Getty’s next PST ART will focus on exchanges between Los Angeles and the Pacific Rim

The Getty Foundation’s next issue of PST ART will feature cultural exchanges between Los Angeles and the Pacific Rim. The fourth version of the program will be available at institutions across Southern California in September 2030.

Justine Ludwig, PST ART’s first creative director, officially came on board last October, but even before she started meeting with different stakeholders across Los Angeles, “asking people what they’re thinking about at this moment, what themes and issues they see in the field, what blind spots they feel we have, and what the strengths and challenges of PST have been in the past,” Ludwig told us art news In a phone interview.

The overwhelming consensus, Ludwig said, was that “all of our conversations pointed to the perfect time to address trans-Pacific exchanges and think about how the greater Pacific Rim could really be an integral part of the cultural formation of Southern California.”

She added, “Since its inception, PST’s core tenet has been how do we reorient art history? How do we look for opportunities to change the canon and think from different angles and from a broader perspective?”

Historical moments that may be addressed in the PST ART exhibition research include “the arrival of Chinese porcelain at the Spanish mission, post-World War II conversations between Los Angeles artists and their Asian counterparts, the deep connections between Japanese visual culture and modern architecture and design in Los Angeles, and the overwhelming influence of Korean pop culture today,” according to a press release.

Ludwig further explained that the transpacific conversation in Los Angeles “spans different industries, different historical moments,” and that the upcoming PST ART is “a way to talk about cultural hybridity and exchange more broadly as Southern California was forming.”

in an email art news“As someone who grew up in Southern California, my reality has been one of diasporic existence—one that spans and negotiates multiple languages, cultures, and customs. I’m excited about the theme for next edition and the opportunity to look across the Pacific, where art, culture, and institution-building are rife with new developments that will make us reflect on our own existence from a broad global perspective,” said Clara Kim, chief curator and director of curatorial affairs at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

“Art creates a powerful entry point into our shared history and shared future,” said Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). art news Via email. Located in the Little Tokyo neighborhood, the museum focuses on the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, complete with contemporary art programs.

Burroughs continued, “These stories are a warning that history is repeating itself, as immigrant communities in Los Angeles and across the United States are once again being targeted. Art is one of the most powerful ways to shine a light on racism and injustice, build connections between people, and inspire a more just future. By amplifying AAPI voices, I hope PST Art can play a role in that.”

PST ART (formerly known as Pacific Standard Time, a nod to the Southern California time zone) has been one of the most influential initiatives in broadening the art historical canon, claiming how influential the Los Angeles art scene has been on contemporary art since the postwar period. Each edition is funded by the Getty Foundation through exhibition research, production and cataloging grants, which has allocated nearly $50 million to dozens of cultural organizations since its inception in 2002.

“The PST initiative single-handedly reshaped Southern California’s institutional culture,” Kim said. “It is the Getty Foundation’s commitment to art history and its respect for the time and resources required to conduct in-depth research and implement ambitious exhibitions through generous funding, as well as its ability to mobilize the entire city, from large institutions to small institutions, that this initiative brings a sense of collaboration, camaraderie and exchange to this sprawling, unruly city. The legacy of the PST lies in the incredible ways it brings institutions together to work toward a common cause.”

The first edition opened in 2011, titled “Los Angeles Art, 1945-1980,” and included game-changing exhibitions such as the Hammer Museum’s “Now Dig This! Art and Black Los Angeles 1960-1980” and MOCA’s “Under the Big Black Sun: 1974-1981.” The second edition in 2017, titled “LA/LA,” also focused on cultural exchanges between Los Angeles and Latin America, while also highlighting the artistic contributions of Los Angeles’ Latino and Chicanx artists. The most recent PST ART, held in 2024, was titled “Art and Science Collide,” exploring how art and science influence each other, particularly in Southern California.

“We are deeply grateful for the platform the Getty provides. There is still much work that needs to be done to celebrate diversity and tell a fuller story of America and American art,” Burroughs said. “We are excited to partner with the Getty to expand our scholarship, provide exploration and new insights into our extraordinary collections and archives, and break down barriers that impede the telling of our shared history. As federal pressure mounts to eliminate disparate voices in museums, the arts, and national parks, PST ART is a powerful opportunity to amplify and celebrate these voices that strengthen Los Angeles.”

The 2030 version of the study cycle begins immediately, and cultural nonprofit organizations located in any of eight Southern California counties are eligible to submit “letters of inquiry” for funding by June 1, 2026. Institutions of any size are eligible, and they do not have to have previously participated in PST ART. The first grantees will be announced in late 2026.

“We’re going to be looking at institutions across Southern California that have very different purviews and bring unique perspectives,” Ludwig said. “I think that’s what’s exciting about PST — we don’t know who’s going to come up with exciting proposals and we don’t know what ideas we’re going to learn. It’s an opportunity to leverage the breadth of expertise we have across the region.”