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.
Free / Social
Mural Arts Studio at the Barnes
Wednesday, January 17 – Monday, December 31
Find out more about the five Philadelphia artists selected for residencies as part of our Let's Connect exhibition.
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.
Horticulture
Horticulture Certificate Program
Wednesday, September 5 – Monday, May 13
Our three-year certificate program covers horticultural science, methods, and design.
event
Morisot: Passport to Paris
Friday, October 19
Enjoy an evening of breathtaking art, sumptuous bites, artisanal cocktails and live music at the preview party celebrating Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist.
Talks & Tours
Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist Special Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, October 24 – Monday, January 14
Tour our new exhibition for a closer look at artist Berthe Morisot and her pioneering role in the impressionist movement.
Talks & Tours / Members
Spotlight Tour:
After Impressionism—Shutting One’s Eyes in Order to See
Saturday, December 1 – Monday, December 31
This December, take a closer look the post-impressionists and how they influenced the art that followed.
Members / Special Event!
Member Appreciation Days
Fridays, December 7 – December 28, 10am – 5pm
On Fridays in December, members get even more! Free talks and tours, plus extra discounts!
Members
Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist
Members-Only Tour
Fridays, December 7 – December 28, 2 – 3pm
A free members-only tour of our special exhibition as part of member appreciation days.
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Histia’s Storage Jar
Monday, December 17, 2 – 2:30pm
Hear the story behind the piece from Ramey Mize, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Lower Level Lobby
Family / Social
Barnes Toddler Time
Thursday, December 20
Join us for a combination of storytime, art making, and movement activities just for kids ages 2–4 and their parents or caregivers.
Talks & Tours / Members
Spotlight Tour: Pablo Picasso
Wednesday, January 2 – Thursday, January 31
This January, take a closer look at how bohemian life in Montmartre, Paris, influenced the art and life of Pablo Picasso.
Nightlife / Music / Social / Performance
First Friday!
Philly Makes the World Go ’Round: Alfie Pollitt & Tony TNT Jones
Friday, January 4, 6 – 9pm
Two musical powerhouses take the stage together at the Barnes, starting the year off with a taste of Philadelphia jazz and R&B.
Free / Family / Music / Social / Performance
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Barnes Big Draw
Sunday, January 6, 10am – 5pm
This month, we're sharpening our colored pencils and crayons and inviting you and your family to sketch, draw, and doodle away.
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Pippin’s Supper Time
Monday, January 7
Hear the story behind the painting from Ramey Mize, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Room 12
Family / Talks & Tours
Stroller Tour
Thursday, January 10, 10:30 – 11:15am
Our new Stroller Tours make visiting our galleries less stressful for families with babies.
Members
Member Orientation
Friday, January 18, 10 – 11am
New members are invited to learn more about the perks of membership at the Barnes.
Nightlife / Music / Social
Young Professionals Night: Winter Wild
Friday, January 18, 7 – 10pm
After-hours art, style, and music await Philadelphia's young leaders and Contemporaries members.
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Chinese Portrait of a Woman
Monday, January 21
Hear the story behind the painting from Z. Serena Qiu, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Room 4
The Barnes Method
The Traditions of Art
Tuesdays, January 22 – April 23, 1 – 4pm
Study the ways in which artists draw upon earlier artistic traditions, focusing especially on the development of modern art in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Barnes Method
Understanding Modern Art
Tuesdays, January 22 – April 23, 1 – 3pm
Unravel the mystery behind paintings that distort their subjects or banish them altogether.
Art in Context
Painting with Pissarro:
The Journey into Modernism
Tuesdays, January 22 – February 26, 2 – 4pm
Learn about Pissarro’s relationships with his contemporaries and his central role in the development of modern art.
The Barnes Method
Collection Concentration:
Paul Cézanne
Tuesdays, January 22 – April 23, 6 – 9pm
Trace the development of Cézanne’s style and explore his enormous impact on the art that followed.
Art in Context
Matisse:
In Color and Light
Tuesdays, January 22 – April 23, 6 – 8:30pm
Study Matisse’s extraordinary life, which itself followed a trajectory from darkness into light and color.
Horticulture
Weeds: The Wacky World of Unwanted Plants
Saturday, January 26, 1 – 4pm
Look at some of the region’s worst weeds and learn effective ways to manage them.
