Ancient Art: New Acquisitions at the Getty Museum: Karol Wight, The Getty Museum's Acting Curator of Antiquities, Introduces a Selection of the Major Recent Acquisitions That have Gone on Show in the Getty Villa, And Discusses the Department's Collecting Philosophy‪.‬

During the years that the Getty Villa was closed for renovation, the antiquities collection was moved to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Brentwood. The staff was housed there also and was busy planning the collection displays for the renovated museum. They also mounted a number of exhibitions at the Getty Center, starting with 'Beyond Beauty: Antiquities as Evidence', the inaugural special exhibition at the new museum when it opened in December 1997. Following this, a selection of about 250 highlights from the antiquities collection was put on view in a display entitled 'Ancient Art from the Permanent Collection' for visitors to enjoy while the Villa remained under construction. These pieces were removed from display in May 2004, when they were moved back to Malibu for installation in the renovated museum. Two other special exhibitions were sponsored by the Antiquities Department at Brentwood. In 2003, 'Prehistoric Arts of the Eastern Mediterranean' showcased the earliest holdings in the museum, the Cycladic and early Cypriot art. And in the fall of 2004, the museum served as the final venue for 'Coming of Age in Ancient Greece', a travelling exhibition that focused on the lives of children in ancient Greece. Although the majority of the antiquities collection has now been moved back to the Getty Villa, a small number of objects remain at the Getty Center, displayed in 'Classical Connections', an installation that relates the art of antiquity to the later collections in the museum. This also serves as a reminder to visitors who might visit only the Getty Museum in Brentwood that there are antiquities in the museum's holdings. To learn more about these exhibitions held at the Getty Center, visit the museum's website, www.getty.edu.