The Getty Villa entryway into the museum is striking. Shortly after it reopened in late June after the Palisades Fire had scorched the grounds, there were no tours available.
A resident called CTN and said, “The Getty has ‘fired’ all 350 of its docents, including me. They want to get rid of older, white women in the name of diversity, just like the Art Institute of Chicago did a few years back.”
In 2021, USA ran a story “A Chicago Museum ‘Fired’ Its Volunteers. Why Diversity Consultants Say It Was the Right Move.” And noted that “museum equity consultants say the programs are outdated, have too many barriers to entry and, as a result, often skew toward a certain demographic: Wealthy, white women.”
The story added a quote from Monica Williams, executive producer of The Equity Project, a Colorado-based equity, inclusion and diversity consulting firm, “Sometimes equity requires taking bold steps and actions.”
An art docent is a volunteer guide that leads tours and interacts with the public. They have intensive training in art history from early Greek and Roman (Villa) to contemporary. They have to attend classroom sessions and must shadow experienced docents before leading a tour.
Was it the case that the Getty wanted to purge its docent program of “wealthy grandmas?” Or was it just a disgruntled docent that spoke to CTN?
A copy of the dismissal letter sent to docents from Getty’s Keishia Gu, the Head of Education was obtained by CTN. Yes, the volunteers were “fired.”Getty Docent Letter
Gu wrote that the need for tours has decreased significantly over the past few years “as visitors are increasingly relying on other methods to access information about the collection or seeking out specialty experiences more tailored to their individual interests.” Gu noted other art institutions have seen a similar trend.
These trends meant a “new docent role” would be created. Every docent “let go” could submit a new application to be accepted and those selected would receive an interview in January. Then from March to May, the volunteers would be trained to lead tours.
CTN reached out to Getty Media Assistant Director of News & Media relations Alexandria Sivak and asked what the new training would involve and why the current docents just couldn’t be given that training.
“The reapplication process is an opportunity for docents to learn what is expected of the new program model and ensure they are prepared for the level of training we will be requiring,” Sivak said. “It’s also an opportunity for the department to recruit docents who are open to learning new skills and teach from a visitor-centered perspective.”
What is the new training? Sivak said “In addition to traditional art historical content, the new model will allow for specialty tours aligned with strategic initiatives—such as drawing-based tours, nature, movement and other interdisciplinary approaches.”
One Getty docent told CTN that tours were always crowded and “this is a way to get rid of the wealthy white middle-aged women and hire people of color. By firing everyone the Getty won’t be accused of discrimination.”
Expertise based on skin melanin is always hard to quantify, so instead CTN asked Sivak the average age of the current docent, to see if ageism was a factor.
She responded “Our docent corps includes individuals ranging from their 30s to retirement age, and we deeply value the institutional knowledge and lived experience they bring. This transition is about refining—not replacing—the current people in the program.”
CTN told Sivak the editor had asked the average age, not the range. Sivak responded that she had to check with Human Resources to see if she could disclose that. HR responded, “We prefer to respect the privacy of our volunteer docents are not comfortable releasing any personal information, including age.” Releasing a statistical average without a name
Sivak also said that the docent corps will be reduced “by how much will depend on how many docents are interested in reapplying for this new role, and how many are accepted.”
CTN wondered why docents/tours would be decreased now (since it’s not financial situation) with the upcoming World Cup and Olympics.
“Cultural institutions do not benefit from audience bumps when these events occur,” Sivak said.
And for the docents who do not want to reapply or might reapply and not be accepted after decades at the Getty, there are parting gifts: a $100 gift certificate to the museum store, 10 Friends, family and colleagues tickets (expire 2030), and a free one-year membership to the North American Reciprocal Museum Association.