Getty Museum received a record number of donated photographs in 2009
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The J. Paul Getty Museum received more than 1,000 donated photographs -- a museum record -- in 2009.
Officials said the gifts, more than double the 2008 total, were largely inspired by an initiative marking the Department of Photographs’ 25th anniversary led by the Getty Museum’s Photographs Council.
The contributions came from 41 individuals, including collectors who are longtime Getty supporters as well as artists making special anniversary offerings. Among the highlights are Eileen Cowin’s “I See What You’re Saying (Fork)” (2002), John Divola’s “Dogs Chasing My Car in the Desert” (1996-2001), Alec Soth’s “Rebecca” (2005) from his Niagara series, and Chris Jordan’s “Cell Phones” (2007).
“In a year when we have had to face a reduced budget for acquisitions, it is especially heartening to know that we have not seen a reduction in the generosity of our donors and supporters,” says David Bomford, the museum’s acting director.
Some of last year’s gifts have enhanced the museum’s already sizable holdings of works by Manuel Alvarez Bravo and William Eggleston. Judith Keller, senior curator for the Department of Photographs, says other contributions have given the Getty its first pieces by artists such as Gilles Peress, Robert Polidori, Liza Ryan, Brian Ulrich, Peter Wegner and Pinar Yolacan.
-- Karen Wada
Related:
Above: Eileen Cowin’s ‘I See What You’re Saying (Fork)’ (2002). Credit: Copyright: Eileen Cowin
[Updated: a previous version of the post had an incorrect spelling of the first name of Alec Soth.]