Art in Context
Jewish Art and Artists in the Barnes Foundation
Mondays, January 28 – May 6, 6 – 8pm
Learn about the Jewish artists represented in the collection as well as Barnes faculty members Violette de Mazia and Harry Sefarbi.
Nightlife / Music / Performance
First Friday!
Doug Hirlinger’s “Dear Philadelphia”
Friday, February 1, 6 – 9pm
Jazz and poetry meet in this moving tribute to the ever-changing city of Philadelphia. With Tim Motzer, Ursula Rucker, M’Balia Singley, and John Swana.
Horticulture
So You Want to Keep Honeybees . . .
Saturday, February 2, 1 – 4pm
Interested in hobby beekeeping? Learn about equipment requirements, hive location, honey production, and honeybee management from an expert beekeeper.
Free / Family / Music / Social / Performance
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Breaking Boundaries
Sunday, February 3, 10am – 5pm
Explore, experiment, and play! Watch and learn breakdancing from Philly’s Hip Hop Fundamentals.
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Redon’s Saint George and the Dragon
Monday, February 4, 2 – 2:30pm
Hear the story behind the painting from Ramey Mize, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Room 14
Art in Context
Visions of Paris
Mondays, February 4 – March 4, 6 – 8pm
What lies beyond the “City of Light” postcard? This short course will use a variety of media to question Paris’s ever-evolving identity.
Horticulture
Botanical Illustration
Thursdays, February 7 – April 11, 1 – 4pm
Develop the skills to create highly detailed, expressive, and accurate botanical compositions using pencil and watercolor.
Horticulture
Your Small-Space Garden
Saturdays, February 9 – February 16, 10am – 12:30pm
Even the tiniest patches of soil can produce vegetables, a beautiful display, or both. Find out how container gardening, vertical gardening, and specific plants can be deployed in small spaces.
Horticulture
Grow Your Berry Best—Small Fruits for the Backyard
Saturday, February 9, 1 – 4pm
Learn from an agriculture expert what it takes to succeed in growing tasty and nutritious strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Matisse’s Chinese Casket
Monday, February 18
Hear the story behind the painting from Z. Serena Qiu, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Room 10
Art in Context
Histories of Photography
Tuesdays, February 19 – March 12, 4 – 6pm
Delve into the history and theory of photography through lectures and visits to our special exhibition.
Members
Member Previews for From Today, Painting Is Dead
Thursday, February 21 – Saturday, February 23
As a member, see the world premiere of our photography exhibition before the public opening.
Nightlife / Music / Performance
First Friday! Black Pearl
Friday, March 1, 6 – 9pm
Now celebrating its tenth year, the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra performs compositions by Mozart and Haydn.
Free / Family / Music / Social / Performance
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: More Than Meets the Eye
Sunday, March 3, 10am – 5pm
Celebrate student projects that deconstruct and reconstruct Barnes masterworks. Plus, use your detective skills to solve a math mystery in the galleries!
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Navajo Necklace and Earrings
Monday, March 4, 2 – 2:30pm
Hear the story behind these objects from Ramey Mize, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Lower Level Lobby
The Barnes Method
Learning to See
Tuesdays, March 5 – April 9, 1 – 3pm
In a contemporary art world filled with conceptual art and installations, why do paintings continue to hold our interest?
Art in Context
Spirituals, Integration, and Social Justice: Black American Culture and Albert Barnes
Wednesdays, March 6 – March 27, 6 – 8pm
Explore the complex history of the civil rights movement and Dr. Barnes’s role in championing black culture and integration.
Art in Context
She Persisted:
Pioneering Women Artists Since 1900
Saturday, March 9, 10am – 4pm
This one-day workshop highlights the work of trailblazing women artists, from Georgia O’Keeffe to Marina Abramović and Pat Steir.
Art in Context
Painting with Pissarro:
The Journey into Modernism
Tuesdays, March 12 – April 16, 2 – 4pm
Learn about Pissarro’s relationships with his contemporaries and his central role in the development of modern art.
Talks & Tours / Members
Lecture:
Susan Sidlauskas on the Barnes’s Portraits of Madame Cézanne
Saturday, March 16, 11:30am – 12:30pm
Susan Sidlauskas, professor at Rutgers University, explores how Cézanne’s portraits of his wife offer insight into their complex relationship and undervalued collaboration.
