The J. Paul Getty Trust, one of the most prestigious international cultural and philanthropic institutions for visual arts, has recently eliminated 114 jobs and some programs to yield a 25% budget increase. Concerning this saving plan, James Wood, chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said: “This is to ensure that we have flexible funds to devote to both building our collections in the museum, the research institute and the library and to undertake targeted strategic initiatives where we feel we can really make a difference.”
Also the official spokesman, Ron Hartwig, has promptly explained that most of the staff reductions were accomplished through attrition, by freezing positions and not filling vacancies. He declared that the most part of the savings came from maintenance, security and communications activities, and that curators and other main positions are not involved in the staff cuts. “We are laser-focused on our core mission,” Hartwig said. “This is about planning and making sure we have the resources to address our mission as strongly as possible moving forward.”
These reassessment actions started with the senior management team after Wood was appointed in early 2007. Wood said the board of trustees and the leadership team “have been working to develop a long-term strategic approach to budgeting that will ensure a successful future for the Getty Trust.”
