Take a Class
Study art history at the Barnes, a leader in art education since 1925. Come learn in our galleries, or take classes online using our immersive, state-of-the-art platform that brings you closer to the work than ever before.
Research Notes:
August 2024
New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.
Gift Artfully: Barnes tickets, tours, classes, and more!
Give the gift of the Barnes to family, friends, and colleagues.
Barnes North
Highlights Tour
This one-hour tour is perfect for first-time visitors. Explore highlights of the collection and learn the history of the Barnes.
Private Collection Tour
Explore highlights of the collection and learn the history of the Barnes. This tour is a private one-hour experience for you and up to nine guests.
Private Collection Tour: Favorite Artists
Choose your favorite artists in the collection for a private one-hour experience for up to ten guests.
Daily Gallery Talks
Every day, our gallery specialists offer talks about the Barnes collection. Learn more about our history, founder, and collection.
Research Notes:
November 2024
New theories and recent discoveries from the Barnes’s curators, scholars, conservators, and archivists.
Register for Spring Classes—Now Open!
The Art of Looking: An Introduction to the Barnes Method
New Offering: This interactive online course will teach you the basics of the Barnes Method of studying art, at your own pace.
The Art and Life of Toulouse-Lautrec
Explore the gritty underworld of 19th-century Paris through the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Instructor: Martha Lucy
Discover the Barnes & Henri Rousseau
Visit our box office with your 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show ticket to save on admission and tours.
March Spotlight Tour: Henri Rousseau and His Fabulous Foliage
The self-taught artist is known for his paintings of lush jungle scenes and detailed plant life.
At Bloom in the Barnes: The Painted Garden
This workshop includes time in the Barnes galleries and an art-making session focused on gardens and flowers. Instructor: Christine Stoughton
Member Previews: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
As a member, see our latest exhibition before the public opening.
Andrew Wyeth in Context: Art, Place, and Practice
Consider the creative legacy of the American artist, with special insights from his granddaughter. Instructors: William L. Coleman, Victoria Browning Wyeth
First Friday: Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
The Philadelphia-based orchestra performs, led by acclaimed conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson.
Curators in Conversation: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
Join us for an engaging conversation with exhibition curator Simonetta Fraquelli and the Barnes’s Nancy Ireson.
African Art in the Barnes: Context and Meanings
Learn the traditional meanings and uses of the African sculpture collected by Dr. Barnes while considering the impact of colonialism and imperialism. Instructor: Dwaune Latimer
In Focus Gallery Talk: Demuth’s Two Trapeze Performers in Red
An in-depth discussion about Charles Demuth’s painting with Penn PhD candidate Emma Nell Jacobs. Free with admission; Room 17
ARTZ @ The Museum
This program provides free access to the Barnes for people living with dementia and their care partners.
Members-Only Online Tour: Henri Rousseau and His Fabulous Foliage
Explore the self-taught artist’s paintings of lush jungle scenes and detailed plant life in this virtual collection tour.
Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s Violin, Sheet Music, and Bottle
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Exhibition Tour: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
Explore the artist’s lush, dynamic paintings, engagement with art history, and feminist point of view.
Private Tour: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
This one-hour private tour provides an up-close look at Themes and Variations and some of Brown’s most important works.
Members-Only Tour: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
This exclusive exhibition tour provides a closer look Brown’s lush and dynamic artworks
Book Talk: Deborah Willis on Kamala
Author Deborah Willis and journalist Dyana Williams discuss Willis’s new book Kamala: Her Historic, Joyful, and Auspicious Sprint to the White House.
Members-Only Online Tour: Friends and Rivals: Picasso and Matisse
Learn about the complex relationship between these influential modern artists.
Like a Voyage at Sea: Exploring the Work of Cecily Brown
This one-day workshop on the work of Cecily Brown includes a hands-on art-making session. Instructor: Stuart Shils
Members-Only Online Tour: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
This exclusive online tour offers members up-close views of the exhibition.
Online Member Orientation
New members are invited to join us online to learn more about the perks of membership at the Barnes.
Contemporary Art and the Canon: Emulation, Pastiche, Parody
Explore the complex relationship between modern artists and the art of the past. Instructor: Paul Galvez
April Spotlight Tour: Friends and Rivals: Picasso and Matisse
Learn about the complex relationship between these influential modern artists.
First Friday: V. Shayne Frederick
The Philly jazz artist performs music from his upcoming record, Treasures.
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: Art of Math
See creative displays by Philadelphia students for our 2025 Art of Math Challenge. Plus, enjoy family-friendly activities and free access to our galleries.
