Take a Class
We're now offering a greater number of art classes, at a lower cost. We also have need-based scholarships to help make art accessible for everyone.
Learn to connect works of art to history. What was happening politically, socially, and culturally at the time the piece was made? How did these circumstances shape the artist’s formal choices?
Art in Context / Understanding Materials and Techniques / The Barnes Method
The Barnes-de Mazia Certificate Program
Tuesday, September 4 – Tuesday, December 18
This special track offers an immersion in the Barnes method and an introduction to other interpretive approaches.
Art in Context
The Female Nude in 20th-Century Art
Tuesdays, September 4 – December 18, 2 – 4pm
Using the Barnes Foundation’s extensive collection of figure paintings, this class explores why the nude has been so compelling for artists throughout history.
Art in Context
Picasso in the Making
Tuesdays, October 2 – October 23, 6 – 8pm
Contextualize the iconic artist’s early works and consider the role his canvases play in the Barnes collection.
Art in Context
Albert C. Barnes: A Philadelphia Story
Wednesdays, October 3 – October 24, 6 – 8pm
The life of Albert Barnes is a remarkable success story. Follow his journey from research chemist to art collector and educator.
Art in Context
The Contemporary Art Market
Thursdays, October 11 – November 1, 1 – 3pm
Have you ever wondered how collectors of contemporary art choose their pieces? How gallerists decide which artists to represent?
Art in Context
Charles Demuth and American Modernism
Mondays, October 22 – November 12, 6 – 8pm
Charles Demuth worked to cultivate a distinctively American mode of modern art by applying avant-garde principles to the early-20th-century United States.
Art in Context
African Art in the Barnes Foundation: Context and Meanings
Mondays, October 22 – November 12, 6 – 8pm
This class will discuss the traditional meanings and uses of the African sculpture collected by Albert Barnes.
Art in Context
Berthe Morisot: A Personal Reflection
Mondays, October 22 – November 12, 6 – 8pm
Painter and scholar Bill Scott examines the life, artwork, friendships, and career of impressionist painter Berthe Morisot.
Art in Context
The Body in Contemporary Art
Mondays, October 22 – November 12, 6 – 8pm
For many contemporary artists, the human body is a subject of endless fascination. This course offers an introduction to key examples of the use and representation of the body in different media, including performance art.
Art in Context
Fashion and Impressionism
Tuesdays, October 23 – November 13, 2 – 4pm
Study the theoretical, literary, and art historical aspects of Parisian fashion and its impact on the arts.
Art in Context
Picasso and His Contemporaries
Saturday, November 3, 10am – 4pm
Trace key moments in Picasso's oeuvre while highlighting his impact on his contemporaries through a daylong immersion in his work.
Art in Context
African-American Culture and Music
Wednesdays, November 14 – December 5, 6 – 8pm
Explore Albert Barnes’s relationship with the African-American community, with particular focus on Dr. Barnes’s love of spirituals and his involvement in the Harlem Renaissance.
Art in Context
Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist
Mondays, November 19 – December 10, 6 – 8pm
Explore Morisot's critical reception, her modern subject matter, and her pioneering place within the Parisian avant-garde.
Art in Context
Manet and Modern Paris
Mondays, November 19 – December 10, 6 – 8pm
This class will place Édouard Manet’s influential paintings within the context of modern Paris, the French Empire, and the city’s increasingly global reputation.