Latest news with #Moderne
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Moderne and Diffblue Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Enterprise Application Modernization
MIAMI & OXFORD, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Moderne, the automated code refactoring and analysis company, and Diffblue, creators of the world's first AI-powered unit test writing agent, today announced a strategic partnership to deliver an integrated solution for enterprise application modernization. This collaboration combines Moderne's code transformation capabilities with Diffblue's autonomous test generation powered by reinforcement learning to help organizations modernize applications with confidence and speed. 'Combining best-in-class auto-refactoring and agentic test generation creates a new standard of speed and cost-effectiveness that will change how enterprises approach upgrading and rearchitecting their legacy applications.' With the new integration, Moderne and Diffblue customers – which include many Fortune 500 industry leaders – can quickly and efficiently tackle modernization projects by automatically analyzing their code base, generating a comprehensive unit test suite, refactoring their code, and deploying upgraded applications knowing that potential regressions have been caught and addressed. The integrated solution is particularly beneficial for large enterprises facing challenges such as technical debt, legacy system upgrades, and the need for rapid innovation. 'One of the biggest impediments to successful application modernization initiatives is the absence of a solid testing foundation that catches regressions as code is upgraded,' said Jonathan Schneider, CEO and Co-Founder of Moderne. 'By integrating with Diffblue, we're giving customers the ability to both refactor and test automatically—accelerating transformation while reducing risk.' Moderne's platform, built on the OpenRewrite open-source project, enables automated, safe, and scalable code transformations across entire codebases. Its deterministic approach ensures consistent and predictable results, facilitating tasks such as cloud migration, framework upgrades, and security remediation. Diffblue's flagship product, Diffblue Cover, utilizes reinforcement learning to autonomously generate unit tests for Java applications, enhancing code quality and accelerating development cycles. The integration delivers Diffblue's autonomous testing capabilities via an OpenRewrite recipe that can run at scale in the Moderne Platform and serve as a tool for Moderne's multi-repo AI agent, Moddy, providing the coverage and confidence for mass-scale changes. 'Our partnership with Moderne addresses a critical need to reduce the expense and cycle times associated with application modernization,' said Toffer Winslow, CEO of Diffblue. 'Combining best-in-class auto-refactoring and agentic test generation creates a new standard of speed and cost-effectiveness that will change how enterprises approach upgrading and rearchitecting their legacy applications.' To highlight how the integrated solution streamlines application modernization efforts, Schneider and Andy Piper, Diffblue's VP of Engineering, presented a joint demonstration at Code Remix Summit in Miami on Tuesday, May 13th at 9am ET. A webinar featuring a public demonstration of the integrated solution will be held next month, and interested parties can register here. About Moderne: Moderne automates mass-scale code modernization that's critical to the progress and success of enterprise companies today—making a difference in minutes, not months. Moderne is based in Miami, and its investors include Acrew Capital, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Mango Capital, Allstate Strategic Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Amex Ventures, and TIAA Ventures, among other investors and advisors. To learn more, visit About Diffblue: Founded by researchers from the University of Oxford, Diffblue uses game-changing AI technology to fundamentally transform the way developers write code. An early pioneer of generative AI, Diffblue leverages reinforcement learning to automate tedious and error-prone parts of the SLDC (software development lifecycle) with trusted results. Capable of writing unit tests 250x faster than a human developer, Diffblue Cover autonomously helps software teams improve code quality, expand test coverage and increase productivity so they can ship software faster, more frequently, with fewer defects. Diffblue's customers include Citi, ING, Workday, S&P Global, ING, and BNY. To learn more, visit
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Azul and Moderne Announce Partnership to Boost Java Developer Productivity
