With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Director of the Getty Museum steps down
Michael Brand, director of the famed Getty museum in Los Angeles. File photo.
(
Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:58
Director of the Getty Museum steps down
Director of the Getty Museum steps down
The Getty Museum announced Thursday that its director is leaving the job at the end of this month.
Four years into his five-year contract, Michael Brand has decided to resign from daily operations at the museums in Brentwood and Malibu.
As director, Brand oversaw acquisitions, exhibitions and outreach at the two museums. He steered the Getty through negotiations over the ownership of Greek and Italian antiquities in its collections, and opened one of this country’s largest exhibition spaces devoted to photography.
But in the economic downturn, the Getty Trust’s $6 billion endowment lost more than a quarter of its value. That meant that Michael Brand also had to preside over dozens of staff layoffs, higher parking fees for visitors and program cuts
Sponsor
He told museum staff in a memo that he’s pleased to have created an atmosphere in which robust debate shaped the creative process. Brand plans to work as a consultant to the Getty through the summer as the institution locates his successor.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
