American Stories at the Barnes

Until January 10, 2027
At first glance, a chair. A lamp. A textile. A sculptural form. Look again.

Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Postwar America brings together work by six artists—Isamu Noguchi, George Nakashima, Leo Amino, S. Neil Fujita, Kay Sekimachi, and Ruth Asawa—whose art and design helped shape the look and feel of modern America. The exhibition begins with objects that may feel familiar, then reveals the layered histories behind them. These works were shaped by artistic experimentation, cultural identity, material innovation, and, in some cases, the experience of wartime incarceration. Together, they offer a more expansive story of American modernism—one told through the objects, forms, and ideas that continue to influence how we live with art today.

Until October 12, 2026
Just Us presents original artwork by artists at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Phoenix and members of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Rec Crew, a program for justice-impacted young adults. Developed through a collaboration between the Barnes and Mural Arts, the exhibition explores memory, heritage, community, and hope, inviting viewers to consider the many experiences that shape our shared future. On view in the first-floor classroom of the Collection Gallery.

Until January 18, 2027
In this site-specific installation, American artist Sky Hopinka explores Indigenous homelands, landscapes, memory, and history. Commissioned by the Barnes in recognition of nation’s anniversary, Red Metal Dust offers a contemporary perspective on the American experience—one grounded in personal observation, layered histories, and Indigenous ways of seeing.

Free and open to the public, the installation invites reflection on the stories a place can hold, and the histories that continue to shape how we understand it.

Daily, October, 1pm
This collection tour, which revisits Dr. Barnes’s critically panned PAFA exhibition, looks at how American audiences have defined, challenged, and changed cultural values over time.

Throughout October
This fall, four online classes spotlight American artists whose work was shaped by travel, place, and cultural exchange:

James McNeill Whistler: An American Painter Abroad
Mary Cassatt: Art, Identity, and Independence
Thomas Eakins: American Realist
Aaron Douglas from Harlem to Philly

October 2, 6 – 9pm
Vocalist and pianist V. Shayne Frederick leads a tribute to Philadelphia jazz legend John Coltrane.

November 6, 6 – 9pm
Japanese-born jazz pianist Miki Yamanaka performs. Presented in partnership with the Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation (PAAFF) during their annual festival.

April 12–August 9, 2026
Through film, video, and installation, five contemporary artists—Arthur Jafa, David Hartt, Garrett Bradley, Ja’Tovia Gary, and Tourmaline—explore American history, Black identity, and the power of imagination. Freedom Dreams invites you to reflect on the past, question the present, and envision new possibilities for tomorrow.