CLASSIC PHILADELPHIA ART AND CULTURE
An Afternoon of French Culture
Set the stage for your visit to the Barnes with a selection of French-inspired pastries, soups, and savory lunch options. Healthy, plant-based selections headline this eatery’s menu. Gluten-free is consistently my first choice for a midday meal but vegetarian fare is also available in a tantalizing array of dishes. The Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai was outstanding. Suffice to say, an afternoon at the Barnes and Le Pain Quotidien the ideal combination of Philadelphia art and culture. Le Pain emanates European culture with the comforting aroma of bread baking in the kitchen and casual French-country charm. It’s a perfect prelude to an afternoon at The Barnes.Â
Le Pain Quotidien is located at The Granary, 1937 Callowhill St., Philadelphia, PA. Le Pain Quotidien is a franchised eatery founded by Alain Coumont. I chose Le Pain because I was in Philadelphia for a travel assignment at The Barnes Foundation and the online menu reflected my hankerings that day.Â
Call ahead to be sure seating is available during peak times.1 215 789 9870
AFTERNOON WITH THE MASTERS
Why are we so fascinated with museums?Â
I’ll tell you why I can’t stay away from them or better yet, I’ll show you why you should set aside time to visit The Barnes Foundation. (See my gallery below). Photos by Joan Mead-Matsui unless otherwise noted.Â
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Allow a few moments to take in your surroundings, specifically the combination of building materials and design and the reflecting pond. -
The Barnes Foundation is the home to masterpieces by the world’s most famous artists. -
Visitors learn about each painting with a guide that’s available in each of the galleries. -
The reflection pool welcomes guests to the Barnes.
The move from the foundation’s original location in Merion, PA to a new building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, began in 2012. -
You can view the current exhibition, “Berthe Morisot:Â
Woman Impressionist” until January 14, 2019 -
A schedule of talks and tours is available at https://www.barnesfoundation.org/whats-on/talks
Museums are my go-to place for inspiration for my own art (https://chigirie.com) and an opportunity to tune into my creative side and tune out the noise and chatter around me. Too much time had passed since my last visit to a metropolitan museum and upon reading more about The Barnes (as it’s often called), I knew I had to set aside an afternoon to experience this Philadelphia treasure. The Barnes Foundation houses a must-see collection of art by the world’s greatest master painters, sculptors, and designers.Â
As I made my way around the first-floor galleries, I came across paintings by my all-time favorite Impressionist painters: Renoir and Monet. And then, gallery upon gallery, the genre expanded to Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, Cezanne, Seurat, and Modigliani.Â
I was so enthralled by the selection of paintings that I didn’t allow enough time to visit the second-floor exhibits but that’s all the reason I’ll need to plan a follow-up trip to Philadelphia.Â
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The wall ensembles Dr. Barnes arranged are exactly as he left them. He continued collecting the masterpieces until his death in 1951.Â
The Barnes, (as it’s known to many) is a non-profit Philadelphia cultural and educational institution recognized for its exceptional art collections, programming, and special exhibitions.  Â
Thanks to Dr. Albert C. Barnes for his vision and the foundation that honors his name for maintaining this collection of priceless treasures by impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modernist artists.Â
Dr. Albert C. Barnes assembled a collection of African art, Native American pottery and jewelry, Pennsylvania German furniture, American avant-garde painting, and wrought-iron metalwork that are interspersed with the paintings throughout the galleries. Image courtesy of The Barnes Foundation
TIP: Allow ample time (three to four hours) to explore the galleries.Â
African art, Native American pottery and jewelry, Pennsylvania German furniture, American avant-garde painting, and wrought-iron metalwork are arranged throughout the galleries in a manner that encourages time to view, study, and reflect on each object in the ensembles.Â
Watch this video clip and visit https://chigirie.com for additional insights.Â
Learn how to plan a solo media trip here.Â
FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION:Â
The ensembles, each one meticulously crafted by Dr. Barnes himself, are meant to draw out visual similarities between objects we don’t normally think of together. Created as teaching tools, they were essential to the educational program Dr. Barnes developed back in the 1920s.
Directions: The Barnes Foundation is conveniently located along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA. No need to worry about parking. Visitors are invited to park in the lot adjacent to the foundation.Â
For additional information, call 215.278.7000.Â
Disclaimer:Â
My visit to The Barnes Foundation was comped but my opinions are my own.Â