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Azul, the only company 100% focused on Java, and Moderne, the automated code refactoring and analysis company, today announced a technical partnership to help Java development teams identify, remove and refactor unused and dead code to improve productivity and dramatically accelerate modernization initiatives. This collaboration integrates Azul's deep runtime visibility and Java expertise with Moderne's powerful platform for automated, multi-repository, rules-based code refactoring. Together, they enable organizations to continuously secure, maintain and modernize their Java applications with unprecedented scale and precision. Azul + Moderne product integration automatically identifies and removes unused and dead code based on production runtime information Share According to Azul's 2025 State of Java Survey & Report, 62% of survey respondents report that unused or dead code affects DevOps productivity, and 33% cite that more than half of their DevOps team's time is wasted addressing false positives from Java-related security vulnerabilities. To address this, Azul and Moderne have integrated their solutions to bridge runtime insight with automated code remediation. Code Inventory, a feature of Azul Intelligence Cloud, identifies unused or dead code based on production Java runtime data. The Moderne Platform then uses this intelligence via an OpenRewrite recipe to earmark deprecation status and drive precise, large-scale removal of unused code. This integration can save enterprise development teams significant amounts of manual work updating source code and fixing vulnerabilities as part of major Java upgrades and framework migrations. Many organizations are seeking to upgrade and modernize their applications to keep them secure and on supported frameworks and runtimes, but codebases can contain unused or dead code, third-party libraries and open-source components. Over time, teams have added features but not retired code that is no longer run in production, making ongoing maintenance and modernization more difficult and costly. This complicates an organization's innovation efforts and impacts migration speeds and developer productivity. Considering the millions of Java applications being run across enterprises today, this results in a significant amount of developer time lost updating meaningless code that must be constantly maintained and secured. 'This partnership is about more than identifying unused and dead code—it's about removing the barriers to meaningful modernization,' said Jonathan Schneider, co-founder and CEO of Moderne. 'By combining Azul's production-aware insights with Moderne's ability to safely and automatically transform code at scale, we're giving Java teams a clear path from understanding to action. It's a model for how runtime data and automated execution can work together to keep codebases lean, secure and ready for what's next.' 'Application maintenance is not a sexy task for Java developers but is an essential part of keeping applications secure and running on supported modules and infrastructure,' said Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO at Azul. 'By providing developers with a solution for remediating unused or dead code that is 100% accurate based on production application runtime data, Java teams can focus on updating, migrating and modernizing only the application code that matters, dramatically increasing developer productivity.' For more information on Azul's partnership with Moderne, click here. About Moderne Moderne automates mass-scale code modernization that's critical to the progress and success of enterprise companies today—making a difference in minutes, not months. Moderne is based in Miami, and its investors include Acrew Capital, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Mango Capital, Allstate Strategic Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Amex Ventures, and TIAA Ventures, among other investors and advisors. To learn more, visit About Azul Systems Inc. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Azul provides the Java platform for the modern cloud enterprise. Azul is the only company 100% focused on Java. Millions of Java developers, hundreds of millions of devices and the world's most highly regarded businesses trust Azul to power their applications with exceptional capabilities, performance, security, value, and success. Azul customers include 36% of the Fortune 100, 50% of Forbes top 10 World's Most Valuable Brands, all 10 of the world's top 10 financial trading companies and leading brands like Avaya, Bazaarvoice, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, LG, Mastercard, Mizuho, Priceline, Salesforce, Software AG, and Workday. Learn more at and follow us @azulsystems.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Moderne Ventures announces the six companies selected to join its exclusive Moderne Passport industry immersion program