Looking and Listening: Musical Visions
This new series explores the relationship between visual art and sound. Instructor: Therese Dolan
About Faces: A History of the Art of Portraiture
Explore the incredible diversity of portraiture in the collection—from Hals to Van Gogh, Matisse, and Renoir. Instructor: Brian Seymour
Close-Looking Immersion: Memling’s Portrait of a Man
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes
Members-Only Online Tour: Friends and Rivals: Picasso and Matisse
Learn about the complex relationship between these influential modern artists.
In Focus Gallery Talk: Morgan’s Amalfi: Moonlight Pattern
An in-depth discussion about Randall Morgan’s painting with Penn PhD candidate Emma Nell Jacobs. Free with admission; Room 18
Members-Only Online Tour: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
This exclusive online tour offers members up-close views of the exhibition.
Preparing for From Paris to Provence
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the organization and launch of an exhibition at the Barnes. Instructor: Cindy Kang
Member Orientation
New members are invited to learn more about the perks of membership at the Barnes.
The Garden in Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Learn how 19th-century French garden design—especially the approach to texture and color theory—influenced the impressionists. Instructors: Andrew Bunting, Martha Lucy
Members-Only Evening Tour: Friends and Rivals: Picasso and Matisse
Learn about the complex relationship between these influential modern artists.
Rendez-vous au Café: Café Culture in 19th-Century Art
Cafés hold a special place in the history of modern art. Learn how and why they inspired some of the most famous paintings of the time. Instructor: Caterina Y. Pierre
May Spotlight Tour: Friends and Rivals: Picasso and Matisse
Learn about the complex relationship between these influential modern artists.
First Friday: Usiloquy Dance Designs & Rini Raghavan
This exciting collaboration pairs Indian classical dance and music with contemporary forms.
The Art of Color: Exploring Palettes from the Renaissance to the Fauves
Journey through the vibrant world of artists’ palettes and learn how evolving materials and color theories shaped European painting over the past 400 years. Instructor: Al Gury
Bars, Brawls, and Backstreets: Art of the Ashcan School
Examine this uniquely American period of modern art that focused on the shifting urban landscape of the early 20th century. Instructor: William Perthes
Workshop: Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
Learn how engaging with works of art can strengthen your skills as a healthcare provider. Instructor: William Perthes
In Focus Gallery Talk: Demuth’s Piano Mover’s Holiday
An in-depth discussion about Charles Demuth’s painting with Penn PhD candidate Emma Nell Jacobs. Free with admission; Room 18
Members-Only Online Tour: Friends and Rivals: Picasso and Matisse
Learn about the complex relationship between these influential modern artists.
Close-Looking Immersion: Matisse’s Blue Still Life
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Members-Only Online Tour: Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations
This exclusive online tour offers members up-close views of the exhibition.
June Spotlight Tour: Bathing Beauties: Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso
This collection tour focuses on how bathing figures have been depicted throughout art history.
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Aesthetics of Everyday Life
This course uses the decorative arts collection at the Barnes as a jumping-off point to explore the artistic qualities of common objects. Instructors: Katherine Feldkamp, William Perthes
Heaven on Earth: The Art of the Byzantine Empire
Dive into the visual culture of the Byzantine Empire, which was influenced by nearly a millennium of religious, social, and political upheaval. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Art and the First “Homosexuals”
This course surveys artistic representations of homosexual identity, from the early 1900s through the first decades of the 20th century. Instructor: Jonathan D. Katz
Close-Looking Immersion: Van Goyen’s The Square Watch-Tower
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes
Members-Only Online Tour: The Barnes Collection
This exclusive online tour offers members up-close views of favorite artworks.
Members-Only Online Tour: Bathing Beauties: Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso
This exclusive virtual tour provides a close look at how bathing figures have been used throughout art history.
Online Member Orientation
New members are invited to join us online to learn more about the perks of membership at the Barnes.
Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
New program! Our group workshops help medical students and healthcare professionals develop a more empathetic, humanistic approach to patient care.
The Barnes–de Mazia Certificate Program
This special track offers an immersion in the Barnes Method and an introduction to other interpretive approaches.
Gift a Barnes Class
Give the gift of lifelong learning with art history classes taught by Barnes experts.
Saint Joseph’s University Museum Education Graduate Program
A collaboration between the Barnes and SJU, this new online program prepares museum educators to work in public and private institutions, including art, history, and science museums.
Horticulture Certificate Program
Our two-year certificate program covers horticultural science, methods, and design.