The J. Paul Getty Graduate Internship Program (Exhibitions and Public Programs) 2007-2008

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2011-08

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This document provides an account of my work and event planning experiences as a graduate intern in the Department of Public Programs at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles from September 2007 through August 2008. This document provides a summary of the history of the J. Paul Getty Museum, its Public Programs, and my background. The Department of Public Programs, also known as the Performing Arts Programs, offers an array of events, including music, dance, films, theatre, and family festivals (arts and craft workshops). This document discusses the procedures and challenges of presenting these various types of performing arts events in a visual art museum setting, particularly at the Getty Center. It also details my duties during the event planning process in general and in a specific project for which I was responsible at the Getty. More significantly, this document analyzes the first large scale audience survey of the Public Programs since the Getty Center opened in 1997. The survey results show the Public Programs has been successful in strengthening the connections between the exhibitions and performances and in building a core constituency; several discoveries reinforce some of the current trends in the field of arts administration. Furthermore, the audience’s written comments provide useful reflections for future performing arts programming. The insights in this document, including my observations and reflections on personal, departmental, institutional, and arts management levels, will be relevant for students in similar internship situations, especially in a large organization like the Getty. Moreover, the survey statistics and audience comments will provide valuable data to arts programmers, who must regularly re-evaluate the programming and respond to the needs and suggestions of their patrons.

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