CHICAGO, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Moderne Ventures announced its first 2025 Passport Class. Moderne Ventures is a strategic venture capital and growth equity firm investing in disruptive technologies that can apply to both Moderne's core industries (real estate, insurance, finance, and sustainability) and expand beyond them to capture larger venture returns. The Moderne Passport Program is an intensive six-month industry immersion program providing its participants with education, exposure, insight, and relationships to drive customer growth. "At Moderne, we take a generalist approach to vertical investing, looking outside of our core industries to find technologies that can be applicable within them," said Constance Freedman, Founder and Managing Partner at Moderne Ventures. "This latest Passport cohort includes breakthrough crypto payments technology, digital transaction management and video games creating transformative opportunities for multi-trillion dollar markets." The Moderne Passport program hosts companies of all stages – in this cohort, companies range from seed to Series C and have raised over $220M+ in aggregate of funding with collective valuations of $900M+. The companies are: Audette ( – (Vancouver, British Columbia): Turning decarbonization from a cost center to a strategic competitive advantage Closing Theory ( – (Austin, TX): Closing Theory Studios is unlocking the $200B gaming market with its first mobile game, HouseHunt—a Monopoly-meets-Zillow experience that transforms real home listings into a fun, empire-building challenge Mesh ( – (San Francisco, CA): The first global crypto payments network enabling real-time, seamless crypto payments on anything from retail to rent Trust & Will ( – (San Diego, CA): Digitizing and democratizing estate planning for families while empowering enterprises to support clients and employees WarrantyHive ( – (American Fork, UT): Manage facility warranties easier, faster and smarter with AI Work& ( – (Houston, TX): Work is more than just getting a job done – Work& provides legally-compliant lactation and wellness solutions to seamlessly integrate work, parenthood, and wellbeing on the job "We celebrate this class as our 21st Moderne Passport cohort, having guided over 150 startups through our program. Our program unlocks new distribution channels by leveraging our extensive network of industry partners who are excited to work with these innovative startups," notes Carolyn Kwon, Moderne Ventures' Head of Platform. Moderne Ventures accepts Passport applications on a rolling basis with the next class launching in May. About Moderne Ventures Moderne Ventures is a strategic venture capital and growth equity firm with a 17-year track record, generating top tier returns across five funds. Moderne is a generalist investor with vertical expertise with a particular focus on technologies like Enterprise SaaS, AI, Robotics, Deep Tech, Sustainability, and Data and Digital Transaction Management and targets technologies that can apply to both Moderne's core industries and expand beyond them to deliver outsized venture returns. Moderne's 'secret sauce' is bringing Customers to its Portfolio Companies. Moderne has built an extraordinary network of over 1,500 executives and corporations within multi trillion-dollar industries ripe for innovation and disruption, including real estate, finance, insurance, and sustainability. Through Moderne Passport, an industry immersion program, Moderne programmatically connects its portfolio to its industry network to help generate growth for the portfolio and outsized returns to investors. Moderne operates both early-stage and late-stage Venture Funds and the Moderne Passport, designed to foster innovation, partnership and growth between industry partners and emerging technology companies. Moderne has invested in ~50 companies with additional equity stakes in ~150 Passport companies across five funds, and has built a stellar track record through investing in companies like DocuSign, ICON, Measurabl, Proof, Caribou, Porch, and Xeal. CONTACT: Carolyn Kwon, carolyn@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Moderne Ventures
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We asked if the Getty should move. Here's how readers responded
'Should the Getty move?' Times art critic Christopher Knight asked in a recent commentary. 'Should the Villa, and the Getty Center in the fire-prone Brentwood hills nearby, both evacuate — for good?' The thought occurred to Knight in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that tore through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January, resulting in one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. 'Fires will come again, and today 'fire hurricane' has entered the lexicon,' writes Knight. 'Words like 'unprecedented' and 'extraordinary' accompanied dazed descriptions of a regional fire season that has been otherwise routine for centuries.' If the museums were to move, where would they go? 'The county's soon-to-be-vacated Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration is a monumental, late Moderne civic building whose 1960 team of architects included the trailblazing Paul Revere Williams, the first African American member (and later, fellow) of the American Institute of Architects,' Knight writes of the downtown structure. 'Is adaptive reuse of the Hahn building for an art museum's needs even possible?' We asked L.A. Times readers if they thought the Getty should move. Here's what they said: Responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity. Read more: Commentary: Fire could have destroyed the Getty's irreplaceable art. Should the museum move? 