Pauline Adamek
Coming to the Getty Center museum in May/June are three upcoming – free – film screenings that will focus on a variety of artists and their work.
The Getty Center has announced the exciting lineup as part of its celebrated Art on Screen series, which celebrates moving-image media and its intersection with art and art histories. Designed to bring audiences closer to the lives, processes, and cultural impact of artists from around the world, the series offers an engaging cinematic experience set against the backdrop of one of Los Angeles’s premier cultural destinations.
This month’s program features three distinct screenings, each exploring a different artistic voice and creative journey. Through documentary storytelling and visually rich filmmaking, the selected films highlight the personal narratives, inspirations, and challenges that shape artistic expression across disciplines. From intimate portraits to broader cultural reflections, the series invites viewers to gain deeper insight into the enduring relevance of art in contemporary life.
Open to the public at no cost, the screenings reflect the Getty Center’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and arts education. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, as seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program provides a unique opportunity for film enthusiasts, art lovers, and the wider community to come together and engage with powerful stories that illuminate the creative spirit.
By presenting these films, the Getty Center continues to expand the conversation around art beyond traditional gallery spaces, fostering dialogue and connection through the moving image. The Art on Screen series stands as a testament to the institution’s dedication to showcasing diverse perspectives and enriching the cultural landscape of Los Angeles.
The series begins on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. with Of Color and Ink, a documentary centered on renowned Chinese painter Chang Dai-chien. The film explores the artist’s legacy as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Chinese art, tracing his innovations in traditional ink painting and his global impact.
Of Color and Ink traces the extraordinary life of Chang Dai-chien (1899–1983), China’s foremost 20th-century painter. Director Weimin Zhang chronicles her 12-year investigation to unravel the mysteries and controversies surrounding Chang’s decades of exile across South America, Europe, and the United States, including his formative 1940s work studying the Dunhuang Mogao Cave murals that refined his technique and renewed global interest in the site.
The film will be followed by a conversation with Zhang, writer Carl Nagin, Chang Dai-chien Research Center director Yudan Zhang, and USC professor Meiling Cheng.
The next screening is on Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 3pm. Audiences can experience La Llorona, a powerful narrative intertwining Guatemalan folklore with the historical realities of the 1980s genocide. The film combines myth, memory, and political reflection to explore the enduring effects of trauma on communities and culture.
La Llorona (2019), directed by Guatemalan filmmaker Jayro Bustamante, is a haunting, fictionalized take on the country’s genocide trials following the conviction of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt. Drawing on the horror genre and the legend of La Llorona, the film explores how collective Indigenous memory continues to haunt the dictator, his family, and Guatemalan society in the ongoing search for justice, starring María Mercedes Coroy and María Telón.
The screening will be followed by a recorded interview with Coroy and a presentation by Alicia Ivonne Estrada as part of the Getty Research Institute’s Latinx and Latin American Art Initiative.
The series concludes on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 6pm, with Maintenance Artist, a contemporary documentary examining the intersections of labor, creativity, and artistry in unexpected spaces. This film offers a thought-provoking look at how everyday work can inform and inspire artistic expression.
Maintenance Artist explores the groundbreaking career of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, whose 1977 question—“After the Revolution, who’s going to pick up the garbage on Monday morning?”—redefined art by honoring everyday labor as creative practice. From becoming the first artist in residence at New York City’s Department of Sanitation to collaborating with municipal workers, Ukeles transformed maintenance—from childcare to sanitation to environmental care—into performance art. The screening will be introduced by multimedia artist Debra Scacco, the first civic-appointed artist in residence in the City of Santa Monica’s Water and Waste divisions (2023–25).
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All screenings are free, but reservations are encouraged due to limited seating. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit the Getty Center’s official events calendar.
Art on screen
Getty Center
Museum Lecture Hall
About the Getty:
The J. Paul Getty Museum collects Greek and Roman antiquities, European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture and decorative arts to 1900, as well as photographs from around the world to the present day. The Museum’s mission is to display and interpret its collections, and present important loan exhibitions and publications for the enjoyment and education of visitors locally and internationally. This is supported by an active program of research, conservation, and public programs that seek to deepen our knowledge of and connection to works of art.
Visiting the Getty Center
The Getty Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 5:30pm. The Getty Center is open until 8pm on Saturdays, year-round. It is closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, December 25 (Christmas Day), and January 1. Admission to the Getty Center is always free, but a reservation is required for admission. Make reservations online or at (310) 440-7300. Parking is $25, $15 after 3pm, and $10 after 6pm. The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California.
Kurt Gardner