Getty Center Temporarily Closes Amid Wildfire Threat In Los Angeles

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Getty Center in Los Angeles closed its doors early on Wednesday as a brush fire ignited near the 405 Freeway. The Los Angeles Fire Department received reports of the blaze at 4:30 p.m., and it has already consumed five acres, according to the Los Angeles Times.

An evacuation warning has been issued by the Fire Department for an area encompassing the Getty Center, which houses museum buildings with Renaissance and Old Master paintings, the Getty Research Institute, and a garden designed by Robert Irwin. Visitors were directed to exit through the parking garage, and the museum officially closed at 4:45 p.m., CBS News reported. A notice on the museum's website confirmed,“The Getty Center is closed due to a nearby fire.”

The extent of potential damage to the Getty Center was not immediately clear. ARTnews has sought comment from the Getty. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the situation, now dubbed the Getty Fire, stating,“Anyone in the area should prepare to evacuate should conditions worsen. Please stay vigilant and follow all instructions from first responders.”

This incident is not the first time the Getty Center has faced a nearby fire threat. In 2019, a wildfire close to the 405 Freeway scorched 745 acres. The Getty Center was designed by architect Richard Meier with fire resilience in mind, incorporating features like crushed rocks on the roof, a travertine exterior, and specific landscaping to help protect the complex from significant damage. Meier told the New York Times in 2017, the year another fire approached the site, that“The safest place for the artwork to be is right here in the Getty Center.”

Source: ARTnews

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