'Absolutely not! The venue is a big part of both the Center and the Villa. That is what makes the Getty Museums so 'special.' One option is to purchase additional surrounding land if one is concerned about potential future fires. There are no guarantees in life. Live on the edge a little! And enjoy two of the most amazing and unique museums in the world! Another option is for a third potential Getty Museum in downtown L.A. I am sure the Getty group can create an equally unique and special space there. They did an excellent job with the present ones.' — Greg Virelli 'No. As the article describes, the museum's response to the recent extreme threats were well planned and successful. The idea that a wildly expensive move to another location would make it impervious to future disaster (earthquake) or attack is wishful thinking. The site and setting (of the Villa in particular but also the Center) are integral to the art collection's display and interpretation, and obviously not merely a container. The question of access to communities is another matter entirely, and surely one that they continue to grapple with. One could imagine greater investment in running shuttles from the closest metro stations, for example. And while it's not within their jurisdiction, the city should install a sidewalk and bike lane on Sepulveda, as it is presently impossible to arrive in any way other than motor transport.' — Todd Lerew 'I love the Getty Center and especially the Getty Villa, but it would be disastrous and heartbreaking to lose any collections at both of these facilities. However, honestly, I don't know that I would visit a new Getty facility in downtown L.A., since downtown has its own set of challenges, homelessness, lack of parking. Perhaps if there was direct or close by Metro rail, I'd consider.' — Nancy Gill 'No! No! No! I have adored the Getty Villa as no other museum in my 88 years. I have lived in New York City, traveled London and Paris, and have always had to force myself to spend time in museums in those cities. The Getty was special because it was the Villa. Imagining the people living and working there gave it a dimension others don't have. 'I would even prefer to have artwork fakes, if necessary. Most people wouldn't know the difference. But the experience would be maintained.' — Suzanne Barber 'I worry about an earthquake and a fire. People will go anywhere the art is. As you eloquently said, protecting the art is paramount. I would hate to see the Getty as an ivory tower, but it is so large it could serve many purposes for many people. And the Villa could have a park around it… I hope the Getty employees, while acting with courage out of love for the Villa, were given medals, bonuses and long vacations! Thank you for writing an important and thoughtful article.' — Denah S. Bookstein 'Yes, definitely. The move to downtown Los Angeles would expose thousands more people to the incredible art of this priceless collection. The location is ideal, surrounded by good infrastructure that would enhance the beauty, history and architecture of, in my view, one of the most beautiful downtowns in the nation.' — Patrick Edwards 'That's a really provocative and interesting question. The central reason for collecting museums to exist is to preserve and protect the collections. And the masterpieces of the Getty are irreplaceable. Given the potential for catastrophic fire in both locations, I could see a melding of the Villa and Getty Center collections into one large museum. They could then use the Villa as more of an "experience" for visitors (with reproductions) as well as a research center; the Getty Center certainly could become a university, perhaps focusing on art conservation, art history, even art practice.' — Anne Farrell 'No. Sounds like it was built with fire protection in mind. But certainly a review should be done and updated. Plans established for moving the most priceless in the event of a fire, unless they've already done that; like into an underground bunker or vault. It would take a Herculean effort with a number of staff required to do that, and often there's no time! As you say, 'An answer awaits.' ' — Lisa Morris 'Yes. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that a move to another location for the Getty (both museums) is an idea whose time has come.' — Sanford Forman 'One idea would be to set up an auxiliary site that could help anchor the Palm Springs and Coachella area. It might be a good plan to move part of the collection to a safer site. The Foundation could hire a climate aware architect that could build a state of the art facility that is safe from earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, windstorms, acid fog, PCH traffic jams and any variety of 'Mad Max'-styled vandals. It would be quite enjoyable to stay in Palm Springs and also visit a Getty museum on the same trip.' — Forest Grey Read more: Inside the dash to save the Getty Villa from the Palisades fire: A timeline 'Not in the short term perhaps — but I take to heart your comment about the dearth of Eastside cultural access. It's a criminal oversight by the county. I'd suggest a phased approach — perhaps a satellite(s) or a partial move downtown. Whatever it may be — a majority of Angelenos