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January 24, 2008, 10:51 AM ET
In 6 Years, Getty's Preservation-Grant Program Paid Off Handsomely
How many of you think the Getty Foundation should reconsider its decision to close down its extraordinary program of grants for preservation planning on college campuses? The program, called the Campus Heritage Initiative, ended last year after distributing $13.5-million to 86 colleges and universities — and after having an impact all out of proportion to the amount of money it spent.
Today’s Wall Street Journal describes how successful the six-year cycle of planning grants has been. Among the projects mentioned are those at the Bronx Community College, which developed a plan to restore a magnificent library designed by Stanford White (right); at Florida Southern College, which is repairing buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright; and at the U.S. Naval Academy, which recently restored its chapel, by Ernest Flagg.
The article, by Catesby Leigh, notes that the Getty program “was not intended to be prescriptive” and that it was “formulated on the understanding that different campus constituencies have different takes on design issues.” What is most striking about the Getty grants, Mr. Leigh says, is the range of colleges, buildings, and architectural styles it has benefited.
What’s also striking about the program is how much bang it got for its buck. Last year, for instance, it spent a paltry $2-million. Grants were small — from $45,000 to $250,000. But besides helping institutions inventory their architectural treasures and establish plans for protecting them, the money — and the Getty name — helped raise awareness of colleges’ many architectural gems. Colleges, in turn, have leveraged that awareness to raise money for preservation projects.
What no one has ever explained, though, is why a program this successful shouldn’t be extended — at least for another six years, if not indefinitely. What do you think? (Chronicle photograph by Lawrence Biemiller)
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