Getty Center Honors Guerrilla Girls in Tribute to Feminist Art

On November 17, 2025, the Getty Center in Los Angeles honored the feminist art collective Guerrilla Girls, reaffirming its commitment to promoting inclusivity and freedom of expression in the art world. The event featured remarks from Katherine E. Fleming, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, who emphasized the institution's dedication to institutional neutrality and unmediated engagement with art.

The tribute coincided with the opening of the exhibition "How to Be a Guerrilla Girl," which runs from November 18, 2025, through April 12, 2026, at the Getty Research Institute. This exhibition offers an in-depth look into the collective's strategies, including anonymity, data gathering, protest actions, culture jamming, and grassroots distribution. A newly commissioned work by the Guerrilla Girls reimagines the voices of women represented in the Getty's collection of European paintings and sculptures through a contemporary lens.

Founded in 1985, the Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous feminist art collective known for using humor and visual art to expose gender and racial inequalities in the art world. Their anonymity, maintained through the use of gorilla masks and pseudonyms, allows them to focus attention on systemic issues rather than individual identities.

During the event, members of the collective, including those known by the pseudonyms "Frida Kahlo" and "Käthe Kollwitz," addressed the audience, reaffirming their commitment to ongoing activism. They stated, "We want you to know tonight, we are not giving up. Whether it's our work about art and culture, or about what's going on in our country, our fight will never be over."

Katherine E. Fleming, who assumed her role as President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust on August 1, 2022, highlighted the Getty's financial independence, supported by a $9 billion endowment. This financial stability enables the institution to operate without external political and donor pressures, allowing it to maintain institutional neutrality and freedom of expression in its curatorial decisions. Fleming also addressed the politicization of art history, advocating for unmediated engagement with art.

Under Fleming's leadership, the Getty has expanded its global cultural initiatives. These include funding art conservation efforts in Ukraine, collaborating with India's top museum for cross-cultural exhibitions, and supporting local artists affected by wildfires. Despite challenges such as past antiquities scandals and perceptions of elitism, Fleming aims to make the Getty more accessible and representative of Los Angeles's diverse community.

The Getty's tribute to the Guerrilla Girls underscores the institution's dedication to promoting feminist art and addressing gender disparities in the art world. By honoring a collective known for challenging the underrepresentation of women and artists of color, the Getty reinforces its role as a platform for social discourse and inclusivity. This event reflects a broader societal movement towards recognizing and rectifying historical biases in cultural institutions.

The "How to Be a Guerrilla Girl" exhibition offers visitors a rare, behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of the collective. Drawing from the Getty Research Institute's Guerrilla Girls archive, the exhibition highlights the group's collaborative process and longstanding commitment to equity for women and artists of color in the art world.

In addition to the exhibition, the Getty has renewed a three-year cooperation agreement with the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles and Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education. This agreement aims to cross-promote French-related exhibitions and programs, furthering the Getty's commitment to cultural exchange and collaboration.

The Getty's tribute to the Guerrilla Girls and the accompanying exhibition highlight the institution's ongoing efforts to address historical biases and promote inclusivity in the art world. Under Katherine E. Fleming's leadership, the Getty continues to evolve as a global cultural leader, balancing its rich heritage with a commitment to contemporary social issues and community engagement.