have little access to the Getty 'Paradise.' ' — William Moreno 'The Getty is more than a collection of artworks. Sort of like Richard Serra's famous (or infamous) 'Tilted Arc,' if you move the Getty, it sort of stops being 'The Getty.' There's something site specific to the institution. Part of what makes it iconic is the location. These buildings and the surrounding landscape is crucial to the local and global understanding of Getty. Is it possible to move the collection? Maybe, sure. I think it'd be a huge mistake though. A better response to concern, in my opinion, would be to double down on preventative measures.' — Abigail Mortensen 'You make a powerful argument to move and consolidate the Getty holdings downtown from the perspective of fire threat and greater accessibility to the public. If I recall correctly, the Getty Center faced strong criticism when it was planned because of the fortress-like location requiring both a journey on the traffic-plagued Interstate 405 and a monorail ride up a cliff. But downtown L.A., despite a couple of light-rail lines and a subway, is not urban Manhattan, N.Y., with its dense network of convenient public transportation to multiple museums for millions of New Yorkers. And let's be honest, a large percentage of Getty visitors go to the two museums for the overall ambience of the architecture, the gardens, the reflecting pools and the view. The Hahn complex would function essentially as a faceless warehouse for the priceless art objects, similar to the now-labeled Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. I suspect that alone would engender sufficient opposition to render such a move moribund simply as a consequence of endless debate, the way so many intriguing ideas die in Los Angeles.' — Vic Turner 'While it's an interesting and provocative idea, where is safe? In the Ring of Fire where freeways topple, is anywhere truly safe. Fires break out everywhere, even massive ones. There is no saying that anywhere a museum moves won't be the 'Appointment in Samarra' for the collection. The Getty has proven it has done an exceptional job of stewardship. If anyone appreciates the legacy they hold it is the Getty. Having worked with the Getty, I am certain they will only work to continually upgrade their already established systems and procedures. I am confident that the collections are as safe in situ as can be.' — Jordan Peimer 'As gutwrenchingly painful as even conceiving of leaving the Villa and Center is, the thought of losing the collections is totally unimaginable. My husband was a world class artist. And we visited the Getty to nourish our souls many times over the years. There just is nothing comparable to it's collection anywhere on the planet. I think protecting it has to take precedence over everything else. So, yes, I would be in favor of moving to a safer location. The idea of turning the Villa into a replica of an ancient Roman living quarters is a brilliant idea and eases the blow of moving somewhat.' — Jane Franks 'Yes. The Getty is adjacent to Mission Canyon Landfill that covers hundreds of acres and is filled with toxic waste and highly explosive, highly flammable landfill gases. There have been fires there in the past.' — Janice England 'Yes! I didn't think the Getty should do a thing until I read this article and learned that the Hall of Administration is being vacated. What an opportunity for our city! That building is gorgeous! Majestic. A gem! Move the collections there, but keep the sites as cultural centers — a bigger bonus for the city. More to love! Read more: At the Getty Villa, the marvelous exhibition rescued from the Palisades fire 'If the Hall of Administration isn't used properly, it will rot, taking down a huge swath of downtown, which has been in question for some time. The Getty collection would reinvigorate the whole area, but the city needs to commit to creating shady green space — all the way to Pershing Square, which should be returned to its original glory with fountains and trees. Create more one-way streets, and convert several thoroughfares to pedestrian-only. Add trees and solar-collecting pavement — voila!' — Christine Goethals 'No, neither museum should move. Each site is integral to the mission of the institution, particularly the Getty Villa. Each was built with consideration to natural disasters including fires. As a Getty Villa docent, I find the site particularly inspiring and beautiful and cannot wait to return.' — Susan Bowles 'Thank you for this incredibly informative article, one of the best I've read on the impact of the fires. Not sure how feel about moving from the existing Getty facilities yet, but the author makes a compelling argument for the Hahn Center. I will say that taking out-of-town visitors up to the Getty Center on a beautiful Southern California day, we've blown many a mind as they look out to the Pacific.' — Geoff Case 'If the decision is made to move the Hahn Center seems to kill two birds with one stone, preserving the 1960 architecture and housing irreplicable art objects.' — Bonnie Carruth 'Yes. The next time might be it — buildings may be hardened, but very little withstands