WEEKLY STAFF NEWS |7.27.2020
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Last Day for Staff Feedback on Working during the Pandemic
The survey closes at midnight tonight. We want your feedback regarding how your current situation is functioning for you while we are working under various conditions during the pandemic. Employees who have Getty email received a personalized email and link to participate; staff without email received a letter at home, with participation instructions. Contact internalcommunications@getty.edu if you did not receive the invitation to participate.
COVID Update
Getty received eight reports within 24 hours of positive COVID cases among people working on our sites, three at the Getty Villa and five at the Getty Center. Getty has notified any employee who may have been in close contact with one of the COVID-positive workers. As a result of the increasing prevalence of COVID community spread in our region and the impact on our own community, we will be slowing and delaying the return of additional employees to our sites. We also will be examining all of our current staffing schedules and we will closely monitor the situation over the next few weeks. See the attached PDF for the full email sent to staff last week.
New Information on Masks with Valves
Face coverings continue to be possibly the most important tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19. But LA County Public Health has mandated that face coverings/masks with one-way valves are not sufficient to protect against COVID transmission and should not be used. Staff and others onsite at the Getty Center, Getty Villa, or Valencia Warehouse may not wear face coverings or masks with a one-way valve, including N95 masks with a valve, unless they add a cloth face covering over the mask.
Financial Wellness
My Secure Advantage (MSA) has a free budgeting tool called MSA Wallet to help you bring together financial accounts, monitor expenses, and budget with guided support. Visit https://getty.mysecureadvantage.com to learn more. Speak with your free Money Coach to create savings goals by calling 888-724-2326.
NEWS
Open Letter
The Getty Board of Trustees has responded to an open letter from Getty staff regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Read the complete exchange on the Iris.
GRI Scholars, Artist in Residence Announced
Forty-three scholars were awarded grants through the Scholars Program for the 2020/2021 academic year. See the full list of scholars selected. The Artist in Residence will be Los Angeles-based interdisciplinary artist Gala Porras-Kim. Because of the ongoing need to reduce the spread of COVID-19, many of the scholars will work remotely while others will defer their residency to 2021/2022. Porras-Kim’s residency will extend through 2022. The theme for the 2020/2021 scholar year, which has been extended to the following year as well, is “The Fragment.” Applicants were invited to address the creation and reception of fragments, their mutability and mobility, and their valuation and consequence throughout history. The Scholars Program also includes a group of scholars invited to the Getty Villa. For the 2020/2021 term, they will focus on the ancient cultures of the Levant and their relations with the classical world.
The ODDyssey Virtual Theater Presentation
Last week, the Getty Villa premiered its first virtual theater presentation of The ODDyssey on the Getty Museum YouTube channel. Co-produced by the Getty Museum and the Troubadour Theater Company (aka the Troubies), The ODDyssey recounts Homer’s 24 books in five webisodes of about 15-20 minutes each, in a whimsical retelling of Odysseus’s adventure for audiences of all ages. New episodes will air Sundays at 3 p.m. PST on YouTube. This Sunday, in episode two, Odysseus wrecks his ship on another island and must confront a giant Cyclops.
Kate Millett’s Naked Lady on the Roof
The Los Angeles Woman’s Building on North Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles was a central hub for queer and feminist artists and organizations from 1975 until its closing in 1991. Kate Millett, known for her 1970 book Sexual Politics, was also an artist, and was involved in the Woman’s Building community. In 1978, she created the iconic Naked Lady sculpture and installed it on the roof of the Woman’s Building. On the Iris, Erin Fussell of the GRI reveals the fascinating story behind the Naked Lady and shares photos of Millett and other artists at work.
EVENTS
Getty Underground Deadline Extended
You now have until today at 5 p.m. to register for Getty Underground 2020 Vision in the categories of 2D art, 3D art, film, performance, spoken word, art car, or culinary creation.
Plant-based Eating Webinar
The Fitness Center presents a free mini-webinar on Zoom, Wednesday, July 29, 11-11:20 a.m. Learn about the benefits of a more plant-based diet and get ideas on how to easily incorporate it into your life (along with family-friendly tips). Contact fitnesscenter@getty.edu for link and Zoom ID.
Summer Activities to Spark Creativity
If your summer plans are in a bit of disarray due to COVID-19, check out this round-up of activities to stay active, engaged, artistic, and imaginative with your children all summer long. These crafts, art projects, and inspiration for a neighborhood walk draw on artworks in Getty’s collection. Discover a new way to think about Renaissance manuscripts, enjoy a simple crown making craft using paper plates, watch a modern-day adaptation of the Odyssey for the whole family, bake bread like the ancient Romans, and more.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Getty Anniversaries This Week
15 Years
- Gregg Garcia, Software Engineering, Getty Digital
- Olivia Bueno, Visitor Services
- Salvador Alamo, Visitor Services
Comings and Goings
See how the Getty community is changing—and welcome new co-workers.
From InternalCommunications | internalcommunications@getty.edu