Skip to content Skip to footer

Take a Class

Study art history at the Barnes, a leader in art education since 1925. Come learn in our galleries, or take classes online using our immersive, state-of-the-art platform that brings you closer to the work than ever before.

Apply for Scholarship

Group Visits
event

Group Visits

Thursday, March 15 – Sunday, January 31
Research Notes: <br>June 2023
event

Research Notes:
June 2023

Tuesday, April 30 – Friday, February 28

New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.

Research Notes: <br>August 2023
event

Research Notes:
August 2023

Tuesday, April 30 – Friday, February 28

New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.

Research Notes: <br>October 2023
event

Research Notes:
October 2023

Tuesday, April 30 – Friday, February 28

New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.

Research Notes: March 2024
event

Research Notes: March 2024

Tuesday, April 30 – Friday, February 28

New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.

Research Notes: <br>August 2024
event

Research Notes:
August 2024

Laura Barnes and the Arboretum School

New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.

Research Notes: <br>June 2024
event

Research Notes:
June 2024

Researching a Curious Set of Tapestry Armchairs

New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.

Gift Artfully: Barnes tickets, tours, classes, and more!
event

Gift Artfully: Barnes tickets, tours, classes, and more!

Friday, December 18 – Monday, December 1

Give the gift of the Barnes to family, friends, and colleagues.

Online Art History Classes: Enroll Today
Special Offer

Online Art History Classes: Enroll Today

Friday, August 26 – Tuesday, December 31

The Barnes has been an innovator in art education for 100 years. For a limited time, sign up to receive 10% off your first class.

Barnes West
event

Barnes West

First Friday on the Move
Friday, November 1, 5:30 – 9pm
Register for Fall Classes—Now Open!
New Classes—Enroll Today

Register for Fall Classes—Now Open!

Monday, July 8 – Wednesday, November 27
Highlights Tour
Tours

Highlights Tour

Thursday–Monday, 11:30am & 1:30pm

This one-hour tour is perfect for first-time visitors. Explore highlights of the collection and learn the history of the Barnes.

Private Collection Tour
Tours

Private Collection Tour

Thursday–Monday

Explore highlights of the collection and learn the history of the Barnes. This tour is a private one-hour experience for you and up to seven guests.

Private Collection Tour: Favorite Artists
Tours

Private Collection Tour: Favorite Artists

Thursday–Monday, 10am

Choose your favorite artists in the collection for a private one-hour experience for up to eight guests.

Join Now!
Special Offer

Join Now!

Monday, September 16 – Wednesday, November 6
Exhibition Tour: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Tours

Exhibition Tour: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Thursday–Monday, 1 pm

Take an in-depth exhibition tour to learn more about Mickalene Thomas’s work and practice.

Private Tour: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Tours

Private Tour: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Thursday–Monday

This one-hour private tour provides an up-close look at All About Love and a selection of Thomas’s key works from the past two decades.

Members-Only Tour: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Members

Members-Only Tour: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Thursdays, October 24 – December 26, 2 – 3pm

This exclusive exhibition tour provides a closer look at Thomas’s vivid and multifaceted artworks

November Spotlight Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse
Tours

November Spotlight Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse

Thursday–Monday, 1pm

Explore the works of 19th- and early 20th-century artists who lived in a time of rapid industrialization and yearned for a return to nature.

Order and Invention
Online

Order and Invention

Tuesdays, November 5 – December 3, 6 – 8pm

How does an idea become a finished work of art? This class explores some of the tools that aid artists in making images. Instructor: Michael Williamson

Size <i>Does</i> Matter: A History of Miniatures in Art
Online

Size Does Matter: A History of Miniatures in Art

Wednesdays, November 6 – December 4, 2 – 4pm

Why are miniatures so fascinating? And what compels artists to work on such a tiny scale? This course shines a spotlight on the art and history of miniatures. Instructor: Julie Steiner

Supporter Reception
Members

Supporter Reception

Thursday, November 7, 5:30 – 8pm

Supporter- and Sustainer-level members enjoy exclusive after-hours access to Mickalene Thomas: All About Love.

<i>All About Love</i> Film Series: Shorts
Film

All About Love Film Series: Shorts

Saturday, November 9, 2 – 4pm

Short films about kinship, curated by BlackStar Film Festival founder Maori Karmael Holmes for Mickalene Thomas: All About Love.

ARTZ @ The Museum
Tours

ARTZ @ The Museum

Wednesday, November 13, 1:30 – 2:30pm

This program provides free access to the Barnes for people living with dementia and their care partners.

Members-Only Online Tour: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Members

Members-Only Online Tour: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Wednesday, November 13, 2 – 3pm

This exclusive online tour offers members up-close views of the exhibition.

Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s <i>Woman Seated on Striped Floor</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s Woman Seated on Striped Floor

Wednesday, November 13, 6 – 7:30pm

This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram

Lecture: Michelle Foa on Seurat at the Barnes
Talks

Lecture: Michelle Foa on Seurat at the Barnes

Thursday, November 14, 6 – 7pm

This talk, part of our Impressionism at the Barnes lecture series, sheds new light on Seurat’s techniques and his place within the impressionist group.

Young Professionals Night: All About Love
Nightlife / Music / Social / Performance

Young Professionals Night: All About Love

Friday, November 15, 7 – 11pm

After-hours art, style, and music await Philadelphia’s young leaders and Barnes Contemporaries members.

