Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; why so coy, Venus?; meet a tiny medieval horse

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar helps LA come together to preserve historic spaces

On a sunny Saturday in LA’s historic St. Elmo Village, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the City of Los Angeles, and Getty mapped out a future for preserving an oft-overlooked sector of the region’s history: African American places of special significance. Attendees were asked to offer their own ideas of what to preserve. 

Abdul-Jabbar’s favorite LA memories

Four sites already nominated to represent LA’s Black history

Getty launches Art and Poetry

A new podcast miniseries hosted by LeRonn Brooks, associate curator at the Getty Research Institute, celebrates the influence of Black culture on visual art and poetry. Conversations cover the urgency for artists and poets to respond to our contemporary crises; the importance of invisibility in Black cultural production across the centuries; and how daily record keeping can be a radical act. 
 

Listen to the episodes

Have you seen this pose before?

How do you describe a work of art? With art terms, of course! We’ve heard your questions about works of art at Getty, and we’re here to answer your Frequently Asked Art Questions (FAAQs). Let’s take a look at the Medici Venus, an ideal statue to describe with the art term, “chaste Venus.”

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Meet Angel the tiny medieval horse

Come to Getty’s Family Festival: Medieval Play on July 9 (see below) and you’ll have the chance to meet a very special guest: Angel the miniature medieval horse, who’s a pretty big deal. Sure she’s adorable—tiny, plush, and clad in a bespoke costume—but she also does cool stuff like pull chariots. 

Angel!

Happy Birthday, Barbara!

Saturday, July 8, 4:00 pm
Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Join a party to celebrate artist Barbara T. Smith’s 92nd birthday! Artists and friends will honor Smith with stories, films, and memories. After the program enjoy cake and champagne.  

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Family Festival: Medieval Play

Sunday, July 9, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Getty Center

Take part in a fun-filled festival inspired by Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages. Arrive in costume or create your own tunic; learn a courtly dance; sing with wandering minstrels; and meet Angel, a tiny medieval horse. Then play traditional games and storm the castle with foam swords and shields on Getty’s verdant lawns.

Learn more about this free event

Off the 405: Etran de L’Aïr

Saturday, July 22, 6:00 pm
Getty Center, Museum Courtyard

Members of Etran de L’Aïr are the sons of Tuareg nomadic families that settled in Agadez, where guitar bands are an integral part of the social fabric. Called out for their “heady, spontaneous grooves,” Etran de L’Aïr was listed in the number 1 slot for “Best Music of 2020” by The New Yorker.

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Bacchus Uncorked: Making Wine in Ancient Rome, from Spectacle to Reality

Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23, 5:15 pm
Getty Villa

Archaeologist Emlyn Dodd introduces you to the scope of Roman winemaking, from Pompeii’s humble vineyards to a recently discovered luxury winery in Rome owned by the emperor himself. You’ll then head outdoors to the Villa’s gardens and enjoy modern Italian wines with educator Diego Meraviglia.

Tickets available July 1