WEEKLY STAFF NEWS | 11.16.2020
IN MEMORIAM
Gordon Corcoran Baldwin
The photography community has lost a beloved colleague. Gordon Corcoran Baldwin, a highly respected former curator of photographs at the Museum, passed away peacefully on November 9, 2020. Over the course of Baldwin’s 21 years at the Getty, he transitioned from Registration Assistant to Curatorial Assistant, Study Room Supervisor, Assistant Curator, and, finally, Associate Curator. He curated or co-curated eleven exhibitions, focused primarily on 19th-century photography, until his retirement in 2005. Erudite and poised, Baldwin was equally admired for his wisdom and wit, tact and taste, and he will be greatly missed. Read more about Baldwin’s accomplishments in the attached obituary.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Changes to Matching Gifts Program
As many of you know, Getty matches employee contributions to eligible nonprofit arts and education organizations. To encourage greater participation in the program and to make it easier to use, we are making several changes to the program. Starting immediately, we will reduce the minimum charitable contribution from $50 to $25. We are also providing a list of eligible organizations locally and nationally whose missions focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. The list is not exhaustive, by any means, but a starting point for employees looking for ideas about where to give. The information about the matching gift program is also now easier to find on GO, with the addition of “Matching Gifts” to “My Getty Links” on the left-hand side of the GO homepage. Thank you to the DEI Council Action and Ideas Subcommittee, which provided the impetus for these changes, and to the Foundation’s Grants Administration team for putting them into action. You can read about additional changes on the attached PDF and on Getty GO. We hope everyone will consider end-of-year charitable gifts, which the Getty will be happy to match.
New Opportunities to Meet with Jim & Steve
Jim Cuno and Steve Olsen invite any staff member who has a topic they would like to discuss in one-on-one meetings to sign up for informal 10-minute conversations. Their availability for the month of December is listed below. The 10-minute meetings will be filled first-come, first-served, and will be conducted via Zoom.
In December, Jim will be available:
- December 10: 2–3 p.m.
- December 15: 1–2 p.m.
Please contact Piedad Garcia at pgarcia@getty.edu to schedule time with Jim.
Steve will be available:
- December 10: 2–3 p.m.
- December 15: 10–11 a.m.
Please contact Virginia Toledo at vtoledo@getty.edu to schedule time with Steve.
Improve Your Core Fitness Challenge
Beginning November 16, the Fitness Center will be offering the “Improve Your Core” fitness challenge on Wellbeats. This challenge is four weeks long and will include a variety of classes that will target your core and challenge your stability, strength, and endurance. See the attached flyer. To sign up or for more information, contact fitnesscenter@getty.edu.
Save the Date: Virtual Financial Wellness Day
Getty’s financial wellness provider, My Secure Advantage (MSA), will offer a free virtual day of workshops on December 3. The theme is investing, as chosen by Getty staff in a recent survey. Hour-long workshops will include topics on getting started, managing risk, and monitoring investments. Participants will be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Look for information in the coming weeks about the workshop schedule and registration.
Library Curbside Service
Next month’s Getty Library Curbside Service is December 15-17. All requests for library items made from November 5 through December 2 will be available for the December curbside service. Please see the attached Curbside Service instructions for December 2020 and FAQ about requesting library materials.
Zoom Security Restrictions and You
Zoom is not enforcing mandatory security restrictions as previously planned and announced. This means it is up to you to keep your meetings safe by using a passcode or a waiting room as appropriate. If you are not sure how to set up a meeting with a waiting room or passcode, please review these step-by-step guides: Enabling Waiting Rooms and Using Meeting Passcodes.
NEWS
Conservation in the Time of COVID
How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting the conservation of cultural heritage sites? Hear from the Getty Conservation Institute’s Susan Macdonald, as she reports on the state of conservation during the pandemic, and considers the possible impact of the pandemic on cultural heritage.
What Does Sunset Boulevard Sound Like?
We’ve all seen Sunset Boulevard, but have we listened to it? Cultural historian Josh Kun launches a 10-part exploration of the impact of Sunset Boulevard on Los Angeles’—and the world’s—musical history. The series is part of the ongoing exploration of Sunset Boulevard inspired by 12 Sunsets, Ed Ruscha’s photographic archive of this iconic LA boulevard.
EVENTS
Project 1521 and the Florentine Codex
The General History of the Things of New Spain—a.k.a. the Florentine Codex—is a massive, 2,000-page guide to 16th-century central Mexico and a vital document of its conquest. Created by Nahua scholars and artists under the direction of a Spanish Franciscan friar in the wake of the Spanish invasion, it was completed during a devastating epidemic caused by the viruses introduced to the region by the conquistadors. Project 1521—a collaboration between artist Sandy Rodriguez and writer Adolfo Guzman-Lopez—was inspired by Indigenous perspectives on the Spanish invasion. The project brings together artists, writers, and scholars to generate visual and literary works as acts of resistance. On Thursday, November 19, from 5–6:15 p.m. on Zoom, join panelists for live readings of these works and hear their reflections on the continued relevance of the encyclopedic record of Indigenous knowledge contained in the Florentine Codex. The virtual event is presented by the Fowler Museum at UCLA in partnership with the Getty Research Institute. See the panelists and RSVP for the event.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Getty Anniversaries This Week
35 Years
- Veronica Bennett, Security Operations and EM
Comings and Goings
See how the Getty community is changing—and welcome new co-workers.
From InternalCommunications | internalcommunications@getty.edu
