Getty Launches Global Initiative to Advance Museum Interpretation Practices, Getty, 28 Octover 2026

Getty announced the launch of “New Interpretations,” a grant initiative to strengthen visitor-centered approaches to the interpretation of artwork at museums worldwide. For its pilot round of grants, Getty has awarded $2.7 million for 11 projects at museums and arts organizations that will prioritize and deepen connections between audiences and artworks.

The most familiar examples of museum interpretation are gallery handouts or wall text, but more expansive practices range from creating multisensory experiences and interactive displays to partnering with artists and community members on the presentation of complex or challenging subject matter. Getty’s initiative will support this work at various scales, with an emphasis on experimentation, visitor research and evaluation to help institutions learn from each other.

“Museums play a vital role in helping people explore the resonance and complexity of our shared world history and of our present moment,” said Heather E. MacDonald, senior program officer at the Getty Foundation. “These dynamic projects reaffirm the importance of museums as trusted public institutions and will help visitors access the multitude of meanings that art objects can hold.”

Grantees include Walker Art Center; Queens Museum; Leeum Museum of Art, in partnership with M+; Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; Fowler Museum at UCLA; First Americans Museum; Denver Art Museum; Baltimore Museum of Art; the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the Association for Art Museum Interpretation.

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image will advance work on their recently piloted captioning technology for time-based artworks, improving accessibility for multilingual and hearing-impaired audiences. Getty’s grant will help them refine and share the software with galleries and museums of all sizes.

Full Story: https://www.getty.edu/news/getty-launches-global-initiative-to-advance-museum-interpretation-practices/