Aarhus University Seal

The Museum as Classroom: Albert C. Barnes, Collector-Curator-Educator

Online seminar

Info about event

Time

Monday 16 August 2021,  at 15:00 - 16:30

Location

Online

Please, send Assistant Professor Edward Alan Payne an email, if you are interested in participating: edward.payne@cc.au.dk


Join Dr Nancy Ireson, Deputy Director for Collections and Exhibitions at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, who will discuss the unique character of the Barnes’ holdings, as well as the distinctive curatorial approach and pedagogical mission of its founder. Housing the largest single group of paintings by Renoir and Cézanne in the world, the Barnes is home to important works by impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern artists, including Matisse, Picasso, and Modigliani. These works Barnes juxtaposed with African masks, native American jewellery, Greek antiquities, and decorative metalwork. In addition to acquiring artworks of outstanding quality and variety, Barnes supported progressive education and social justice. The first home of the Barnes Foundation served as a classroom where the Barnes Method was introduced, which emphasized close looking, critical thinking, and extended engagement in front of the objects. In this online seminar, Nancy Ireson will explore the threefold identity of Albert C. Barnes as collector, curator, and educator, and how his inclusive educational mission is delivered today.