WEEKLY STAFF NEWS | 8.24.2020
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
COVID-19 Update
Steve Olsen sent a note to staff last Thursday, noting that 19 people who work on our sites have tested positive for COVID-19 since late July. Investigations concluded that no one contracted COVID at work, but were infected in the community or at home. Anyone in contact with them has been notified. As a result, the COVID-19 Task Force has adjusted plans and is implementing three additional steps to protect our workers:
- We will begin weekly onsite COVID-19 testing of all staff who work on our sites. Details are forthcoming.
- The COVID-19 Task Force has recommended that Getty Center and Getty Villa not re-open to the public before January 2021, allowing staff more time to plan, and to adjust their priorities and schedules.
- We will review staffing levels to reduce the number of staff coming on site.
Steve Olsen’s letter is attached.
DEI Support
We are reaching out to current staff to recruit a full-time, temporary DEI Project Administrator for the Getty DEI Council. We are seeking someone who is currently employed at the Getty, and familiar with the goals and challenges of the DEI effort underway, and who would temporarily step out of their current staff role to provide support for the DEI Council for a period of not less than six months, and possibly longer. The individual would maintain their current position, job classification, and salary in the program/department in which they are currently working, and Getty will provide support for any temporary vacancy this creates within their program/department. The DEI Project Administrator would report to the DEI co-chairs and handle administrative tasks and logistics for the DEI Council, liaise with the JONES team, and collaborate with the Department/Program DEI Task Forces. A review committee of Anne Helmreich, Cathy Pericone, Antoine Rose, Nicole Urquidi and Petrus Williams will consider candidates. Please see the attached job description for details on the position and how to apply. The deadline is September 8.
More DEI Participation Opportunities
DEI Council members Bryan Keene and Mikka Gee Conway are leaving Getty to pursue other opportunities. We will miss them, and thank them for serving on the council. If you would like to join the effort, we anticipate issuing a call for nominations/self-nominations in mid-September and will be working closely with JONES, our consultants, as we move forward in this process.
All-Staff Update September 15, 2020
Mark your calendars for a short informational update from the Board of Trustees after their September meeting, including an update on diversity, equity and inclusion, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom webinar. Staff have inquired about the opportunity to provide feedback. After the DEI Plan has been shared and staff have had the opportunity to review it, there will be subsequent sessions where staff can provide feedback directly to Getty leadership. There also will be an opportunity to share feedback anonymously. Watch for Zoom webinar information as the date gets closer.
Wellbeats Fitness
As you may know, Getty and our Fitness Center staff have partnered with Wellbeats to provide on-demand fitness to benefits-eligible staff. Wellbeats offers virtual fitness classes, nutrition courses, incentive programs, and challenges—all at no cost to you. You can browse their library of 500+ classes for all fitness levels, interests, and ages—including kids programs. If you have not registered yet, Wellbeats will be sending out a reminder email on Friday, August 28. (We wanted you to know that this is a legitimate email.) Please see the attached flyer or visit the Wellbeats website for additional information. If you have any questions, please contact HR@getty.edu.
Survey to Research COVID-19
The Los Angeles Department for Public Health recently launched Angelenos in Action, a text-based survey to monitor COVID-19 symptoms across the county. The goal is to capture potential spikes and trends in real time, to help public health workers appropriately allocate resources to affected communities. Adults 18 years and older who live in LA County and can send and receive text messages can volunteer for the survey. You will answer five quick questions to sign up; then, you will be randomized to receive texts one day a week. Every week on that day, the LA County Department of Public Health will text you one YES/NO question to ask how you’re feeling. If you feel unwell, you will receive two more YES/NO questions about COVID-19-like symptoms. Enroll by visiting the Public Health website or by texting @PROTECT to 35134. Currently the survey is available in English and Spanish.
Back to School
As we enter a new school year and the continuation of distance learning, Getty continues to look for ways to support parents with school-age children. One way is to promote the Getty Slack channel #workingathomewithkids as a way for Getty parents to connect and share information regarding schools, extracurricular activities, and other ways to support each other while the COVID crisis continues. We will also share Getty resources and information there. Working parents have a lot of company at the Getty—more than 300 of us have kids under 18—and more than 100 of those kids are in the LA Unified School District. We invite you to join #workingathomewithkids. New to Slack? See the attached PDF for help signing up.
NEWS
Ghent Altarpiece Website Update
Since 2012, the website Closer to Van Eyck has made it possible to zoom in on the intricate details of the Ghent Altarpiece, one of the most recognized and studied works of art in the world. Now visitors to the site have even more ways to explore this monumental work of art from afar, with the launch of a new version that includes images of recently restored sections of the paintings as well as new videos and education materials. Since 2010, several Getty Foundation grants awarded through its Panel Paintings Initiative have supported preliminary research for the restoration of the altarpiece and the development of the Closer to Van Eyck website. Visit the Closer to Van Eyck website to check out the new features.
EVENTS
Free Fall for the Camera Online Screening
Watch Free Fall for the Camera, a new short film by artist Brenden Fernandes, online August 28–September 1. The film evolved from elements in Free Fall 49, a site-specific performance Fernandes presented at the Getty Center in June 2017. In a feat of endurance across three hours, eight dancers on raised platforms scattered across the museum courtyard emulated the movements of club dancing as music lured the audience into a dance party. At random intervals, the music suddenly stopped and the dancers fell to the ground, snapping the crowd out of the present into a stark state of reflection. This was repeated 49 times—each a moment of silence for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. The screening is part of Ever Present, a new series that invites artistic experimenters to stage ephemeral performances amid the permanent collections, architecture, and gardens of the Getty Center. The link to the film will be posted on this page on August 28 at 10 a.m. PDT and will be available until September 1 at 10 a.m. PDT.
Cyclops! Understanding Homer’s Cannibal Giant
In this Zoom panel discussion, Getty staff who love The Odyssey consider Odysseus's encounter with the iconic one-eyed Polyphemos. They reflect on the different ways ancient artists visualized key moments through time and consider how viewers may react to the conflict of giant and hero. Panelists include Claire Lyons, Keishia Gu, Eric Bruehl, and Paula Gaither, with moderator Shelby Brown. Click on the Zoom webinar link here on Saturday, August 29, at 2 p.m. PDT to join.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Getty Anniversaries This Week
Five Years
- Brian Houck, Grounds and Garden
- Martin Gottlieb, Getty Center Museum Store Operations
15 Years
- Myriam Jimenez, Capital Project Support, Facilities
25 Years
- Ivy Okamura, Office of the Director, Museum
Comings and Goings
See how the Getty community is changing—and welcome new co-workers.
From InternalCommunications | internalcommunications@getty.edu
