Getty Turns Mindfulness Inward: Staff Wellbeing and Conservation Pilot
Since 2015, Lilit Sadoyan, an educator at the Getty Museum, has been conducting mindfulness programs for the public. Recently, she recognized a need among museum staff and initiated Mindful Moment for Staff, which features meditation and mindful observation sessions at 9:30 am before the museum opens. Staff from conservation, operations, and education engage with artworks such as Helen Pashgian's light installation and Toba Khedoori's drawing, focusing on art as a tool for mindfulness. Following the Los Angeles fires in early 2025, the program adapted to help process collective trauma. Additionally, in December 2024, Sadoyan partnered with Rachel Rivenc and neuroscientist Tedi Asher for a pilot workshop at the Getty Centre, gathering early data that indicates meditation enhances mindfulness and joy during object examination. A second pilot is scheduled for May 2026 at the American Institute for Conservation's annual conference, where Sadoyan and Rivenc will present their findings at the Museums & Wellbeing Summit 2026.
Key facts
- Getty Museum educator Lilit Sadoyan launched Mindful Moment for Staff, a mindfulness program for museum professionals.
- Sessions are held at 9:30am, 30 minutes before the museum opens, requiring no prior meditation experience.
- Artworks such as Helen Pashgian's light installation and Toba Khedoori's drawing are used as the method for mindfulness exercises.
- The program adapted after the Los Angeles fires of early 2025, offering a space for staff to process collective trauma.
- A pilot workshop for conservators was held in December 2024 at the Getty Centre, in collaboration with the Conservation Association of Los Angeles and UCLA Mindful.
- The pilot involved biofeedback monitors and mindfulness surveys, with early findings showing heightened mindfulness and joy.
- A second pilot is planned for May 2026 at the American Institute for Conservation's annual conference.
- Rachel Rivenc is Head of Conservation and Preservation at the Getty Research Institute; Tedi Asher is a neuroscientist at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Entities
Artists
- Lilit Sadoyan
- Rachel Rivenc
- Tedi Asher
- Helen Pashgian
- Toba Khedoori
Institutions
- Getty Museum
- Getty Trust
- Getty Research Institute
- Peabody Essex Museum
- Conservation Association of Los Angeles
- UCLA Mindful
- American Institute for Conservation
- MuseumNext
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Getty Centre
- Getty Villa