Artists and Writers

"The reason why African Americans began these places of leisure and relaxation in the outdoors was because they were excluded from going to the white establishments."

Around the turn of the 20th century, African Americans seeking to escape racism in the South began moving to Southern California in larger numbers. Like others who migrated to the Golden State at the time, they also came in search of new opportunities and seaside recreation. But discrimination prevailed, even out West, and Black Americans found themselves barred from accessing public pools, parks, and beaches. As a result, Black entrepreneurs and community builders created their own gathering spots, such as Bruce’s Beach in Manhattan Beach and Ocean Park in Santa Monica, where people of color could enjoy surf and sand. 

These successful leisure sites weren’t embraced by everyone—it wasn’t long before white residents, local developers, and members of the KKK launched campaigns of harassment. In 1922, African Americans were forced to give up plans for a beachfront project in Santa Monica. A few years later, the oceanfront property owned by the Bruce family was seized by the city through eminent domain and the resort was shut down. Today, many of these stories of Black resourcefulness and self-determination—thwarted by racist policies—have been forgotten, if not intentionally obscured. But there have been some attempts to make amends, including California’s Governor Gavin Newsom recently signing into law a new bill that will return the oceanfront property taken from the Bruce family almost a century ago to their descendants.

In this episode, historian Alison Rose Jefferson discusses these stories as documented in her book, Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era, and the need for a more inclusive look at America’s past.

California Leisure Sites Pioneered by African Americans

“You look at the thinking behind the creation of the building, but then also at the material needs. And you merge the two to really build an in-depth understanding of the building, and a path forward to preserving it.”

From the sculptural curves of the Sydney Opera House to the sliding walls and windows of the Eames House, the hallmarks of modern buildings make them easy to spot. Modernist architecture—with its signature use of industrial materials and innovative, sleek designs—emerged in the early 1900s and dominated the post–World War II building boom. Unfortunately, many of the iconic buildings from this period are now in serious need of repair but lack clear conservation plans due to the use of untested building methods and materials. How do you fix concrete that’s been damaged by ocean water, or remove graffiti to preserve stainless steel? In response to such dilemmas, the Getty Foundation created the Keeping It Modern initiative, an international grant program focused on the conservation of significant 20th-century architecture. Launched in 2014, Keeping It Modern has to date supported a total of 77 projects in 40 countries. 

In this episode, Antoine Wilmering, senior program officer at the Getty Foundation, discusses the importance and ongoing impact of Keeping It Modern.

Protecting Modernist Architecture for Generations to Come

Deborah Grant, James Ensor

Nancy Zaslavsky of the Culinary Historians of Southern California leads a discussion on the Getty’s exhibitions about food with curators Marcia Reed and Christine Sciacca, and noted culinary authority Anne Willan, who has more than 50 years of experience as a teacher, cookbook author, and culinary historian. 

Offered in conjunction with the exhibitions The Edible Monument: The Art of Food for Festivals (October 13, 2015 to March 13, 2016) and Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (October 13, 2015, to January 3, 2016).

Recorded at the Getty Center on November 14, 2015.

Edible Delights In History

Award-winning potter and author Edmund de Waal presents his new book "The White Road: Journey into an Obsession." In a sweeping yet intimate style that recalls his "The Hare with the Amber Eyes," de Waal describes how he set out on five journeys to places where porcelain was dreamed about, refined, collected, and coveted. 

Recorded at the Getty Center on January 12, 2016

Edmund De Waal, "The White Road"

Award-winning children's author Cornelia Funke returns to the Getty Center to read her latest Getty story, “Voyage into the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas,” featuring William Dampier, a pirate and ghost tasked with keeping at bay other ghosts and spirits haunting the Getty Center. In this story, Pirate Dampier explores ancient Buddhist caves. 

Offered in conjunction with the exhibition “Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road” (May 7–September 4, 2016). 

Recorded at the Getty Center on June 19, 2016.

Cornelia Funke’s "Voyage into the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas"

Two irrepressible personalities—genre-defying author Geoff Dyer and actor-curator-writer-comedian Steve Martin—discuss Dyer’s latest book, “White Sands: Experiences from the Outside World.” The experiences recounted by Dyer take us from Tahiti in the footsteps of Gauguin to the Watts Towers; from Walter De Maria’s Lightning Fields in New Mexico to Venice, California, his new home. With his usual wry wit, Dyer offers observations on travel, awareness, and stepping outside of ourselves. This talk is a part of the Getty’s Art of Writing series.

Recorded at the Getty Center on June 16, 2016.

Geoff Dyer, "White Sands"

Artist Pipilotti Rist and historian and "North of Dixie: Civil Rights Photography Beyond the South" author Mark Speltz.

Pipilotti Rist, Mark Speltz

Art, science, and religion are each in a different way engaged by that which lies beyond reach. On the 35th anniversary of the MacArthur Fellowship Program, eight past fellows reflect on what the fellowship stimulated them to attempt in their artistic, scientific, and spiritual pursuits. Participants include multi-media artist and activist Joan Abrahamson, astrophysicist Andrea Ghez, physicist Hideo Mabuchi, space scientist Michael C. Malin, religion scholar Jack Miles, and artists Liza Lou, Trimpin, and Elizabeth Turk.

Recorded at the Getty Center on December 4, 2016.

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Ways of Seeing: Art, Science, and Spirituality

Kimi ni Todoke OP 1

The Getty works in Los Angeles and around the world to conserve and interpret the world's artistic legacy.

Edmund De Waal, "The White Road"

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