Inside the Barnes Ensembles: Room 14

About the Class

The Barnes collection is known for its distinctive ensembles—carefully arranged groupings of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and everyday objects that invite unexpected visual connections across cultures and time periods. Today’s arrangements reflect how our founder, Dr. Albert Barnes, left the galleries at the time of his death in 1951. But during his lifetime, Dr. Barnes continually rearranged the galleries as he acquired new works and refined his educational vision.

In this on-site workshop, we’ll explore the evolving history of Room 14. Co-taught by an art historian and an archivist, the class offers a rare opportunity to examine how the ensembles changed over time through a careful study of historical photographs and notes written by Dr. Barnes himself. Together, we’ll consider how installation shapes interpretation, and how the Barnes collection continues to encourage new ways of seeing. Pull up a chair and join us!

Capacity: 25

Barnes classes will:

• Sharpen your observational and critical-thinking skills.
• Improve your ability to communicate about art.
• Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.

See all classes.

Instructors

Kaelin Jewell is the Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult Education at the Barnes and has taught art history for over 15 years. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in photography and art history from the University of Louisville’s Hite Institute of Art and Design and a PhD in ancient and medieval art history from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. Jewell is a trained archaeologist and has worked on projects in the American Midwest and Sicily.

Amanda McKnight is the director of archives, library, and special collections at the Barnes. Trained as an archivist, she holds a BA in art history from the University at Buffalo and an MLS from the University of Maryland. While at the Barnes, she assisted in moving the archives from Merion to the Parkway, led the implementation of a digital asset management program, and served as project manager from 2021 to 2024 on an IMLS grant to digitize and make accessible the Albert C. Barnes Correspondence.

What Students Are Saying

“Joe Tokumasu Field was a wonderful instructor. He’s patient, caring, and skilled at interacting with students’ questions and comments.” —The Japanese American Century with Joseph Tokumasu Field

“This was an exciting course with fascinating and informative lectures and well-chosen pictures. Franits is a brilliant teacher.” —17th-Century Dutch Art’s “Holy Trinity”: Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer with Wayne Franits

“The instructor was outstanding in every way—an expert in the subject, enthusiastic about the material, solicitous and supportive of students’ observations, and brilliant in expanding our discussion as warranted. The best Barnes instructor I’ve had, by far.” —The Nabis: Late 19th-Century Prophets of the New with Larissa Bailiff

“I enjoyed the course very much and liked how each week focused on a different topic relevant to the subject. Caterina is an engaging speaker, and you can tell she loves what she is teaching. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor come through.” —Famous Heists: Crimes in the History of Art with Caterina Pierre

“I felt at peace afterward and appreciated the art so much more than before.” —Being Present with Art: Cultivating Balance for Spring with Roksana Filipowska