Did you know? The Barnes Foundation was established by Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to "promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture."
You should know, the Barnes holds one of the finest collections of post-impressionist and early modern paintings, with extensive holdings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine and Giorgio de Chirico, as well as American masters Charles Demuth, William Glackens, Horace Pippin, and Maurice Prendergast, and old master paintings, important examples of African sculpture and Native American ceramics, jewelry and textiles, American paintings and decorative arts, and antiquities from the Mediterranean region and Asia.
What: Currently on view at the Barnes through March 18, 2013 is Ensemble: Albert C. Barnes and the Experiment in Education, an exhibition drawing on the Foundation’s rich archives and non-Gallery collections to chart Dr. Barnes’s friendships, collaborations, and discourse with artists, philosophers, educators, collectors and dealers. Also note that on Friday, March 8, 2013 a lecture about Renoir and plein-air painter Giovanni Casadei and the Ruth Naomi Floyd Ensemble performing jazz and vocals in the court.
When: Due to increased demand for tickets, the Barnes Foundation recently announced that they will open to public for extra hours and special events during the 2013 Flower Show. Tickets are now on sale during for the following hours
- Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sunday, March 3, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday, March 3, 2013 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. * free first Sunday sponsored by PECO
- Monday, March 4, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 6, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friday, March 8, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 9 a.m.to 9 p.m.
- Sunday, March 10, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition to the extra open hours, the Barnes Foundation will be offering special Premium Guided tours of the collection were a small group of visitors enjoy a one hour tour prior to the galleries opening to the general public. These tours are available on March 4, 6, 8, and 9, 2013.
Where: The Barnes Arboretum, located at the Merion campus, contains more than 2,000 species/varieties of trees and woody plants, many of them rare. Founded in the 1880s by Joseph Lapsley Wilson and subsequently expanded under the direction of Laura L. Barnes, the collection includes a fern-leaf beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Laciniata'), a dove tree (Davidia involucrata), a monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), and a redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Other important plant collections include lilacs, peonies, Stewartias, and magnolias
The Barnes Foundation's Art and Aesthetics programs engage a diverse array of audiences. These programs, occurring on-site, online, and in Philadelphia communities, advance the mission through progressive, experimental, and interdisciplinary teaching and learning.
FYI: All guests who dine at the Barnes Foundation’s Garden Restaurant and show a Flower Show ticket will receive a complimentary glass of wine or dessert with a purchase and a specialty dinner will be available celebrating farm to table dining on Saturday March 2 and 9.
Did you know? In May 2012, the Barnes Foundation opened a new facility on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The Philadelphia campus is home to the Foundation’s world-famous art collection and will be the site of a new series of exhibitions in its Aileen and Brian Roberts Gallery.
