The Barnes Foundation Announces the 2023 Barnes Art Ball

Benefit event celebrating Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris exhibition & featuring special performances by Lady Alma, Ben Arsenal, Jacqueline Constance, DJ lil’dave

Friday, October 20, 7 pm

Philadelphia, PA, October 9, 2023—The Barnes Foundation has announced its annual benefit, the Barnes Art Ball, taking place on Friday, October 20. This year’s Art Ball brings together artists, philanthropists, collectors, and connectors for an art-filled celebration of the Barnes and creativity in myriad forms. Funds raised directly support the Barnes’s educational mission and its commitment to caring for the collection, presenting diverse exhibitions, and providing innovative programs for the community.

This year’s Art Ball celebrates the opening of Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris, the first major US exhibition dedicated to French artist Marie Laurencin in more than 30 years. On view in the Roberts Gallery and co-curated by Simonetta Fraquelli and Cindy Kang, the exhibition explores Laurencin’s career, from her self-portraits to her collaborative decorative projects; and from her early cubist paintings to her signature works, which were feminine and discreetly queer. One of the most successful women artists of her time, Laurencin developed a unique aesthetic that defined 1920s Paris. Her contributions to 20th-century art are underrecognized, and this exhibition provokes questions about representation and access throughout art history.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the annual Barnes Art Ball with our extraordinary community of supporters, whose commitment and generosity ensure the success of the Barnes and our educational mission,” says Nina Diefenbach, senior vice president and deputy director for advancement. “This year’s Art Ball, celebrating the incredible Marie Laurencin exhibition, offers the spectacular opportunity to connect with and thank our friends and patrons who make everything we do possible, and inspire excitement for the future of the Barnes.”

In addition to exclusive after-hours access to Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris and the Barnes collection, this year’s Art Ball will be a free-flowing, campus-wide event, featuring multiple bars, abundant food stations, live music, and pop-up performances with a fête galante–inspired decor by Terrain. The evening’s musical performances will spotlight Philadelphia talent, including a high-energy late-night set by legendary songstress Lady Alma; a soulful set by singer-songwriter Jacqueline Constance; cross-cultural organic and electronic beats by DJ Ben Arsenal; and jazz and funk tunes spun by DJ lil’dave.

For more information about the 2023 Barnes Art Ball, please visit the website.

BARNES ART BALL LEADERSHIP & COMMITTEE
Trustee Chairs
John Aglialoro and Joan Carter
John R. Alchin and Hal Marryatt
Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz
Julia and David Fleischner
Margie and Jeffrey Honickman
Cathy Hughes
Lisa Kabnick and John McFadden
Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer and Joseph Neubauer
Aileen and Brian Roberts

Honorary Co-Chairs
Laura T. Buck
Betsy Z. and Edward E. Cohen
Agnes Gund
Anne and Matt Hamilton
Leigh P. Middleton
Hilarie L. Morgan
Megan Maguire Nicoletti
Marsha and Jeffrey Perelman
Lyn M. Ross
Adele K. Schaeffer
Brenda and Larry Thompson
Robbi and Bruce Toll
Helene and Archbold van Beuren
Regina and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten

Co-Chairs
Christine Angelakis
Karen Dougherty Buchholz
Emily and Michael Cavanagh
Carra Cote-Ackah and Amachie Ackah
Marianne N. Dean
Marlene S. Dooner
Michele and Eugene Dubay
Katie Flaherty
Sarah Roberts Hall
Robin Halpern and James Lovett
Michelle J. Hong
Joseph Kotarski and Federico Mingozzi
Donna and Jerry Slipakoff

