Gallery Educator Dr. Lilit Sadoyan. Photo by Karen Du © 2025 J. Paul Getty Trust.
Armenian American art historian and Getty gallery educator Dr. Lilit Sadoyan hosts the Getty’s first video podcast “OMMM: Our Museum Mindfulness Meditation,” a meditation podcast focused on creating mindful interactions with artwork from its collection.
OMMM is a space for listeners to recover and reflect in a busy world. Released twice weekly, episodes guide listeners in a breathing exercise and meditation, and provide insights about featured artworks.
“As a first-generation Armenian-American, I am especially excited to share this story, because it highlights an Armenian voice making a unique contribution to an evolving conversation about museums and art. While my work is rooted in art history and museum practice, it is also shaped by the belief that cultural institutions can help people reconnect—with history, with one another, and with themselves,” Dr. Sadoyan told Asbarez in an email.
OMMM grows out of a Mindfulness in the Museum initiative Dr. Sadoyan has been spearheading at the Getty over the last 13 years. “The series reflects a broader cultural movement: museums are increasingly being recognized not only as places of learning, but as spaces that support wellbeing and meaningful public engagement,” she wrote.
The first season includes 12 meditation episodes, each focused on a different artwork from Getty’s museum collection. The episodes are available to stream, its first is focused on Getty’s beloved painting “Irises” by Vincent van Gogh. Episodes also include focusing on “Waiting” by Edgar Degas, “Starry Night” by Edvard Munch and the Central Garden at the Getty Center, designed by Robert Irwin.
Twelve additional bonus episodes dive deeper into themes from the artwork or meditation. These conversations feature diverse special guests, including astrologer Chani Nicholas, sleep historian Roger Ekirch, Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto, New York Times dance critic Gia Kourlas, JPL climate scientist Marek Slipski and mountain climber Katie Ives.
In its latest edition Dr. Sadoyan interviews fellow Armenian and environmental designer Aroussiak Gabrielian, a conversation inspired by a landscape painting and grounding tree meditation.
“We can all benefit from slowing down, being more present and fostering mindful moments with ourselves, those around us—and especially art,” said Lilit Sadoyan, gallery educator at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “OMMM will be a space for audiences to heal, learn and be empowered to embrace mindfulness in their daily lives.”
Sadoyan is a museum educator, independent curator and art historian. She has been a Getty gallery educator since 2008 and helps lead initiatives that investigate the impact of mindfulness in museums through programs and workshops. In recent years, she has worked with top scientists and mindfulness practitioners to study the impact of art on our bodies and minds.
“This is Getty’s first venture into video podcasts, which we hope allows audiences to connect to our art collection on a deeper level,” said Zoe Goldman, podcast producer at the J. Paul Getty Trust. “Whether engaging with OMMM from home or in our galleries, we are happy to create more avenues for experiencing art.”
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