The Barnes Foundation Announces Extended Hours for Thanksgiving Holiday 2019

Talks, tours, 30 Americans exhibition programs, and Museum Store Sunday (Dec. 1)

Philadelphia, PA, November 6, 2019—To welcome more visitors around the Thanksgiving holiday, the Barnes Foundation has announced special extended hours of 10 am–8 pm on Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30. The Garden Restaurant will also have extended hours of 11 am–8 pm on those dates.

“The holiday season is a wonderful time to gather family and friends for memorable cultural experiences here in Philadelphia,” says Thom Collins, Neubauer Family Executive Director and President. “With our extended hours around the Thanksgiving holiday, we look forward to welcoming the community and visitors to experience all the Barnes has to offer this season, including 30 Americans—a groundbreaking exhibition drawn from the acclaimed Rubell Family Collection and featuring works by important and influential contemporary African American artists—plus engaging tours and talks, hand-crafted gifts in the Barnes Shop, and a seasonal à la carte menu at the Garden Restaurant.”

On Sunday, December 1, together with over 1,200 museum stores around the world, the Barnes Shop is participating in the third annual Museum Store Sunday—offering a 20% discount on all regularly priced items and a trunk show featuring local designer Cynthia Lawson of 2ChicDesigns. In Philadelphia, the Barnes is one of 15 museums collaborating to present the Patron Passport—a guide to the participating museum stores, offering discounts and special promotions at each store, and including an entry form to win the Grand Giveaway, a gift basket valued at more than $1,000 filled with museum store products. The Patron Passport can be picked up at any participating museum store.

Thanksgiving holiday hours at the Barnes Foundation
(2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia) are:

THANKSGIVING DAY, Thursday, November 28: CLOSED

BLACK FRIDAY, November 29: 10 am–8 pm
The Garden Restaurant will be open 11 am–8 pm.
TOURS:

• DAILY HIGHLIGHTS TOUR (11:30 am & 1:30 pm): Hour-long tour exploring highlights of the collection and covering the history of the Barnes. (Includes access to the collection before and after tour).
• DAILY PREMIER TOUR (10 am): Intimate 90-minute tour, led by a specially trained docent. (Includes access to the collection, as well as a follow-up visit within two days).
• SPECIAL EXHIBITION TOUR: 30 AMERICANS (1–2 pm): An in-depth tour of 30 Americans, a groundbreaking exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, and installation by influential African American artists of the past four decades. Learn more about iconic works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Barkley L. Hendricks, Carrie Mae Weems, and other important artists, and consider the questions their artworks raise about identity, race, and politics in America.
• DAILY SPOTLIGHT TOUR (1–2 pm): Spotlight Tours focus on a different artist or theme each month. November’s focus is on the South of France—Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Matisse.
• PERSONALIZED DOCENT TOUR: A private one-hour tour for up to six people led by a specially trained docent who will shape the tour around a subject of the visitors’ choice, such as highlights of the collection or a favorite artist like Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, or Rousseau.

Saturday, November 30: 10 am–8 pm
The Garden Restaurant will be open 11 am–8 pm.
TOURS:

• DAILY HIGHLIGHTS TOUR (11:30 am & 1:30 pm): Hour-long tour exploring highlights of the collection and covering the history of the Barnes. (Includes access to the collection before and after tour).
  
• DAILY PREMIER TOUR (10 am): Intimate 90-minute tour, led by a specially trained docent. (Includes access to the collection, as well as a follow-up visit within two days).
  
• SPECIAL EXHIBITION TOUR: 30 AMERICANS (1–2 pm): An in-depth tour of 30 Americans, a groundbreaking exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, and installation by influential African American artists of the past four decades. Learn more about iconic works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Barkley L. Hendricks, Carrie Mae Weems, and other important artists, and consider the questions their artworks raise about identity, race, and politics in America.
  
• DAILY SPOTLIGHT TOUR (1–2 pm): Spotlight Tours focus on a different artist or theme each month. November’s focus is on the South of France—Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Matisse.
  
• PERSONALIZED DOCENT TOUR: A private one-hour tour for up to six people led by a specially trained docent who will shape the tour around a subject of the visitors’ choice, such as highlights of the collection or a favorite artist like Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, or Rousseau.

Sunday, December 1: 10 am–5 pm (regular PECO Free First Sunday Family Day hours)
The Garden Restaurant is open for brunch 11 am–4 pm (last seating at 3pm).
MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY

• The Barnes Shop (10 am–5 pm): 20% discount on all regularly priced items and a trunk show featuring local designer Cynthia Lawson of 2ChicDesigns.

PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Winter Soulstice: On the first Sunday of each month, the Barnes offers free admission and family programming. The December event celebrates the arrival of winter with soulful sounds, snowy crafts, and heartwarming stories. Featuring access to the collection, the 30 Americans exhibition, and family-friendly activities and entertainment

• 10 am–4 pm: Art Making
  Paint winter scenes on pop-up cards, add jingle bells to handmade noisemakers, and create sculptural ornaments and artful snowflakes from decorative paper. Winter crafts for holiday gift-giving provide hours of family fun.
• 10:30 am & 11:15 am: Storytime
  Ms. Pam and Ms. Martina from Baby Wordplay share winter stories and lead fun sing-alongs.
• 1 pm & 2 pm: Music: Philadelphia Jazz Project
  Two local jazz artists—alto saxophonist Larry Price and guitarist Jeff Scull—each lead a different musical duo, sharing light-footed interpretations of jazz classics, crafty originals, and stunning on-the-spot improvisations.
• 3–4 pm: Talk: Philadelphia Jazz Stories, Illustrated
  Homer Jackson, director of the Philadelphia Jazz Project, is joined by African American studies scholar Dianne Turner, art director Eric Battle, and illustrator Denise Erickson to discuss the new book Philadelphia Jazz Stories, Illustrated.
• 4–4:30 pm: Book Signing: Philadelphia Jazz Stories
  Philadelphia Jazz Stories, Illustrated is a collection of stories about Philly’s legendary jazz musicians. The creative trio behind the project—graphic designer Lynn Washington, Marvel and DC Comics veteran illustrator Eric Battle, and interdisciplinary artist and Philadelphia Jazz Project director Homer Jackson—will be on-site to autograph copies.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS:

College Night: Planet Rock
Friday, November 8, 7–9 pm
FREEfor college students; registration required
Get ready for an old-school party celebrating the early days of hip-hop. Dress the decade and move to the beats and breaks of pioneers like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, the Sugarhill Gang, and Afrika Bambaataa. High-energy breakdancers from Philly’s Hip Hop Fundamentals are heating up the floor—don’t be afraid to jump up and join in. Explore the Barnes on a scavenger hunt and win a prize! In partnership with Campus Philly.

Open House: Glean
Wednesday, November 13, 8–10 pm
FREE
Enjoy a night of free access to art along with the world premiere of Glean, a performance-art piece created by artist Sherman Fleming and performed by Tamara Suber. Inspired by the painting The Gleaners—Jean-Francois Millet’s 1857 ode to the working poor—Fleming has crafted a moving critique of today’s social and political climate. Join us on this meditative journey, and stay for a conversation between the artists after the performance.

Artist Conversation: Hank Willis Thomas and Deborah Willis
Saturday, November 16, 11:30 am–12:30 pm
$10; members and students free
Join us for a lively conversation between two influential artists who are also mother and son. Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist featured in 30 Americans whose work deals with race, identity, and cultural politics. His pieces are in major collections around the world, and he is well known in Philadelphia as the creator of the 12-foot-tall Afro pick sculpture exhibited near city hall in 2017. Deborah Willis is a noted scholar, curator, and photographer who has won multiple awards and fellowships for her work on cultural histories of the black body, among other topics. Moderated by Li Sumpter, scholar, multidisciplinary artist, and founder and creative director of MythMedia Studios.

Artist Bash: Activated Peoples
Saturday, November 16, 8–11 pm
$10
This program will feature artists who actively celebrate their histories and identities within each performance. Guests are invited to be part of a living installation created by photographer Shawn Theodore, listen to the lush soundscapes of musician Marina Murayama, watch a modern take on traditional Asian dance by Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, hear music by Elizabeth Steiner that disrupts stereotypes of classical music, see performance artist Sherman Fleming bring a personal story about a drive through the American South to life, and end the night moving to a set by turntable master DJ Roli Rho.

First Friday! Elevate the Spirit
Friday, December 6, 6–9 pm
From classical sounds to uplifting spirituals, tenor Allen Pinkney, Jr., lends his voice to a dazzling variety of music. Pinkney and special guest musicians will explore traditions of spiritual expression, resistance, and music’s power to heal and elevate the human spirit. Presented by Intercultural Journeys.

EXHIBITION
30 Americans
On view through January 12, 2020
Drawn from the exceptional Rubell Family Collection and on view in the Roberts Gallery, 30 Americans presents works by many of the most important and influential African American artists of the past four decades. From the canonical to the cutting-edge, these artists explore identity against a backdrop of pervasive stereotyping—of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class—addressing intersectional politics in unique and powerful ways. Curated by Dr. Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, the Barnes presentation marks the tenth anniversary of this groundbreaking exhibition. More information.

ABOUT THE BARNES FOUNDATION
The Barnes Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and educational institution that shares its unparalleled art collection with the public, organizes special exhibitions, and presents programming that fosters new ways of thinking about human creativity. The Barnes collection is displayed in ensembles that integrate art and objects from across cultures and time periods, overturning traditional hierarchies and revealing universal elements of human expression. Home to one of the world’s finest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings—including the largest groups of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne in existence—the Barnes brings together renowned canvases by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Vincent van Gogh, alongside African, Asian, ancient and medieval art as well as metalwork, furniture, and decorative art.

The Barnes Foundation was established by Dr. Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.” Since moving to Philadelphia in 2012, the Barnes has expanded its commitment to teaching visual literacy in groundbreaking ways, investing in original scholarship relating to its collection, and enhancing accessibility throughout every facet of its program.

The Barnes is open Wednesday–Monday, and tickets can be purchased on-site, online, or by calling 215.278.7000. Ticket prices and current hours are listed on our website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Deirdre Maher, Director of Communications
215.278.7160, press@barnesfoundation.org
Online press office