Coronavirus Update to Staff from Jim Cuno, March 25, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this note finds you safe, healthy and adjusting to the new circumstances COVID-19 has brought upon us. Like many of you, I'm sure, I write sitting at my kitchen table typing on my Getty-issued laptop, wondering how we got here in such a short period of time.
From this vantage point, keeping up with all of your Getty activity through email reports, teleconference, and Zoom calls, I am awed by the dedication of all of you. Your resilience in the face of these unforeseen, challenging and difficult circumstances is inspiring. I am so grateful for the fact that you've transitioned without missing a beat and are hard at work, many of you simultaneously teaching your now-at-home children, caring for family members, and helping friends and neighbors in this time of great community disruption and need.
There was much to do these past weeks—to make sure everyone had laptops and instructions to work remotely, to safely close down science and conservation labs, to care for our departing scholars, to recalibrate our exhibition calendar, to keep communications flowing to everyone now far flung. I particularly want to thank all of you who continue reporting each day to Getty Center and Getty Villa, to make sure our systems are all operating, that our grounds are cared for, and that our property and our collections are secure.
I am especially impressed that while you are all juggling so much, you haven't forgotten our community. Although sadly we could not hold our Getty Day of Service as planned, you are finding other ways to be charitable. Many of you from across the Getty contributed protection gloves, masks, and safety goggles to UCLA Health where they will be distributed to UCLA Medical Centers and Urgent Care facilities. Thanks to everyone and every department that had the materials to contribute to this endeavor.
While I confess, and many of you experience, my addiction to email, I am heartened to be able to see and talk with colleagues now on our virtual platforms. It's the little things, the smiles and raised eyebrows we can see when others speak, the attempts (and failure) to break in to the conversation, the familiarity of the voices, the charming glimpses into the realities of everyone's improvised, homespun work stations. They go a long way to affirm the reality of our being a community.
Despite the challenges we face, we have much to be thankful for. Thank you all for doing all that you can. We will get through this together.
Stay in touch,
Jim
I hope this note finds you safe, healthy and adjusting to the new circumstances COVID-19 has brought upon us. Like many of you, I'm sure, I write sitting at my kitchen table typing on my Getty-issued laptop, wondering how we got here in such a short period of time.
From this vantage point, keeping up with all of your Getty activity through email reports, teleconference, and Zoom calls, I am awed by the dedication of all of you. Your resilience in the face of these unforeseen, challenging and difficult circumstances is inspiring. I am so grateful for the fact that you've transitioned without missing a beat and are hard at work, many of you simultaneously teaching your now-at-home children, caring for family members, and helping friends and neighbors in this time of great community disruption and need.
There was much to do these past weeks—to make sure everyone had laptops and instructions to work remotely, to safely close down science and conservation labs, to care for our departing scholars, to recalibrate our exhibition calendar, to keep communications flowing to everyone now far flung. I particularly want to thank all of you who continue reporting each day to Getty Center and Getty Villa, to make sure our systems are all operating, that our grounds are cared for, and that our property and our collections are secure.
I am especially impressed that while you are all juggling so much, you haven't forgotten our community. Although sadly we could not hold our Getty Day of Service as planned, you are finding other ways to be charitable. Many of you from across the Getty contributed protection gloves, masks, and safety goggles to UCLA Health where they will be distributed to UCLA Medical Centers and Urgent Care facilities. Thanks to everyone and every department that had the materials to contribute to this endeavor.
While I confess, and many of you experience, my addiction to email, I am heartened to be able to see and talk with colleagues now on our virtual platforms. It's the little things, the smiles and raised eyebrows we can see when others speak, the attempts (and failure) to break in to the conversation, the familiarity of the voices, the charming glimpses into the realities of everyone's improvised, homespun work stations. They go a long way to affirm the reality of our being a community.
Despite the challenges we face, we have much to be thankful for. Thank you all for doing all that you can. We will get through this together.
Stay in touch,
Jim