fires as they are now. Happening relatively close together (2019 and 2025) is a clear warning that the area is a fire zone. Ignoring such a warning leads only to one thing, whether that's next year or in another six.' — Emily Cikovsky 'Definitely not! As you point out in your article both the Getty Villa and the Center are two of the most fire resistant buildings in L.A. as witnessed by their lack of damage in the latest firestorms. Moreover Getty has the financial resources to purchase and maintain cutting edge fire protection technology. But in the case of the Villa there is an even more compelling argument against a move. The Villa's architecture and its physical location are essential for understanding the art works it contains. The building that houses its art is a faithful replica of an ancient Roman seaside villa built in the first century AD whose ruins were uncovered in Pompeii. The landscaping, reflecting pools, ocean vistas are integral to the appreciation of its ancient Greek, Etruscan and Roman art collections. Finally, as a Malibu resident for 35 years and veteran survivor of many fires including the latest inferno, if I was forced to flee from another, I would happily go and hold up in the Getty Villa and be in no hurry to leave it!' — Diane Hines 'Maybe. Reasons: I remember the Bel Air fire, fall 1961. The fire jumped Sepulveda Pass. There was damage to Mt. St. Mary's College, on Chalon Drive. That's the old name for Getty Center Drive. I was a UCLA student, student-teaching at Paul Revere Junior High (now Middle School), with evacuees in my parent's house.' — Mary Stewart 'No. I trust they know what they're doing and if they think they're safe, I'm good with that. Then again, after hearing what JD Vance said in 2021 about universities and professors, maybe both Getty museums and all of us interested parties should find a good hiding place. I fear for academia.' — John Finley Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
We asked if the Getty should move. Here's how readers responded
'Should the Getty move?' Times art critic Christopher Knight asked in a recent commentary. 'Should the Villa, and the Getty Center in the fire-prone Brentwood hills nearby, both evacuate — for good?' The thought occurred to Knight in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that tore through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January, resulting in one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. 'Fires will come again, and today 'fire hurricane' has entered the lexicon,' writes Knight. 'Words like 'unprecedented' and 'extraordinary' accompanied dazed descriptions of a regional fire season that has been otherwise routine for centuries.' If the museums were to move, where would they go? 'The county's soon-to-be-vacated Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration is a monumental, late Moderne civic building whose 1960 team of architects included the trailblazing Paul Revere Williams, the first African American member (and later, fellow) of the American Institute of Architects,' Knight writes of the downtown structure. 'Is adaptive reuse of the Hahn building for an art museum's needs even possible?' We asked L.A. Times readers if they thought the Getty should move. Here's what they said: Responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity. 'Absolutely not! The venue is a big part of both the Center and the Villa. That is what makes the Getty Museums so 'special.' One option is to purchase additional surrounding land if one is concerned about potential future fires. There are no guarantees in life. Live on the edge a little! And enjoy two of the most amazing and unique museums in the world! Another option is for a third potential Getty Museum in downtown L.A. I am sure the Getty group can create an equally unique and special space there. They did an excellent job with the present ones.' — Greg Virelli 'No. As the article describes, the museum's response to the recent extreme threats were well planned and successful. The idea that a wildly expensive move to another location would make it impervious to future disaster (earthquake) or attack is wishful thinking. The site and setting (of the Villa in particular but also the Center) are integral to the art collection's display and interpretation, and obviously not merely a container. The question of access to communities is another matter entirely, and surely one that they continue to grapple with. One could imagine greater investment in running shuttles from the closest metro stations, for example. And while it's not within their jurisdiction, the city should install a sidewalk and bike lane on Sepulveda, as it is presently impossible to arrive in any way other than motor transport.' — Todd Lerew 'I love the Getty Center and especially the Getty Villa, but it would be disastrous and heartbreaking to lose any collections at both of these facilities. However, honestly, I don't know that I would visit a new Getty facility in downtown L.A., since downtown has its own set of challenges, homelessness, lack of parking. Perhaps if there was direct or close by Metro rail, I'd consider.' — Nancy Gill 'No! No! No! I have adored the Getty Villa as no other museum in my 88 years. I have lived in New York City, traveled London and Paris, and have always had to force myself to spend time in museums in those cities. The Getty was special because it was the Villa. Imagining the people living and working there gave it a dimension others don't have. 