Dates are subject to change. Space is limited; RSVP required for all events.
Circles line: 215.278.7110
Email: click here

Wednesday, January 30
4 pm
The Armory Show at 100: Modernism or Tradition?
Marilyn Satin Kushner, New York Historical Society
Discover the story of the International Exhibition of Modern Art, which opened to great fanfare in New York City in 1913. The Armory Show is credited with bringing modern art to America; why was it organized and how did it come together? What occurred in its aftermath? Why is this moment in 1913 considered groundbreaking in the history of art? How did Dr. Albert Barnes and artist William Glackens participate? Marilyn Kushner is curator and head of the Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections at the New York Historical Society. 
lecture and circles reception

Saturday, February 2
9 am
Introduction for new members  
Enjoy a light brunch and welcome to the Barnes’s new home in Philadelphia; learn about the architecture, experience our special exhibition, Ensemble: Albert C. Barnes and the Experiment in Education, and enjoy a docent-led tour of the collection. This morning is a great introduction to the Barnes.
welcome brunch and collection tour

Thursday, February 21
6 pm
Matisse’s Painting Process 
Rebecca Rabinow, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Curator Rebecca Rabinow has worked on many Matisse shows; her current exhibition at the Met illustrates how Matisse questioned, repainted, and reevaluated his work as he simplified his compositions over time. Rabinow will share her research on Matisse’s creative process and his unique relationship with significant collectors like the Cone sisters, the Steins, and Barnes.
circles lecture and reception

Wednesday, February 27
11:30 am
Framing the Barnes  
Conservators William Lewin and Davida Kovner
Expert frame conservators William Lewin and Davida Kovner led the Barnes frame restoration project in preparation for the move to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Their team is recognized for their work on the frames in the US Capitol rotunda, the White House, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Following the lecture, Circles members will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the Barnes workshop with Lewin, Kovner, and our Barnes preparators.
lecture and circles conservation tour

Thursday, March 7
9 am
Armory Show and MoMA Inventing Abstraction, 1910–1925, New York
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the famed New York Armory Show, join us for a curated look at the art fair’s extensive selections of modern and contemporary art. Then we head to the Museum of Modern Art for lunch at The Modern and a tour of the special exhibition Inventing Abstraction, 1910–1925.
$135 per person; limited space available. Register online.
circles vip day trip

Wednesday, March 20
6 pm
Tour and reception  
Jack Flam, Dedalus Foundation
Explore the Barnes collection with world-renowned art historian and critic Jack Flam. Dr. Flam, president and CEO of the Dedalus Foundation, was art critic at The Wall Street Journal and won the Manufacturers Hanover/Art World prize for distinguished newspaper art criticism. His numerous publications include Matisse: The Dance; Western Artists/African Art; Les peintures de Picasso: un théâtre mental; and Matisse and Picasso: The Story of Their Rivalry and Friendship.

Monday, April 8
6 pm
Preserving Claude Lorrain’s Pastoral Landscape  
Barbara Buckley, Barnes Foundation
Landscape painter Claude Lorrain is known for a style that combines classical ideals of beauty and harmony with a sensitive and acute observation of nature. Senior Director of Conservation and Chief Conservator of Paintings Barbara Buckley will provide a detailed report of the techniques being used to care for this pastoral scene.
conservation presentation

Sunday, April 14
1–2 pm lecture, reception to follow
American Art and Global Partnerships 
Elizabeth Glassman, Terra Foundation
Join Elizabeth Glassman, president and CEO of the Terra Foundation for American Art, and Derek Gillman, Barnes executive director and president, for a compelling conversation that traces the trajectory of American art in international cultural diplomacy. The discussion covers how the museum and art worlds are adapting to new global influences and inspiring rich cross-cultural dialogues with audiences worldwide. Glassman and Gillman also share firsthand experiences of collaborating with international partners, including the time they spent together in Beijing last year.
circles lecture and reception

Thursday, May 2
9:30 am
Sculpture for a Large Wall—the Philadelphia Story  
Judith Dolkart, Barnes Foundation
Enjoy a morning exploration of the Ellsworth Kelly exhibition, brunch, and a special lecture about Sculpture for a Large Wall: The Philadelphia Story with Deputy Director of Art and Archival Collections and Gund Family Chief Curator Judith F. Dolkart.
circles-exclusive preview brunch and lecture

Friday, May 17
10 am
The Art in Sculpture: from Rodin to Kelly
Dr. Suzanne Glover Lindsay, University of Pennsylvania
Curator, artist, and educator Dr. Lindsay presents European sculpture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, artistic kin to the celebrated paintings in the galleries. She will consider how Auguste Rodin, whose work resides next door, and his generation approached the art of the ensemble, line, color, and form, aesthetic concerns shared by Dr. Barnes. Her remarks aim to provide a better understanding of a less familiar art at a pivotal moment, in view of the upcoming exhibition of Kelly’s sculpture.
circles lecture and reception

Saturday, June 8
11 am
Ellsworth Kelly: American Master
Ellsworth Kelly’s decades-long career has profoundly influenced the way we see, experience, and understand art today. Tricia Y. Paik, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Saint Louis Museum of Art, explores Kelly’s work, his inspirations, and his impact on contemporary art of the last 60 years.  
lecture

Wednesday, June 12
9 am
Introduction for new members 
Enjoy a light breakfast and welcome to the Barnes’s new home in Philadelphia; learn about the architecture, experience our special exhibition, Ensemble: Albert C. Barnes and the Experiment in Education, and enjoy a docent-led tour of the collection. This morning is a great introduction to the Barnes.
welcome breakfast and collection tour

Tuesday, June 18
Noon
Les Barnesiennes: Dr. Barnes and the Women of the Barnes Foundation  
Even before the launch of his foundation, Dr. Albert C. Barnes surrounded himself with a youthful, intelligent, and diverse staff, many of whom were women hired more than a decade before American women were granted the right to vote. Working behind the scenes, they often performed multiple roles as secretaries, instructors, authors, editors, and members of the board of trustees of the Barnes Foundation. Some of these formidable women remained loyal and supportive employees throughout their lives, working and traveling with Dr. and Mrs. Barnes, and amassing their own collections of fine art and antiques. Archivist Barbara Beaucar shares stories of the women of the Barnes Foundation.
stories from the archives

Thursday, September 19
6 pm
Director’s Circle dinner
Join Derek Gillman and special guests for an exclusive evening of epicurean delights and conversation inspired by the collection. 
director’s circle and chairman’s circle exclusive

Tuesday, September 24
6 pm
Trends in Classical and Modern Markets  
Andrea Crane, Gagosian Gallery, and Lindsey Pollak, Art in America
What is happening in the art market today? Who’s buying Classical? Who’s in the market for Modern? Where are they buying from? What’s hot now? Andrea Crane, Gagosian Gallery curator and manager of the Picasso and Rauschenberg Estates, talks with Lindsey Pollak of Art in America and the Art Market Report.
circles conversation and reception