This post was updated April 14 at 8:53 p.m.
Once again, College Night at the Getty Center brought art to students in an experiential way.
College Night was held Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Getty, where the event alternates yearly between the Getty Center and the Getty Villa. Jessica Jurado, an associate communications lead at the Getty, said the event draws about 3,000 students from colleges across Southern California to enjoy free arts and crafts and experience the exhibitions the Getty has to offer. Jurado said she grew up coming to the Getty as a child, but attended College Night herself as a student before pursuing a career in the Getty’s communications department.
“I came to College Night 10 years ago when I was attending (Los Angeles) Valley College, and I remember the most enjoying how the museum was set during the night time,” Jurado said. “You’re able to enjoy the museum from that particular perspective and look at the exhibitions and see and meet people from other schools.”
Jurado said this year’s event focused on sustainability and Earth Month through activities such as collage-making to encourage students to be creative with upcycled materials. Other experiences available at College Night included guided tours through the exhibitions and the addition of scent-based tours, Jurado said. Food was provided to attendees as well as a variety of stations for refilling reusable water bottles, she added.
Greg Sandoval, a senior public programs specialist at the Getty Museum, said he has been there since 2019 and led the planning for this year’s College Night. He added that the planning for the event began last spring and involved some pragmatic adjustments to make the event more accessible for students, including reducing wait times in lines.
This is the second College Night held at the Getty Center since the COVID-19 pandemic – following the 2024 iteration of the event – and promotional efforts included a blend of outreach to college students and word-of-mouth marketing, Sandoval said.
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The activities extended beyond physical art with performance readings by Gabrielle Civil at 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Sandoval said. Civil’s work presented “Black Weirdo School (Visiting Lectures),” which Sandoval said carried a subversive tone. Another area featured a collaboration with students from the “Paranormal LA” course at Otis College of Art and Design, he added.
Monday’s festivities included continuous music from DJ Hourglass and Brian Henry, with songs stretching from 2000s throwbacks by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake to more recent hits by Tyla and Bad Bunny. As the night progressed, more students congregated in front of the DJ stand to dance to tunes from artists such as Beyoncé, Pitbull and Rihanna. Daniel Hudson, a third-year history and Spanish student, said the music contributed positively to the vibe of the event.
“It’s fun for the Getty because it breaks the museum stereotype of it being boring or sterile,” Hudson said. “It’s fun and gets you feeling comfortable.”
Monday’s event also included access to “How to Be a Guerrilla Girl,” an exhibition that debuted in November but closed to the general public April 12. Jurado said the exhibit was kept open for an extra day for students to experience. Talia Slavin, a first-year undeclared student, said she enjoyed seeing the exhibition both because of the media it featured, but also because of how the exhibit reflected upon the Getty’s collection being composed of more artwork by male artists than women artists.
“There’s part of it where you see it’s very meta,” Slavin said. “I thought it was really cool that it kind of called itself out a little bit.”
[Related: ‘Art is something that connects us all:’ Reia Uchiumi’s creative, artistic journey]
For Jenny Lew, the event marked her first time visiting the Getty. The fourth-year economics student said she has experienced museums in her hometown of San Francisco many times, but she was excited to see the exhibitions at the Getty. She added that she felt compelled to maximize experiences with her friends in her final year as a Bruin.
Hyerim Yoon, a fourth-year English and history student and the transfer student representative for the Undergraduate Students Association Council, also said she attended to spend more time with friends. Yoon said they worked for the Fowler Museum at UCLA during fall quarter and felt their academic and personal interests were reflected at the Getty, which Yoon had not visited since eighth grade.
“I haven’t been able to come to the Getty as often as I would have wanted while being a student at UCLA,” Yoon said. “Taking advantage of these opportunities is what college is about for me.”
Emma Doner, a fourth-year cognitive science student, said she enjoys visiting the Getty for both the outdoor gardens and the art installations. She said she learned about Monday’s event through an Instagram post and was drawn to the arts and crafts for making tote bags and collages. Doner added that she befriended a student from California State University Channel Islands while making collage postcards and enjoyed the opportunity to get off campus with her friends.
“Everyone should come to the Getty at least once in their four years of being at UCLA,” Doner said. “It’s a beautiful place. Come picnic at the rose garden, take in some paintings and go to the College Night if it’s available.”
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