"In my opinion, an individual without any love of the arts cannot be considered completely civilized." --J. Paul Getty, 1965.

As a young child visiting museums in Europe, J. Paul Getty was impressed with the artwork that he was seeing and his inspiration turned into collecting that eventually lead to The J. Paul Getty Museum. He believed that making art available to the public for education and enjoyment.

Getty established the J. Paul Getty Trust in 1953. The trust covers the museums, Conservation Institute, which deals with the conservation of art and architecture and the Research Institute, that allows you to attend workshops, lectures and screenings that are related to the current exhibition.

There are two locations in The Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu. The main location in Brentwood, Los Angeles is home to paintings, drawings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts of Europe, and American and European photographs.

The museum has more to offer than just exhibits. The educational centers are designed for groups off all ages, from kindergarten to adult. For school age children there are specially designed lesson plans and museum visits, college students are encouraged to attend College Night where there is music, food and special guest lectures. Families are encouraged to visit the Family Room that is specially designed for children to learn about art and hands-on activities.

Podcast Written and Narrated by Brittany Dixon, Public History Student at the University of West Florida.