Under the Malibu moonlight, the Getty Villa is a romantic haven for the classic arts of ancient cultures. While the museum typically closes by 5 p.m., the doors will stay open a little longer on Tuesday for College Night, an after-hours party exclusive to students.
The third annual event is dedicated to Southern California college students.
“The Getty Villa is the only museum in the country dedicated to the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. In addition to the collection, the museum architecture (modeled after a first-century Roman country house), gardens (inspired by ancient Roman gardens) and geographical location all make the Getty Villa a memorable place to visit,” said Kelli O’Leary, senior staff assistant of Villa program coordination.
The night is an opportunity for students to take an inside look through conservation and design studio tours, which are not offered to regular visitors of the museum.
Some of the night’s featured events will include free food, an ancient painting demonstration by artist Sylvana Barrett and a live musical performance by singer-songwriter Jessica Fichot, whose multi-ethnic music includes songs sung in French, English, Chinese and Spanish.
The Getty Villa will also introduce new iPod Touch Getty multimedia players to guide students through the gallery tour.
According to O’Leary, students will also have the chance to meet with representatives from the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Research Institute and the Getty Foundation to learn about internship opportunities for students.
“College Night is one opportunity that we have to showcase ourselves, open the doors and hopefully initiate some relationships with college students that will blossom in other ways in the future,” said Rainer Mack, manager of education at the Getty Villa.
Mack said that the event will introduce many angles of opportunities that exist for having a career in museum art.
“My favorite part about College Night is allowing college students to tap into that potential, if it’s something they want to pursue as a passion,” said Eidelriz Senga, senior project coordinator of education at the Getty Villa.
Having been an art history student in college, Senga said she remembers an assignment to visit an art museum.
“If you’re an art history student, you usually see the objects on a slide or in a textbook, but being in a museum is like being in the presence of magic. Especially if you’re really into art.
There’s no other experience that can replicate being in the presence of the object. It’s an awesome opportunity for college students who are interested or developing an interest in art,” Senga said.
Senga will be working the handling session table for her third annual College Night. According to Senga, these hands-on experiences invoke a sense of time travel back to antiquity.
Guests will be able to see up close, touch and feel glass objects and minerals used in ancient art, such as sculpture. Senga acknowledged that while the museum hosts traditional displays, seeing the work is not the sole way to appreciate featured artworks.
“Sometimes the more effective ways of learning and understanding things is involving all of your senses,” Senga said.
As an educator at the Villa, Senga said that her goal is to provide a memorable experience.
“Ultimately what I want is to get people excited about being at the museum … being in the presence of ancient objects. … It makes these cultures relevant and … alive,” Senga said.