This is all I could get from the Getty’s press office when I asked at 2:50 p.m. ET about what I’d been reading elsewhere regarding the approaching fires:
Getty is complying with the current evacuation order and is closed with only emergency staff on site. There is no damage to the property. We’ll continue to provide additional updates. [See below.]
In response to my queries, the museum’s spokesperson did confirm that “Getty,” in the statement above, refers to the Getty Center, where the museum is located. (Previous concerns in this fast-moving story focused on the fires near the Getty Villa, where antiquities are displayed.)
In an article headlined: Palisades Fire Could Test Getty Center’s Efforts to Protect Its Art Collection, Matt Stevens of the NY Times reported that the museum “is now squarely in the mandatory evacuation zone as the Palisades fire’s footprint has grown.”
Los Angeles-based Arts & Culture Reporter
NY Times
Stevens added that “the museum has also described itself as “the safest place for art during a fire,” as detailed in “a 2019 article [on] the anti-fire engineering of the Getty Center.” (Actually, the article was from 2017, not 2019, and the “safest place” quote came from the always helpful Ron Hartwig, then vice president of communications for the J. Paul Getty Trust, who always patiently answered my annoying queries, back in the day.)
We can only hope that the Getty passes the “test of its efforts to protect its art collection” (in the words of today’s headline). The last thing I want to do is say, I told you so, back when I covered the 1998 opening of the Richard Meier-designed Getty Center, and pointed out, in my lead paragraph, its vulnerability to earthquake, soil erosion and, yes, fire.
But wait! This just hit my inbox from Katherine Fleming, President and CEO of the Getty Trust:
It was a watchful but fortunately uneventful night up here at the Getty Center. We’ve been told to anticipate stronger winds later in the day and are closely monitoring the situation. Our galleries are safe and protected [emphasis added]. Aside from a few hot spots, the Villa remains stable.
We continue to be acutely aware of our Getty neighbors and hope for their safety, and that of the whole region. We will keep you updated on the evolving situation.