Talks & Tours
In Focus Gallery Talk: Renoir’s Cup of Chocolate
Monday, March 18
Hear the story behind the painting from Z. Serena Qiu, a doctoral candidate in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania. Free with admission; Room 9
Art in Context
Exploring the Marvelous: Surrealism
Tuesdays, March 19 – April 23, 1 – 3pm
Journey into the marvelous world of dreams, psychic terror, and liberation from the ordinary in this short course on surrealism.
Understanding Materials and Techniques
The Fauve Palette
Tuesdays, March 19 – April 9, 6 – 8pm
Learn how Fauve painters like Henri Matisse and Alfred Maurer drew upon theories about color and perception in their canvases.
Art in Context
“Dear Barnes”:
Letters Between Albert C. Barnes and His Artist Friends
Tuesdays, March 19 – April 9, 6 – 8pm
Archivist and historian Barbara Anne Beaucar shares the history of the Barnes through authentic archival documents—including newly discovered letters.
Members
Member Orientation
Friday, March 22, 10 – 11am
New members are invited to learn more about the perks of membership at the Barnes.
Talks & Tours
Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art—
Keynote Lecture
Thursday, March 28, 6:30 – 8pm
Gauvin Alexander Bailey, professor at Queen's University, Ontario, speaks about the history and architecture of the Palace of Sans-Souci in Milot, Haiti.
Talks & Tours
Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art
Friday, March 29, 10am – 4:30pm
Discover current research in art history through presentations and moderated discussions.
Art in Context
Hot Art and Cold War:
American Art at Midcentury
Mondays, April 1 – April 29, 6 – 8pm
From abstract expressionism to pop, learn about the art and history of the United States at midcentury, when American artists moved to the forefront of the avant-garde.
Understanding Materials and Techniques
Early Photographic Processes
Mondays, April 8 – April 29, 6 – 8pm
This course looks at how the earliest photographs were created, with hands-on opportunities to experience those original processes.
Art in Context
Pennsylvania German Decorative Arts
Mondays, April 8 – April 29, 6 – 8pm
Explore the Pennsylvania German artifacts collected by Dr. Barnes and learn about the culture in which they were originally made and used.
The Barnes Method
The Painted Garden
Tuesdays, April 16 – May 7, 1 – 3pm
Explore the visual vocabulary shared by painters and garden designers.
Art in Context
Manet, Impressionism, and Modernism
Tuesdays, April 16 – May 7, 6 – 8pm
An introduction to the work of Édouard Manet, with special attention to his paintings of the 1870s.
Art in Context
Understanding Video Art
Tuesdays, April 16 – May 7, 6 – 8pm
Explore key works of video art and learn about the theories behind them.
Art in Context
The Battle Between Line and Color
Tuesdays, April 23 – May 14, 1 – 3pm
Trace the long-running debate on the relationship between line and color through close looking at paintings in the Barnes collection.
Art in Context
Homegrown Concerns:
American Modernism c. 1900–1950
Tuesday, June 4, 10am – 4pm
This one-day workshop explores key artists from one of the most prolific moments in American history, including Alfred Stieglitz, Jacob Lawrence, and Edward Hopper.
The Barnes Method
Decoding Barnes’s Ensembles
Tuesday, June 18, 10am – 4pm
Learn to better understand why Albert Barnes arranged his collection in such an unconventional way in this one-day workshop.
Understanding Materials and Techniques
The Living Still Life
Tuesday, July 9, 10am – 4pm
In this one-day workshop, learn how the once-humble still life became an important genre in contemporary art.
Understanding Materials and Techniques
Understanding Color in Painting
Tuesday, July 16, 10am – 4pm
Explore the history and use of color in paintings from the Barnes collection.
Understanding Materials and Techniques
Drawing with Scissors
Tuesday, August 6 – Wednesday, August 7
Explore the unique cut-paper method developed by Henri Matisse and discover your inner artist with a hands-on lesson.
Art in Context
Bill Viola in Context
Saturday, August 17, 10am – 4pm
A look at the artist’s innovative contributions to video, sound, and installation art as well as the provocative themes that inspire his creations.