In Focus Gallery Talk: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Talks

In Focus Gallery Talk: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Monday, November 18, 3 – 3:30pm

An in-depth discussion about Me as Muse with Emma Nell Jacobs. Free with admission; Roberts Gallery

Members-Only Online Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse
Members

Members-Only Online Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse

Tuesday, November 19, 2 – 3pm

Members are invited to an exclusive online collection tour focused on works by modern painters inspired by Arcadian ideals.

Member Orientation
Members

Member Orientation

Friday, November 22, 10 – 11:30am

New members are invited to learn more about the perks of membership at the Barnes.

Member Appreciation Days
Members / Special Event

Member Appreciation Days

Fridays in December

This December, members get even more—join us for exclusive talks and extra discounts.

PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Reflections
Free / Family / Social / Performance

PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Reflections

Sunday, December 1, 10am – 5pm

Reflect on 2024 with us and enjoy family-friendly art activities and performances, plus free access to the collection and Mickalene Thomas: All About Love.

December Spotlight Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse
Tours

December Spotlight Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse

Thursday–Monday, 1pm

Explore the works of 19th- and early 20th-century artists who lived in a time of rapid industrialization and yearned for a return to nature.

Member Appreciation Talk: John Barelli on Art Theft
Members

Member Appreciation Talk: John Barelli on Art Theft

Friday, December 6, 12 – 1pm

Hear the stories behind real-life art crimes with John Barelli, former chief security officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

First Friday: Yolanda Wisher & The Afroeaters
Nightlife / Music / Social / Performance

First Friday: Yolanda Wisher & The Afroeaters

Friday, December 6, 6 – 9pm

Led by poet and vocalist Yolanda Wisher, the Philly jazz band performs music from their debut album.

Pillars of the Collection
On-Site / Barnes Method

Pillars of the Collection

Wednesday, December 11, 10am – 4pm

Spend time in the galleries examining some of the most important and best-loved art and artists in the collection. Instructors: Kaelin Jewell, William Perthes

Close-Looking Immersion: Gauguin’s <i>Haere Pape</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Gauguin’s Haere Pape

Wednesday, December 11, 12 – 1:30pm

This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram

Members-Only Online Tour: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Members

Members-Only Online Tour: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Wednesday, December 11, 2 – 3pm

This exclusive online tour offers members up-close views of the exhibition.

Lecture: Martha Lucy on Renoir’s <i>La Source</i>
Talks

Lecture: Martha Lucy on Renoir’s La Source

Thursday, December 12, 6 – 7pm

This talk, part of our Impressionism at the Barnes lecture series, reveals why this work was so provocative for its time and how it influenced the rest of the artist’s career.

Member Appreciation Talk: Mina Porell on Conserving Rousseau
Members

Member Appreciation Talk: Mina Porell on Conserving Rousseau

Friday, December 13, 12 – 1pm

Learn about recent discoveries about works by Henri Rousseau with conservator Mina Porell.

<i>All About Love</i> Film Series: <i>In the Morning</i>
Film

All About Love Film Series: In the Morning

Saturday, December 14, 2 – 4pm

BlackStar Projects presents director Nefertite Nguvu’s debut feature.

In Focus Gallery Talk: <i>Mickalene Thomas: All About Love</i>
Talks

In Focus Gallery Talk: Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

Monday, December 16, 3 – 3:30pm

An in-depth discussion about Tamika sur une chaise longue with Emma Nell Jacobs. Free with admission; Roberts Gallery

Looking and Listening: Picasso and the Art of Composing
On-Site

Looking and Listening: Picasso and the Art of Composing

Monday, December 16, 6 – 8pm

This new series explores the relationship between visual art and music. Today’s session looks at works by Picasso that have been called “visual music.” Instructor: Naina Saligram

Members-Only Online Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse
Members

Members-Only Online Tour: Dreams of Arcadia: Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse

Tuesday, December 17, 2 – 3pm

Members are invited to an exclusive online collection tour focused on works by modern painters inspired by Arcadian ideals.

Member Appreciation Talk: Deborah Willis on Mickalene Thomas
Members

Member Appreciation Talk: Deborah Willis on Mickalene Thomas

Friday, December 20, 12 – 1pm

Join artist and professor Deborah Willis for a close look at how Mickalene Thomas engages with art history in her work.

Horticulture Certificate Program
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

Horticulture Certificate Program

Ongoing

Our two-year certificate program covers horticultural science, methods, and design.

First Friday: Black Buttafly
Nightlife / Music / Social / Performance

First Friday: Black Buttafly

Friday, January 3, 6 – 9pm

Philly-based singer-songwriter Kayla Childs, also known as Black Buttafly, performs music from her debut EP.

<i>All About Love</i> Film Series: Shorts
Film

All About Love Film Series: Shorts

Saturday, January 11, 2 – 4pm

Short films about kinship, curated by BlackStar Film Festival founder Maori Karmael Holmes for Mickalene Thomas: All About Love.

Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

Art, Well-Being, and Medicine

Professional Development Workshops for Groups

New program! Our group workshops help medical students and healthcare professionals develop a more empathetic, humanistic approach to patient care.

Saint Joseph’s University Museum Education Graduate Program
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

Saint Joseph’s University Museum Education Graduate Program

Ongoing

A collaboration between the Barnes and SJU, this new online program prepares museum educators to work in public and private institutions, including art, history, and science museums.

The Barnes–de Mazia Certificate Program
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

The Barnes–de Mazia Certificate Program

Ongoing

This special track offers an immersion in the Barnes Method and an introduction to other interpretive approaches.

Gift a Barnes Class
Special Offer / Online / On-Site

Gift a Barnes Class

Ongoing

Give the gift of lifelong learning with art history classes taught by Barnes experts.