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View Winners → Top Posts Jun 28, 2021
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International arts leader and scholar James Cuno announced Monday he is poised to retire from his post as president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust after a decade at the helm of one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations dedicated to visual arts and cultural heritage.
“It has been my honor to serve this tremendous organization, and to play a small part in expanding its mission to broaden and deepen our understanding of the human experience through the visual arts,” Cuno said in a statement released by the Getty.
“It has been incredibly fulfilling to see the impact of our collective work in conservation, research, museum presentation and philanthropy, and I am so grateful to the many dedicated staff and volunteers who make it all possible,” he said.
Cuno informed the Board of Trustees of his intentions to remain in his role until his successor is selected and in place. Cuno said that recently turning 70, completing his 10th year of service and “the natural transition to a post-COVID world” all factored into his decision.
As president emeritus, he will continue to work on projects related to the greater understanding and conservation of the world’s cultural heritage, he said.
“Jim brought great stability and energy to Getty, which has grown stronger through digitization and expanded engagement with both Los Angeles and the world,” said board chair David Lee. “Jim deeply understands the power of art to unify the world, to teach us about humanity, and to connect us through our common heritage. He is one of our greatest art historians, and his leadership in this regard has been unwavering.”
Lee said the Getty board will appoint a committee to begin an international search.
Cuno joined the Getty Trust in August 2011, overseeing the trust’s administration and its four major programs, the Getty Museum, Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Research Institute and Getty Foundation, which collectively employ 1,400 people and engage more than 600 volunteers.
Over Cuno’s tenure, the Getty increased its outreach and engagement in the Los Angeles region, most recently providing $10 million to seed the LA Arts Recovery Fund, which grew through matching funding to provide more than $37 million in pandemic recovery support for 90 Los Angeles-area small- and mid-sized community arts organizations.
The Getty is now preparing for the third in its Pacific Standard Time series of arts collaborations, to be held across the Los Angeles region in 2024, with grants to dozens of arts organizations to create exhibitions, publications and scholarship on the theme of art and science.
Prior to joining the Getty, Cuno was president of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2004 to 2011, where he oversaw the development of its Modern Wing, a large gallery and education building designed by Renzo Piano.
