School Programs
Come to the Barnes, or we’ll come to you. Our programs will nourish your students’ imaginations and serve your curricular goals.
Student Art Gallery
The Barnes uses art to inspire creativity and connections for students of all ages. Our virtual gallery, featuring a range of ages, schools, and styles, is updated regularly. Learn more and submit work for consideration today.
2025 Student Art Show
The Barnes Student Art Show is an opportunity for Philadelphia students to present their original artwork in a professional setting at the Barnes. The program encourages creativity, cultural exploration, and the development of technical skills through guided art-making sessions and mentorship from experienced teaching artists.
In 2025, 16 students from Central High School took part in a series of watercolor workshops that culminated in an exhibition in the lower level of the Barnes and artist presentations in the Comcast NBCUniversal Auditorium.
Enjoy these inspiring works and learn more about the talented young artists who brought them to life.
Mighty Distelfinks by Alliyah Hoke
“The symbols in this piece are all from traditional Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs and fraktur paintings. Hex signs are commonly used for protection or manifestation—to ward off evil spirits or to wish for positive outcomes of harvest, marriage, and family. Instead of using these signs for wishing, I chose to use them as a journal to record our family’s history. Each symbol represents a part of our story, encompassing strong marriage, powerful faith, and fruitful relationships.”
恭喜發財 by Arion Li
“Lunar New Year was one of my favorite holidays to experience as a child, particularly the lion dances. In my art, I wanted to show that part of my culture and share one of my favorite parts of one of my favorite holidays. I wanted to show the actual lion and also showcase the origin of Lunar New Year.”
Block Party by Azeem Roundtree-Miller
“I always notice when I talk about where I live, Strawberry Mansion, people always have the same negative reaction.”
El Espíritu de la Naturaleza by Dylan Cano
“I wanted to display and express the beauty and biodiversity in Colombia. My culture and family are very important to me, and I believe that painting the harmonious balance between nature and man represents my appreciation for nature.”
Celestial Benevolence by Emily SamE
“I wanted to celebrate my two cultures together, Chinese and Cambodian, by making a piece that intertwines them. I was inspired by pieces using the golden ratio, which creates a pleasing harmony between subjects in my work.”
Pieces of Passover by Jacquelyn Nordquist
“For Passover, a Jewish holiday, my family would always give us a bag with toys that would symbolize each of the ten plagues. By using vibrant colors, I wanted to show the childhood joy that opening the Passover bag would bring me.”
Gathered by Duality by Joleea Rowe
“The border of my artwork uses the colors of the Jamaican and US flags, with the latter being more subtle to highlight my true heritage. The picture frames represent my (small) family sharing a meal of both American and Jamaican dishes.”
Morning Haze by Karina Benjamin
“Philadelphia is a big part of who I am, and I wanted to show a side of Philadelphia that isn’t often shown, where it is quiet and peaceful and beautifully unique. I used lines and bright unusual colors to show the fauvist influence. I was inspired by the Japanese modern artists Setsuko Migishi and Yūzō Saeki.”
Saying Goodbye by Kiara Raquel Vasquez-Reyes
“In the Dominican Republic we have a nine-day mourning period called novenario. On the last night, you hang a photo of the family member who passed away alongside candles and flowers. In my work, I am saying goodbye to my great-grandmother.”
Theatric Beauty by Meng Yang
“What inspired me to create this piece is my love for Chinese traditional clothing as well as my enchantment around Chinese opera, which has always intrigued me. I always liked the way the performers looked, all so beautiful, with so many elements in their costumes and so much effort in their makeup. And how, when the lights dim and the show begins, their high voices carry through the vast theater, and their faces glow under the spotlight. I think these actresses and actors are so breathtaking.”
Composition of Heritage by Millie Klena
“My color choice of blue and red was inspired by the Korean flag, also known as the Taegeukgi, which symbolizes balance. I incorporated a traditional Korean art style when painting the tiger and clouds. The painting represents my culture and ethnicity.”
(Black) Fire on (White) Fire by Oliver Kraut
“Thinking about my Jewish identity, I wanted to focus on the ways that I practice. The tallit (prayer shawl) represents the work I did to complete my Bat Mitzvah and become an adult in my community, and the landscape represents how nature has grounded me in my faith and provided me with an escape from my anxiety. Drawing from Matisse’s appreciation of the figure in paintings like Dance (1909 & 1910), as well as the experimentation with color that exemplified the fauvist movement, I wanted to create a piece that encapsulated a sense of freedom and dreamlike joy. The title (Black) Fire On (White) Fire comes from the Talmudic metaphor for the Torah, that the sacred letters are black fire written on a scroll of white fire. This phrase has always stuck with me, and I wanted to juxtapose a blue scene with a fiery figure, akin to the contrast of the words of the Torah on their parchment.”
There is no hell while you ascend from the flames by Samantha Fischer
“Growing up in Judaism and attending synagogue for years, I had memorized every chant. I found that this was a vital connection to my culture. Pretending that every service I attended was a concert, I would sing along and tap on the pews. In recent years, I have found my love for metal music. I resonate with the heaviness and distortion, and I have a serious admiration for the culture and community. I thought that fusing my adopted and given cultures together would serve as an accurate description of my experience within this theme. I was inspired by the stained-glass ceiling dome at Temple Rodeph Sholom, the wall of stained-glass flames at Temple Beth-El, and photography of the DIY punk and hardcore scene.”
Lantern Walk by Stella Zhao
“What inspired me is Chinese New Year and my trip back to China, where, no matter where you are, you are likely to be able to see a mountain. I was inspired to paint a nice view of the mountains, which are a huge part of Chinese culture.”
The Room by Tez King
“I decided to create this room because I couldn’t allow myself to only represent one of my cultures. I have themes from Philly, Canada, and Germany within this painting. In my room, there are objects, paintings, and characteristics from all my cultures.”
Taste of Reunion by Winni Jiang
“After being away from my family for a month, the scene depicts my first time eating out with my family members after I returned home. The picture is set in my home province of Fuzhou, China, where family gatherings are paired with food. During my time in China, I noticed many ceremonies and celebrations come with sitting around a table with traditional dishes, so I chose the setting of a restaurant. The floral design of the table recalls China dinner plates and Chinese art. Some of the dishes are popular Chinese foods in America, like the spring rolls and orange chicken, because I am both Chinese and American.”
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