacy, and the readership of images and pictorial cycles in 12th-century England.

Saturday, February 1, 2014; 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Museum Lecture Hall



Sunday, February 2, 2014; 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Royce Hall, University of California, Los Angeles

Registration not required for Sunday, at UCLA, but space is limited. For additional information download the event program below.

Download the event program (PDF, 1 MB)

Lectures

Canterbury—14 Centuries of Community and Creativity

Today, over 300 full-time staff experienced in traditional arts and crafts—such as stonemasons, carpenters, workers in stained glass, musicians, and more—are employed at the Cathedral in Canterbury, founded in 597 by St. Augustine. The Very Reverend Dr. Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury, tells the story of the origin and evolution of this extraordinary creative community.

Sunday, September 22, 2013; 3:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

How to Become a Medieval Visionary

Lisa Bitel, professor of history and religion at the University of Southern California, examines the relation of prophecy, revelation, and religious vision in saints' lives from roughly the 10th to 12th centuries, in gendered and regional contexts, with special attention to the career of Christina of Markyate.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013; 7:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Murder in the Cathedral! Sensationalism and Monastic Patronage at Canterbury

Jeffrey Weaver, associate curator of sculpture and decorative arts at the Getty, provides the social, religious, and artistic contexts for the creation of three series of windows in the Canterbury Cathedral: the Ancestors of Christ series, the narrative theological windows in the choir aisles, and the Becket Miracle Windows in the ambulatory. These windows were part of an extensive glazing campaign begun just a few years after the murder of Thomas Becket in the cathedral in 1170.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013; 3:00 p.m.
Museum Lecture Hall

A Poem, a Prayerbook, and a Nun on the Run: The St. Albans Psalter and Its Medieval Readers

One of the most important and beautiful manuscripts from 12th-century England, the St. Albans Psalter offers an intriguing collection of poetry and prayers. Richly decorated with gold and luminous colors, the manuscript has long been linked with the two individuals thought to have commissioned and used it: Abbot Geoffrey of St. Albans and the holy woman Christina of Markyate. Learn more in this presentation by Kristen Collins, associate curator of manuscripts, J. Paul Getty Museum.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013; 7:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Before Art Was a Commodity: Artistic Exchange in 12th-Century Europe

During the 12th century, works of art and precious materials moved through a network of exchanges all over Europe. Madeline Caviness, Mary Richardson Emeritus Professor of Art History at Tufts University, discusses how reliquaries, portable altars, relics of the true cross, stained glass, manuscripts, and other goods traveled across the continent.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013; 7:00 p.m.
Museum Lecture Hall

Studio Tour

Judson Studios Tour

Join us on a tour of Judson Studios to learn how stained-glass panels are made from initial design to final stages of production, while exploring this designated Historic-Cultural landmark of Los Angeles. Tour fee $20. Group meets at Judson Studios.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013; 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Judson Studios, Los Angeles

Studio Courses

Color and Light: The Art of Stained-Glass Painting

Discover the colorful history and practice of stained-glass painting in this two-session workshop with artist Manny Cosentino at Judson Studios in Los Angeles. Participants create a painting on glass using historic and contemporary materials and techniques. Fired and leaded pieces will be available for later pick-up at the Getty Center. Course fee $160 (includes materials). Group meets at Judson Studios.

Wednesday, November 6 and 13, 2013; 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Judson Studios, Los Angeles

Manuscript Illumination Workshop: Color and Meaning

Explore the materials and techniques used to create the vibrant manuscript illuminations on view in the Canterbury and St. Albans: Treasures from Church and Cloister exhibition in this daylong medieval painting workshop with artist Sylvana Barrett. Participants discover early pigment sources and investigate the commercial as well as symbolic value of period colors. Course fee $125 (includes materials and lunch). Complimentary parking.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013; 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Museum Studios

Demonstrations

Artist at Work: Stone Carving

See stone-carving materials and techniques that were used to create gargoyles and other stone features from the Canterbury Cathedral with Heather Newton, head of stone masonry and conservation at the cathedral. Newton demonstrates carving (11:00 a.m.–noon) and discusses methods used (1:30–2:30 p.m.), concluding with a handling session for visitors to explore tools and materials (2:30–3:30 p.m.). This is a free, drop-in program.

Friday–Sunday, September 20–22, 2013; 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:30–3:30 p.m.
Museum Courtyard

Artist at Work: Stained Glass

Join artist Tim Carey from Judson Studios as he demonstrates the materials and techniques used to create beautiful stained-glass panels from initial design to the final stages of production. This is a free, drop-in program.

Saturday, October 12 and 26, 2013; and November 16 and 30, 2013; 12:30–2:30 p.m.
Museum Studios

Artist at Work: Manuscript Illumination

Join artist Sylvana Barrett as she demonstrates medieval painting techniques while exploring the precious pigments, gold gilding and elaborately painted borders found in masterpieces such as the St. Albans Psalter. This is a free, drop-in program.

Sunday, November 3 and 17, 2013; December 1, 15, and 29, 2013; January 5 and 19, 2014; 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Exhibitions Pavilion

Talks

Curator's Gallery Talk

Jeffrey Weaver, associate curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads a gallery talk on the exhibition. Meet under the stairs in the Museum Entrance Hall.

Wednesday, October 2, November 6, December 11, 2013; 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014; 1:30 p.m.

Curator's Gallery Talk

Kristen Collins, associate curator of Manuscripts, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads a gallery talk on the exhibition. Meet under the stairs in the Museum Entrance Hall.

Wednesday, October 16, and December 11, 2013; 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 21, 2013; 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014; 1:30 p.m.

Performances

Gordon Getty Concert: Los Angeles Master Chorale presents Music Inspired by St. Thomas of Canterbury and other 12th-Century Marvels

Twelve men from the Los Angeles Master Chorale, led by music director Grant Gershon, present a concert of 11th- and 12th- century music closely associated with Canterbury Cathedral and its most famous Archbishop, St. Thomas, composed by Leonin, Pérotin, and Hildegard von Bingen. Gershon and the Very Reverend Dr. Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury lead a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $20; $15 students/seniors.

Saturday, November 16, 2013; 7:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral

Boston Court co-artistic director, Jessica Kubzansky, directs a staged reading of Nobel Laureate T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral, Eliot's best known drama based on the assassination of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. Produced by The Theatre @ Boston Court.

Saturday, November 2, 2013; 3:00 p.m.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Family Program

Family Festival

Make the pilgrimage to Canterbury at this daylong immersive festival and be transported back to the medieval world. Experience the music and dance of Chaucer's time with L.A.-based Capella Cordina, Brigid's Daughters, and Ciaramella. Discover the richness of the Canterbury Tales through acclaimed performers We Tell Stories and David Prather, and create your own 21st-century version of a stained-glass window at one of the hands-on workshops.

Saturday, October 19, 2013; 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Museum Courtyard

Free GettyGuide® Mutlimedia Player

Art historians and the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral describe the significance and emotional impact of two great masterpieces of English medieval art, and related works. Pick up a multimedia player free of charge in the Museum Entrance Hall. The multimedia tour is also available for your smartphone