Barnes Foundation Educational Program Approved by Pennsylvania Department of Education
PA Teachers Can Earn Continuing Education Credits for Barnes Courses
MERION, PA (February 28, 2002) - In what could be a first step for The Barnes Foundation toward full
academic accreditation as an educational institution, certified teachers in Pennsylvania can now
take courses, seminars, and workshops at the Foundation and receive state-mandated professional
education credits. The approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education allows teachers to
obtain continuing education credits for participation in The Barnes' art and horticulture programs.
"Many teachers in the region have inquired about the opportunity to receive credit for participating
in the art and horticulture programs we have at The Barnes," said Robin Muse McClea, Director of
Education at The Barnes Foundation. "This opens the door to great opportunities for educators to
learn through the exceptional collections at The Barnes Foundation, including masterpieces by
Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse. Our horticulture program also affords educators some unique
opportunities, including exposure to many species of flora and fauna found few other places in
North America. Perhaps most importantly, this accreditation enables The Foundation to fulfill a
long-desired mission of Dr. Albert Barnes: teacher training."
Under Act 48, all Pennsylvania educators holding Pennsylvania public school certification are
required to participate in ongoing professional education courses or programs offered by approved
providers. The Barnes has been approved as a provider of continuing educational programs, for a
period of three years, by the Department of Education's Bureau of Curriculum and Academic Services,
Division of Professional Education and Planning. A sample program for those interested in art and
horticulture classes is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2002. Individuals can call The Barnes'
Department of Education at 610-667-0290 or visit the Foundation's web site at
www.barnesfoundation.org for information on classes in art, aesthetics, criticism and horticulture.
The accreditation is the latest step in The Barnes Foundation's effort to expand and rejuvenate the
organization's education programs. The Barnes' has made outreach to local school districts and
institutions of higher learning a primary focus of its efforts. The Barnes' is also seeking to
return its educational programs to the philosophy and teaching methodologies developed by Barnes
and his first director of education, John Dewey. These theories are well-known and practiced by
contemporary educators under the guise of "constructivism" whose roots are based in the work of
John Dewey.
Currently, The Barnes Foundation is working with the Lower Merion School District and its art
teachers to incorporate school visits and elements of The Barnes' educational programs into the
school curriculum on the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Similar outreach efforts are
underway with John Wanamaker Middle School in Philadelphia through a grant from the Comcast
Foundation and at the Overbrook School for the Blind through a grant from the Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts and Very Special Arts. In addition, the Campbell's Soup Foundation recently
provided a grant to support outreach programs for students in Camden, NJ.
The Barnes Foundation is also continuing conversations with some area colleges and universities as
it moves toward academic accreditation. This semester marks the first time in recent years that
Lincoln University art and biology students are at The Barnes as part of their undergraduate
curriculum at Lincoln.
The Barnes Foundation was established in 1922 by Dr. Albert C. Barnes to "promote the advancement
of education and the appreciation of the fine arts." The Foundation's collection of early French
Modern and Post-Impressionist paintings are among the finest in the world. The Barnes is noted for
its extraordinary number of masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse that provide a depth of
work by these artists unavailable elsewhere. Works by Picasso, Seurat, Rousseau, Modigliani,
Soutine, Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh and others are only part of the Foundation's incredible
collection.
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Assignment Desk Note: Either Robin McClea, Director of Education at The Barnes Foundation, or
Kimberly Camp, Executive Director of The Barnes Foundation will be available today for on camera
interviews and comments. In addition, time for a camera crew to visit The Barnes Foundation to
obtain video footage of the collection to accompany a voice-over can be arranged by contacting Pete
Peterson at (215) 893-4297.
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300 North Latch's Lane
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