Compare An Art Lover’s Dream: Become a Student of the Barnes Foundation by Road Scholar

Day 1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Philadelphia, PA D DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City
Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 4:00 p.m. - PROGRAM REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby to register with the program staff and pick up your arrival packet that will contain your name tag, updated schedule, and other important information we will review during orientation. If you arrive late, pick up your arrival packet from the front desk. ORIENTATION begins at 4:30 p.m.: We will gather for a warm welcome and introductions.

Dinner: Dinner this evening is at a local restaurant

Evening: Settle in, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for a full schedule tomorrow.

Day 2
Barnes on the Parkway Full Day Field Trip, Mural Art Tour
Philadelphia, PA B,L,D DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City
Breakfast: A lavish Buffet Breakfast is in the hotel restaurant, The Academy Cafe on the Mezzanine Floor. It is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. and weekends from 7:00 a.m.

Morning: Following breakfast we will board our private bus to the Barnes Foundation. On arrival, we will proceed to a classroom for the first of several sessions with an instructor from The Barnes Foundation. During the course of the week we will study an objective approach to understanding art while looking at the major artists in the collection, Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse and Picasso as well as lesser known artists who are an integral part of the collection. The first day will be an introduction to The Barnes Foundation and the objective method of seeing art plus a guided tour of the collection with your instructor.

Lunch: Lunch is included today at The Garden Restaurant located on the lobby floor of the Barnes Foundation.

Afternoon: This afternoon our instructor will continue her discussion of aesthetic qualities with object-based demonstrations and an exploration of the language of art - color, light, line, and space. FIELD TRIP: MURAL ARTS TOUR: What is now America’s largest public art program began in 1984 as part of an anti-graffiti campaign. The city hired muralist Jane Golden to reach out to graffiti writers and redirect their creative energies from destructive graffiti writing to constructive mural painting. It has been a huge success. Led by a mural artist, we will explore the city’s public art via coach to see some of the murals that have united artists and communities and transformed public spaces and individual lives.

Dinner: Dinner will be provided following the mural tour at a nearby restaurant close to the hotel that is popular with Philadelphians.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 3
Barnes on the Parkway Full Day Instruction
Philadelphia, PA B DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City
Breakfast: A lavish Buffet Breakfast is in the hotel restaurant, The Academy Cafe on the Mezzanine Floor. It is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. and weekends from 7:00 a.m.

Morning: Following breakfast our private motor-coach will transfer us to the Barnes Foundation. Today, the Barnes is closed to the public, but we will have privileged access for another presentation by our expert instructor with the discussion focusing on creative distortion and its importance in understanding art. Learn how a painting is a record of an artist’s experience and not a recreation of reality.

Lunch: Lunch in not included as the Foundation is closed to the public today so is the restaurant. However, you have a choice of dining options to choose from in the neighborhood.

Afternoon: While the Barnes is closed to the public today, our expert instructor will give you a classroom introduction before focusing on the topic of the day - What the Wall Ensembles Can Teach Us. This class will help you understand the display of the collection and how we can apply aesthetic principles to all mediums of art. Dr. Barnes recognized that art is as universal as human nature, that art of all periods and places share broad human values and aesthetic qualities. The paintings in the art gallery of the Barnes Foundation are hung to illustrate aesthetic principles, and not, for example, according to historical periods or by schools of painting. Our bus will bring us back to the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own this evening to enjoy the cuisine of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Evening: Free Evening. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration, perhaps to enjoy a cultural event from current offerings, or simply relax with new Road Scholar friends. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Day 4
Barnes on the Parkway Full Day Instruction
Philadelphia, PA B,L DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia Center City
Breakfast: A lavish Buffet Breakfast is in the hotel restaurant, The Academy Cafe on the Mezzanine Floor. It is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. and weekends from 7:00 a.m.

Morning: Following breakfast we will board our private bus to the Barnes Foundation. Upon arrival we will meet with our instructor who will give us an introduction to Picasso: The Great War, Experimentation and Change exhibition before we visit the exhibition with our instructor on hand as a resource.

Lunch: Lunch will be provided today at the Barnes Foundation, as part of your program cost.

Afternoon: After lunch you will be on your own for a self-guided exploration of the galleries thereby giving you the opportunity to apply what you have learned over the last three days. The purpose of this course can be summed up as such: The Barnes Foundation’s courses in aesthetic appreciation are designed to help participants discover the art in painting through an objective method of understanding and appreciating visual expression and to expose participants to an inclusive view of the relationship between art and daily life. Students hone their power of perception, develop a vocabulary by which to describe visual experiences, and begin to improve their ability to communicate to others what they see. Learning to see the world from another perspective changes how we see the world, and through a shared learning experience students better understand each other. The end goal being that we grow more compassionate when we understand another person’s point of view and society is more democratic the more its people understand the experiences of others. The courses are based on the analytical theory of Dr. Albert C. Barnes which was codified and explicated in the many writings and lectures of Violette de Mazia. Barnes and de Mazia’s methodology is grounded in the Pragmatic philosophy of John Dewey who remains one of the most respected names in American thought and philosophy.

Dinner: If you wish to take advantage of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Pay-What-You-Wish” program on Wednesday evenings, you are welcome to visit the museum and dine in their museum cafeteria. Otherwise, you are free to go off and explore the city's fabulous dining options and nightlife on your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5
Barnes Closing Lecture, Program Concludes
Philadelphia, PA B
Breakfast: A lavish Buffet Breakfast is in the hotel restaurant, The Academy Cafe on the Mezzanine Floor. It is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. and weekends from 7:00 a.m.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a educator led field exploration as a closing to the art collections in Philadelphia. At 9:30, our private bus will transport you to and from the hotel. We will return to the hotel by 12:30.