What I found most striking was the vast, immaculate, white on off-white, enamel and marble, glass and stainless steel, sheer NEWNESS of the place. Absolutely no wear, no patina. Lots and loads more of HUGE windows. Clearly a brand new, cross-cultural experience. Then there's that incomparable view of LA's Westside and Santa Monica, my home town.
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My First Impression
GETTY
C E N T E R
by Steven John Koeppe
Getty Center is a stunningly beautiful, new and unique cultural experience. Their collections, although artfully and impressively displayed with extremely effective natural lighting, still seem rather sparse in my favorite areas: French Impressionism and American Landscape. But oh what a place!
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One is a bit tempted to say that the Center appears to overwhelm it's collection, but that may change with time. I was walking past the celebrated Van Gogh painting "Irises", when I heard Richard Meyer (the architect) speaking with a man I believe was the project's Construction Manager. I whirled around just in time to snap this interesting candid.
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Views from the Garden Maze (left)
and the Grotto (above) | |
The garden architecture, though still under construction,was very limited when compared to a place like the Huntington or real Europeon estates. However, they are quite a work of art in the making. I'll enjoy watching the garden mature as new foliage grows in.
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With FREE admission 6 days a week, free seminars and extended hours, I can see this as a wonderful way for people of every economic strata to be regular visitors.
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To view pictures of Getty Center under construction, click here.
I intend to be a regular visitor to Getty Center and will surely collect many more and better pictures. Please check back soon for more pictures. The Getty's Website is http://www.getty.edu. Please check them out!
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Hours:
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday
Closed Mondays and major holidays
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Admission:
Admission to the Getty Center is free. Parking is $5.00 per car, and reservations are required. Visitors arriving by taxi, bus, motorcycle, or bicycle do not need a reservation. Parking on surrounding streets is restricted. To make a parking or group reservation, or for more information, in English or Spanish, please call (310) 440-7300.
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