Requesting Loans of Art Objects

Timothy Potts
Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director
The J. Paul Getty Museum
1200 Getty Center Drive
Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Written requests for loans from the Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture & Decorative Arts, Manuscripts, and Antiquities Collections of the Getty Museum must be submitted with exact opening and closing dates for the exhibition no later than nine months in advance of the opening date (this also applies to changes to original requests). For loans of drawings, we are unable to lend to more than 1 venue and the display period cannot exceed 20 weeks. Display limits for other types of loan objects will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Written requests for loans from the Photographs Collection of the Getty Museum must be submitted with exact opening and closing dates for the exhibition no later than nine months in advance of the opening date if requesting under 30 objects, and if more than 30, 12 months in advance (this also applies to changes to original requests). For photograph loans, we are unable to lend to more than three venues, with a display period of 20 weeks or less at each venue.

Loans will be made to qualified institutions for exhibition, display, or other educational purposes based on criteria which includes the condition of the object and its ability to withstand the rigors of transport, handling, and public display, as well as the ability of the borrower to handle, install, secure, display, and otherwise care for the object safely. The Getty Museum may choose not to lend an object if its display is necessary to maintain the integrity of our visitors’ experience. We also are unable to lend objects which are subject to over-exposure because of their previous exhibition history. We greatly appreciate a longer lead time for loan requests involving multiple objects. As is standard practice, the borrower will be responsible for packing, shipping, insurance, and courier costs.

All venues must:

• have previously organized and hosted at least one exhibition containing loans borrowed from one or more public or private collections. In addition, if the object requested is made of climate-sensitive materials, all galleries where the loan is to be displayed must have been open to the public at least one year.
• have 24-hour temperature and humidity control systems that maintain conditions required by the object to be lent. For some types of objects, which require specific and highly controlled conditions, micro-climates are acceptable and may be mandatory.
• be able to control light levels to meet the requirements of the object to be lent.
• have 24-hour human guard security, security alarm systems, and fire detection systems.
• sign the Getty Museum's Loan Conditions and Agreement form.

When the Getty Museum agrees to consider a loan request we will ask for an American Association of Museums Standard Facility Report or equivalent in English for all venues.

Please note that paintings, drawings, manuscript leaves, and photographs are shipped in Getty Museum frames. For photograph loans, the opportunity to select from the Getty's frame inventory is possible if arranged at least nine months in advance of the opening date. Three-dimensional objects are shipped with Getty Museum mounts unless the Getty approves the borrower's mounts in advance.