Barnes Foundation Essay

In the film “The Art of the Steal” we learn about The Barnes Foundation which was founded in 1922 by Dr. Albert C. Barnes, who was an art collector who wanted to make his collection accessible to the public and also promote art education. Barnes believed in the power of art to transform individuals and society, and he designed The Barnes Foundation to reflect his vision. The organization was structured as more of an educational institution than that of a museum, with the art collection being a teaching tool for students. The Barnes Foundation wanted to ensure that the art collection would remain intact and be preserved for future generations. The art was displayed into different groups which would show the relationships between different works of art, rather than how in traditional museums where normally works of art are separated by either artist or period. Barnes believed that this approach encouraged a deeper understanding and

The organization struggled to raise funds to maintain and preserve the art collection, and was forced to rely on outside sources of funding to stay afloat. The film portrays The Barnes Foundation as having a contentious relationship with its local community, particularly in the wealthy suburb of Merion where it was located. The film shows how members of The Barnes Foundation's board of trustees were influenced by outside interests,including the Pew Charitable Trusts, who provided a significant amount of funding to the organization. This outside influence had a significant impact on the decision-making of the organization and led to a continuous battle over the future of the art collection. Some members of the board believed that The Barnes Foundation should be more accessible to the public, while others believed that the organization should remain true to Dr. Barnes' original