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Not Your Usual Museum!

The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia May Give You Pause...


What a delightful visitor experience! A lovely entrance to the museum! Great art! Well-done hospitality! And a different way to look at art!


Gallery room with framed paintings on mustard walls, featuring figures and landscapes. Wooden chairs and ornate cabinet with candles. A museum worth visiting!
A gallery in the Barnes Foundation

No Labels!


I knew ahead of time that the Barnes Foundation's tagline is "see art differently." But still, I was a bit disconcerted when I walked into that experience. I wanted confirmation that I had guessed correctly as to who the artist was and the approximate date. I knew the goal was to enjoy the experience in a new way. Yet, I was a bit uneasy. Then, I discovered two things. First, the Barnes has an excellent mobile gallery guide called "Barnes Focus." So very easy to use! Point your phone at a painting and you instantly get the professional Barnes photo of the art, along with well-written descriptions of the art. And, you can send the list of art that you scanned to your email address to peruse later at your leisure. Second, I realized, much to my slightly obsessive mind, that the paintings were arranged on the walls in a pattern. For example, a Renoir in the middle, two seascapes on either side, and two architectural paintings on either side of those.

Collection

A woman and child in straw hats sit on grass in a colorful meadow. They appear relaxed, surrounded by vibrant greenery and trees.
Woman and Child in the Grass by Renoir

The Barnes Foundation houses one of the world’s most renowned collections of post-impressionist and early modern art, featuring masterpieces by artists such as Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso. In addition, they have a broad range of art including a figurine from 2500 BCE, a 14th century Mary and Child, numerous 18th century iron keyhole escutcheons, a third century BCE Eros, and 18th century embroidery scissors. The collection integrates fine art with decorative objects and artifacts, reflecting Albert Barnes' vision for appreciating art in context.



Visitor Experience

The Barnes visitor experience begins as soon as you arrive at the site. The ticket office is attractive before you enter with "See art differently," emblazoned on the side of the building. Then, you walk between an alley of trees, next to a reflecting pool, before entering the building. As you move towards the main galleries, you enter the Light Court, a large, open space with windows, seating, and a cafe. All of the galleries walls are painted a sepia color which provides a soft and warm backdrop for all of the art.


All of the staff were friendly and helpful whether at the entry, in the cafe, the gift shop, or in the galleries. When I left, I stood near the entrance waiting for my ride share. The head of security came by to lock the gate and stopped to chat. Very friendly and committed to making sure that all visitors were well taken care of.


Wellness opportunities improve any museum visit. The Barnes provides many opportunities to quietly meditate on art, to challenge your creativity, and to expand your art knowledge. These opportunities are inherent in the goals of the founder, Dr. Albert Barnes, who believed that art improved the mind and transforms lives.


How to Visit

Modern building with stone facade next to a tree-lined reflecting pool. Clear sky above with scattered clouds, creating a serene atmosphere. Museums and wellbeing.
Entrance to the Barnes Foundation

Expect to spend 90 minutes or more at the Barnes. The length of your visit will be shaped by how much time you spend interacting with the art, whether or not you take a guided tour, and if you enjoy the cafe and gift shop or not.


Being that there are no labels, the goal at the Barnes is for visitors to have a new and different kind of museum experience. In addition, the art is displayed according to Dr. Barnes' wishes, blending fine and decorative arts together in every gallery. You might see 12 paintings on a wall, interspersed with antique iron accessories, with early American tables, chests, or candle stands nearby. You definitely see art differently!


Even though there are no labels, their "Barnes Focus" app provides an easy and extremely informative way to access information about the art. You simply point the camera on your phone at the art you're interested in. Instantly, you get a professional image of the art, along with details about the painting and the artist. You can easily email all of this information to yourself. The galleries also have notebooks with info about all of the art in the gallery.


There are two food options available, a cafe and a restaurant. Also, the gift shop is worth a wander-through.


The Barnes has several wheelchairs available as well as listening devices. Also, there are sign language interpreters available if you make the request three weeks ahead.


Art Education Done Right


The Barnes has established themselves as highly successful online art educators. While education has always been fundamental to the museum's mission, the pandemic pushed them to jump into online education. They have been so successful that they now teach classes to other museums about how to be successful with online art classes. They have online classes, in-person classes, and hybrid classes. Their program provides individual classes as well as a two-year certificate program in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. For online classes, they use a sophisticated state-of-the-art Visual Experience Platform (VXP) allows you to zoom in on details.


Mission

"The mission of the Barnes is to promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.


"Our founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes, believed that art had the power to improve minds and transform lives. Our diverse educational programs are based on his teachings and one-of-a-kind collections."


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