Committee
Nicole Amoroso
Sandy and Bill Annesley
Diane and Robert Bass
Chris and Wade Berrettini
Sally C. Bleznak
Michele and Jeffrey Brotman
Dori and Josh Broudy
Judith Broudy and Eli Packman
Barbara Brown-Ruttenberg
Julie Jensen Bryan and Robert Bryan
Elaine W. Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr.
Dunham Townend Churchill
Ralph Citino and Lawrence Taylor
Gareth Clark and James Harrison
Jimmy Contreras
Becca Diefenbach
Roberta Dranoff
Barbara Eberlein and Jerry Wind
Tamala M. Edwards
Nina and Louis Eni
James Fernberger and Mary Walto
Karl Fong and Neal Krouse
Zachary Frankel and Alexandra Olsman Frankel
Barbara F. Freed and Alan Mittelman
Andrea and Burce Freundlich
Tuesday Gordon Gaines
Barbara Gisel Oehrle
Deborah E. Glass
Richard J. Green
Barb and Jack Hafner
Pia and Richard Halloran
Beth C. Hare
Elizabeth Hasson
Christine and George Henisee
Deborah G. Hilzinger
Angela V.B. Hudson
Raye Johnson
Tac and Melinda Justi
Joyce and Herb Kean
Amy and John Korman
Steven and Kristie Lagos
Kelly R. Lee
Maribeth and Steven Lerner
Liddy Lindsay
Christina Weiss Lurie
Mary MacElree and David Hoffman
Lorina Marshall-Blake
Sandy and David Marshall
Thomas B. McCabe IV
Leanne and Rob McMenamin
The Hon. John J. Medveckis and Marina Kats
Terra Moné
The Hon. Gregory P. Montanaro
Cathy and Henry Nassau
Georgiana and Eric W. Noll
Melissa Novak
LCDR Chip O’Connell & Mrs. Elizabeth Convery O’Connell
Marjorie Ogilvie and Miller Parker
Patricia Opderbeck
Aleni Pappas
Anne S. Ravert
Jennifer Rice and Michael Forman
Courtney Robinson
Caro and Bob Rock
Eileen Rosenau
Nicole Dresnin Schaeffer
Pamela Schreiber
Greg and Rebecca Segall
Iris and Greg Shea
Lynn and Howard Shecter
Nancy and Ben Shein
Gail Mosler Singer
Constance L. Smukler
Garrett Snider
Lindy Lou Snider
Stephanie Stahl
Keith Straw
Josephine and Sam Switzenbaum
Tiffany Tavarez
Brian P. Tierney
Libby and George Trammell
Noele Wein
Kim Whetzel
Laurie Wightman
Dalila Wilson-Scott
Steven Wolk
Randi Zemsky and Bob Lane

ART BALL DONORS AND SPONSORS
Benefactors
The Maguire Foundation
Jeanette and Joe Neubauer
Aileen and Brian Roberts

Underwriting Sponsors
John Aglialoro and Joan Carter
John Alchin and Hal Marryatt
Christine and Michael Angelakis
Betsy Z. and Edward E. Cohen
Dietz & Watson
Julia and David Fleischner
Agnes Gund
Independence Blue Cross
Lisa Kabnick and John McFadden
Morgan Stanley
Francesco Scattone
The Snider Foundation | Lindy Lou Snider

Event Sponsors
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz
Laura T. Buck
Elaine W. Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr.
Emily and Michael Cavanagh
Comcast NBCUniversal
Connelly Foundation
Marianne N. Dean
Michelle and Eugene Dubay
FREEMAN’S
Barb and Jack Hafner
Sarah and Chester Hall
Robin Halpern and James Lovett
Anne and Matt Hamilton
Joan and Daniel Hilferty
Deborah and Kurt Hilzinger
Marjorie and Jeffrey Honickman
LAGOS
Ira M. Lubert and Pamela Estadt
Sandy and David Marshall
Leigh and John Middleton
Hilarie and Mitchell Morgan
Northern Trust
Marsha and Jeffrey Perelman
Jennifer Rice and Michael Forman
Lyn M. Ross
Adele K. Schaeffer
Katie and Tony Schaeffer
Robbi and Bruce Toll
Van Cleef & Arpels
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
Janine and Jeffrey Yass

Supporters
Dennis J. Alter
Judith Broudy and Eli Packman
Fiduciary Trust International
Firstrust Bank
Glenmede
Alta and Peter Hamilton
Christine and George Henisee
Julie Jensen Bryan and Robert Bryan
Justi Group Inc
Joseph Kotarski and Federico Mingozzi
The Hon. John J. Medveckis and Marina Kats
Nancy and Ben Shein
Donna and Jerry Slipakoff
Keith R. Straw
Josephine and Sam Switzenbaum
Brenda and Larry Thompson
Team Whetzel/Kurfiss Sotheby’s
Randi Zemsky and Robert Lane

Special Thanks
Constellation Culinary Group

As of October 1, 2023

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, medieval, and Native American 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.” A visionary collector and pioneering educator, Dr. Barnes was also a fierce advocate for the civil rights of African Americans, women, and the economically marginalized. Committed to racial equality and social justice, he established a scholarship program to support young Black artists, writers, and musicians who wanted to further their education. Dr. Barnes was deeply interested in African American culture and became actively involved in the Harlem Renaissance, during which he collaborated with philosopher Alain Locke and Charles S. Johnson, the scholar and activist, to promote awareness of the artistic value of African art.

Since moving to Philadelphia in 2012, the Barnes Foundation has expanded its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social justice, teaching visual literacy in groundbreaking ways; investing in original scholarship relating to its collection; and enhancing accessibility throughout every facet of its programs.

The Barnes Foundation is situated in Lenapehoking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people. Read our Land Acknowledgment.

Hours and ticket prices are listed on our website.

###

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