'I would even prefer to have artwork fakes, if necessary. Most people wouldn't know the difference. But the experience would be maintained.' — Suzanne Barber 'I worry about an earthquake and a fire. People will go anywhere the art is. As you eloquently said, protecting the art is paramount. I would hate to see the Getty as an ivory tower, but it is so large it could serve many purposes for many people. And the Villa could have a park around it… I hope the Getty employees, while acting with courage out of love for the Villa, were given medals, bonuses and long vacations! Thank you for writing an important and thoughtful article.' — Denah S. Bookstein 'Yes, definitely. The move to downtown Los Angeles would expose thousands more people to the incredible art of this priceless collection. The location is ideal, surrounded by good infrastructure that would enhance the beauty, history and architecture of, in my view, one of the most beautiful downtowns in the nation.' — Patrick Edwards 'That's a really provocative and interesting question. The central reason for collecting museums to exist is to preserve and protect the collections. And the masterpieces of the Getty are irreplaceable. Given the potential for catastrophic fire in both locations, I could see a melding of the Villa and Getty Center collections into one large museum. They could then use the Villa as more of an 'experience' for visitors (with reproductions) as well as a research center; the Getty Center certainly could become a university, perhaps focusing on art conservation, art history, even art practice.' — Anne Farrell 'No. Sounds like it was built with fire protection in mind. But certainly a review should be done and updated. Plans established for moving the most priceless in the event of a fire, unless they've already done that; like into an underground bunker or vault. It would take a Herculean effort with a number of staff required to do that, and often there's no time! As you say, 'An answer awaits.' ' — Lisa Morris 'Yes. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that a move to another location for the Getty (both museums) is an idea whose time has come.' — Sanford Forman 'One idea would be to set up an auxiliary site that could help anchor the Palm Springs and Coachella area. It might be a good plan to move part of the collection to a safer site. The Foundation could hire a climate aware architect that could build a state of the art facility that is safe from earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, windstorms, acid fog, PCH traffic jams and any variety of 'Mad Max'-styled vandals. It would be quite enjoyable to stay in Palm Springs and also visit a Getty museum on the same trip.' — Forest Grey 'Not in the short term perhaps — but I take to heart your comment about the dearth of Eastside cultural access. It's a criminal oversight by the county. I'd suggest a phased approach — perhaps a satellite(s) or a partial move downtown. Whatever it may be — a majority of Angelenos have little access to the Getty 'Paradise.' ' — William Moreno 'The Getty is more than a collection of artworks. Sort of like Richard Serra's famous (or infamous) 'Tilted Arc,' if you move the Getty, it sort of stops being 'The Getty.' There's something site specific to the institution. Part of what makes it iconic is the location. These buildings and the surrounding landscape is crucial to the local and global understanding of Getty. Is it possible to move the collection? Maybe, sure. I think it'd be a huge mistake though. A better response to concern, in my opinion, would be to double down on preventative measures.' — Abigail Mortensen 'You make a powerful argument to move and consolidate the Getty holdings downtown from the perspective of fire threat and greater accessibility to the public. If I recall correctly, the Getty Center faced strong criticism when it was planned because of the fortress-like location requiring both a journey on the traffic-plagued Interstate 405 and a monorail ride up a cliff. But downtown L.A., despite a couple of light-rail lines and a subway, is not urban Manhattan, N.Y., with its dense network of convenient public transportation to multiple museums for millions of New Yorkers. And let's be honest, a large percentage of Getty visitors go to the two museums for the overall ambience of the architecture, the gardens, the reflecting pools and the view. The Hahn complex would function essentially as a faceless warehouse for the priceless art objects, similar to the now-labeled Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. I suspect that alone would engender sufficient opposition to render such a move moribund simply as a consequence of endless debate, the way so many intriguing ideas die in Los Angeles.' — Vic Turner 'While it's an interesting and provocative idea, where