Getty Center for Education in the Arts

The Getty Center for Education in the Arts, later known as the Getty Education Institute for the Arts (GEI), was founded in 1982 with the mission of improving the quality and status of arts education in the nation's public schools. During its first ten years, the program concentrated on the implementation and dissemination of DBAE (discipline-based art education), through the dissemination of print publications and videotapes, national conferences, and collaborative projects; professional development for school and university personnel, through inservice programs such as the Los Angeles Institute; theory development to encourage evolution of DBAE, through seminars, doctoral fellowships, and the commissioning of scholarly publications; curriculum development to support creation of model instructional materials; and special initiatives to encourage others to champion DBAE.

Dr. Stephen M. Dobbs served as a Senior Program Officer of the Getty Center for Education in the Arts from September 1987 to September 1989. Dobbs' responsibilities centered around promoting a comprehensive approach to instruction and learning in art, called "discipline based art-education." DBAE, primarily developed for grades K through 12, focused on four foundational disciplines in art - art making, art criticism, art history and aesthetics - to encourage not only the creation of art, but also the understanding and appreciation of artistic processes and the role of art in society. Dobbs resigned on August 1, 1989; Philip Dunn took over his responsibilities. When the Getty Education Institute for the Arts was dissolved one of its last projects was to record the legacy of its programs, most specifically the DBAE program, through interviews with leading arts educators of the time. The Center for Education in the Arts commissioned Dr. Dobbs in 1998 to conduct, record and transcribe these interviews. The GEI was dissolved in 1999.

Biography

Dr. Stephen Dobbs received his B.A. (1964) and Ph.D. (1972) from Stanford University. He first worked as a university professor in the humanities and, later in life, he became adjunct professor at San Francisco State University and an adjunct faculty member at the Institute for Jewish & Community Research.

He was a program analyst for the John D. Rockefeller III Fund and later joined the J. Paul Getty Trust. At the Getty Trust, as a Senior Program Officer of the Getty Center for Education in the Arts from September 1987 to September 1989, Dobbs' responsibilities centered around promoting a comprehensive approach to instruction and learning in art, called "discipline based art-education." DBAE, primarily developed for grades K through 12, focused on four foundational disciplines in art - art making, art criticism, art history and aesthetics - to encourage not only the creation of art, but also the understanding and appreciation of artistic processes and the role of art in society. Dobbs resigned on August 1, 1989; Philip Dunn took over his responsibilities.

Following his work at the Getty, Dobbs served as CEO of the Koret Foundation and the Marin Community Foundation. He later became the executive vice president of the Bernard Osher Foundation and also served as the executive director of the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture. Dobbs is also known for his work with Jewish community organizations. He is a former president of the Brandeis-Hillel Day School, vice president of the Bureau of Jewish Education, and vice president of Congregation Emanu-El. He was the founding director of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco Board of the Leadership Institute. He served as president of Mount Zion Health Fund and on the board of the Jewish Community Federation. In the general community, Dobbs served as director of Guide Dogs for the Blind and Words on Dance.

Administrative History

The Getty Center for Education in the Arts, later known as the Getty Education Institute for the Arts (GEI), was one of the original programs established by the J. Paul Getty Trust, an international cultural and philanthropic organization serving both general audiences and specialized professionals. The Trust is a not-for-profit institution, educational in purpose and character, that focuses on the visual arts in all of their dimensions. As of 2009 the Trust supports and oversees four programs: the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Foundation, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Research Institute. The Trust founded the Getty Center for Education in the Arts in 1982 with the mission of improving the quality and status of arts education in the nation's public schools. The GEI's programs were guided by three premises: the visual arts should be an essential part of every child's education because knowledge of the arts is a principal means of understanding human experiences and transmitting cultural values; art education's content must be broadened to include instruction in art production, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics—an approach known as discipline-based art education (DBAE); and the most effective art education programs are based on partnerships among teachers, administrators, artists, museums, universities, and parents.

During its first ten years, the Getty Center for Education in the Arts / GEI concentrated on the implementation and dissemination of DBAE. This was achieved by advocating for the value of arts in education, through the dissemination of print publications and videotapes, national conferences, and collaborative projects; professional development for school and university personnel, through inservice programs such as the Los Angeles Institute; theory development to encourage evolution of DBAE, through seminars, doctoral fellowships, and the commissioning of scholarly publications; curriculum development to support creation of model instructional materials; and special initiatives to encourage others to champion DBAE. In January 1986 responsibility for administering arts education grants was transferred from the Trust's Grant Program to the Center for Education in the Arts. The goal of the arts education grant program was to support the development of model DBAE programs across the country. In addition to improving the quality of arts education in primary and secondary schools, the GEI also concentrated on the education of museum visitors. Focus group research and other studies resulted in a number of publications aimed at the museum community.

Lani Duke was the founding director of the Getty Center for Education in the Arts / GEI and continued to lead the program for 17 years. Duke resigned at the end of June, 1998 upon notice of the GEI's imminent dissolution. President Barry Muntiz named Ted Mitchell, former dean of the UCLA School of Education, as the Getty Trust's Vice President for Education and interim director of the GEI until the program's dissolution in 1999. When the Getty Education Institute for the Arts was dissolved one of its last projects was to record the legacy of its programs, most specifically the DBAE program, through interviews with leading arts educators of the time. The Center for Education in the Arts commissioned Dr. Stephen M. Dobbs in 1998 to conduct, record and transcribe these interviews.