The GETTY
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J. Paul Getty Museum

Research Insitute for the History of Art and the Humanities

Conservation Institute

Information Institute
Education Institute for the Arts

Grant Program

Leadership Institute
for Museum Manangement

The J. Paul Getty Trust

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July 6,1998

Steve Feld
John F. Kennedy High School
Bronx, NY 10463

Dear Steve Feld:
Thank you for your recent letter regarding "Learning about Leonardo" and its inclusion in the Getty Information Institute's Digital Experience. Firstly, allow me to congratulate you and your students on an insightful, educational and entertaining Website. "Learning About Leonardo" continues to be an important addition to our Web-O-Rama tours and I am happy to provide you with a letter background on how it was selected.
The Digital Experience was implemented in a relative short period of time. In the summer of 1997, in conjunction with the construction of its physical space, a working creative team was established to "construct" the digital and Web based aspects of the project. A dozen people converged from various backgrounds, and interests, including designers, producers, researchers, curators, and several Getty staff, to brainstorm and create a multi-media presentation and a Website in time for the Getty opening in December.
The process of choosing the Web links was led by our researcher, Holly Mitchem, an educator at Thatcher High School in Ojai, California. Holly would spend countless hours on the internet looking for the best cultural sites available. She would then forward a substantial list of recommendations to a sub-committee who would peruse each site. The sub-committee, which consisted of five people from the creative team, would meet each week to discuss the content, design, and placement of the recommended sites. Since each one of us had very different interests and tastes, consensus was not reached by simply voting on our favorite site, but by discussing at length, the cultural content presented. By the end of four months, we had developed eight virtual tour categories for the Digital Experience with more than a dozen links for each.
Web-O-Rama, the tour for younger audiences, was the most fun. Of the many sites we reviewed, "Learning About Leonardo" was the best at offering art historical information, in a new and innovative way. By presenting the morphing images, Da Vinci and his famous portrait of Mona Lisa, you and your students provoke viewers to go beyond "face value" in a very effective way. The historical content provided, by way of links and essays, and musical references are also to be commended.
I hope this information answers your questions on how "Learning About Leonardo" became an important addition to the Digital Experience inaugural Web site. On behalf of the J. Paul Getty Museum, thank you for your contribution.

Sincerely,
David Jensen

Manager, Culture Net Initiatives
The Getty Information Institute