is safe? In the Ring of Fire where freeways topple, is anywhere truly safe. Fires break out everywhere, even massive ones. There is no saying that anywhere a museum moves won't be the 'Appointment in Samarra' for the collection. The Getty has proven it has done an exceptional job of stewardship. If anyone appreciates the legacy they hold it is the Getty. Having worked with the Getty, I am certain they will only work to continually upgrade their already established systems and procedures. I am confident that the collections are as safe in situ as can be.' — Jordan Peimer 'As gutwrenchingly painful as even conceiving of leaving the Villa and Center is, the thought of losing the collections is totally unimaginable. My husband was a world class artist. And we visited the Getty to nourish our souls many times over the years. There just is nothing comparable to it's collection anywhere on the planet. I think protecting it has to take precedence over everything else. So, yes, I would be in favor of moving to a safer location. The idea of turning the Villa into a replica of an ancient Roman living quarters is a brilliant idea and eases the blow of moving somewhat.' — Jane Franks 'Yes. The Getty is adjacent to Mission Canyon Landfill that covers hundreds of acres and is filled with toxic waste and highly explosive, highly flammable landfill gases. There have been fires there in the past.' — Janice England 'Yes! I didn't think the Getty should do a thing until I read this article and learned that the Hall of Administration is being vacated. What an opportunity for our city! That building is gorgeous! Majestic. A gem! Move the collections there, but keep the sites as cultural centers — a bigger bonus for the city. More to love! 'If the Hall of Administration isn't used properly, it will rot, taking down a huge swath of downtown, which has been in question for some time. The Getty collection would reinvigorate the whole area, but the city needs to commit to creating shady green space — all the way to Pershing Square, which should be returned to its original glory with fountains and trees. Create more one-way streets, and convert several thoroughfares to pedestrian-only. Add trees and solar-collecting pavement — voila!' — Christine Goethals 'No, neither museum should move. Each site is integral to the mission of the institution, particularly the Getty Villa. Each was built with consideration to natural disasters including fires. As a Getty Villa docent, I find the site particularly inspiring and beautiful and cannot wait to return.' — Susan Bowles 'Thank you for this incredibly informative article, one of the best I've read on the impact of the fires. Not sure how feel about moving from the existing Getty facilities yet, but the author makes a compelling argument for the Hahn Center. I will say that taking out-of-town visitors up to the Getty Center on a beautiful Southern California day, we've blown many a mind as they look out to the Pacific.' — Geoff Case 'If the decision is made to move the Hahn Center seems to kill two birds with one stone, preserving the 1960 architecture and housing irreplicable art objects.' — Bonnie Carruth 'Yes. The next time might be it — buildings may be hardened, but very little withstands fires as they are now. Happening relatively close together (2019 and 2025) is a clear warning that the area is a fire zone. Ignoring such a warning leads only to one thing, whether that's next year or in another six.' — Emily Cikovsky 'Definitely not! As you point out in your article both the Getty Villa and the Center are two of the most fire resistant buildings in L.A. as witnessed by their lack of damage in the latest firestorms. Moreover Getty has the financial resources to purchase and maintain cutting edge fire protection technology. But in the case of the Villa there is an even more compelling argument against a move. The Villa's architecture and its physical location are essential for understanding the art works it contains. The building that houses its art is a faithful replica of an ancient Roman seaside villa built in the first century AD whose ruins were uncovered in Pompeii. The landscaping, reflecting pools, ocean vistas are integral to the appreciation of its ancient Greek, Etruscan and Roman art collections. Finally, as a Malibu resident for 35 years and veteran survivor of many fires including the latest inferno, if I was forced to flee from another, I would happily go and hold up in the Getty Villa and be in no hurry to leave it!' — Diane Hines 'Maybe. Reasons: I remember the Bel Air fire, fall 1961. The fire jumped Sepulveda Pass. There was damage to Mt. St. Mary's College, on Chalon Drive. That's the old name for Getty Center Drive. I was a UCLA student, student-teaching at Paul Revere Junior High (now Middle School), with evacuees in my parent's house.' — Mary Stewart 'No. I trust they know what they're doing and if they think they're safe, I'm good with that. Then again, after hearing what JD Vance said in 2021 about universities and professors, maybe both Getty museums and all of us interested parties should find a good hiding place. I fear for academia.' — John Finley
