In this issue
William Glackens triumphs
Thank you to Friends
of Glackens
Alumni and student
spotlight
New discoveries: The
African collection
In the Frame
Stay connected:
alumni and student
events calendar
Exhibitions schedule: 2015–2016
Mark Dion, Judy Pfaff,
Fred Wilson: The Order of
Things
May 16–August 3, 2015
Strength and Splendor:
Wrought Iron from the
Musée Le Secq des
Tournelles, Rouen
September 19, 2015–
January 4, 2016
Picasso: Experimentation,
Change, and the Great
War
February 21–May 9, 2016
Barnes Foundation
Alumni Council
Barnes alumni Pearlann Horowitz and Sandy London tour William Glackens with their
children. Photo © 2015 The Barnes Foundation
The Barnes Foundation was honored to collaborate with
Nova Southeastern University’s Museum of Art in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, and Parrish Art Museum in
Watermill, New York, for a comprehensive and celebratory
exhibition of art by William Glackens. A close friend of
Albert and Laura Barnes and an important figure in the
creation of the Barnes collection, Glackens is forever
recognized as an integral part of the Foundation and its
educational mission.
The exhibition had an overwhelmingly positive reception.
More than 47,000 people visited the exhibition, and we
were elated to have alumni participating as lenders of
artwork, underwriting sponsors, Friends of Glackens, and
Luncheon Committee members.
William Glackens stimulated a surge of educational events
and programming at the Barnes. Corresponding
Diane Newbury, co­president
Iris Shea, co­president
Nancy Barth
Jacki Delaney
Rona Frank
Martha Harris
Gay Kimelman
Ann Moss
workshops, like William Glackens: Painter of Modern Life
taught by Heather Coyle, ​
curator of American art at
Delaware Art Museum, were hugely popular. “I was very
impressed with the guest scholar Heather Coyle,” said
student Fran Stember. “She was very well­versed in the
time period and the four­week workshop made the whole
exhibition come to life. I was particularly interested in
Glackens’s expertise as an illustrator.”
Patrick O'Rourke
Chris Rall
Phyllis Slocum
Archival displays at the Barnes Kathy Spagnola
Maude Tierney
Janine Weller
Staff Liaison
Katie Adams, Director of
Annual Giving Programs
Did you know?
Mounts for the African
collection
Frank A. Schrepfer’s general plan of the Arboretum, 1935. Barnes Foundation Archives
Coinciding with William Glackens, the Barnes has launched
a rotating archival display at the Parkway campus. Personal
correspondence, photography, and other historic
documents from the Barnes archives provided insight into
the artist and friend of Dr. and Mrs. Barnes.
Fang Betsi. Reliquary Guardian Head
(Añgokh­Nlô­Byeri), 19th century.
Gabon. Wood, 15 3/16 × 6 7/16 × 6 3/4
in. (38.5 × 16.3 × 17.1 cm). Photo ©
2015 The Barnes Foundation
The vast majority of African
works displayed in the
Barnes collection are on
mounts made by a Japanese
artist and craftsman called
Numerous historic gems are housed within the Barnes
archives. Alumni are welcome to schedule an appointment
to visit the archives, which are housed in the Barnes
residence on the Merion campus. Recently, Barnes
alumnae Katherine Harlan, Diane Newbury, and Eileen
Serxner have been conducting research in the archives.
“The Barnes Foundation Archives are a very dependable
resource for inspiration and facts,” said docent Scott Yaw,
who has conducted research in the archives. “Over the past
two years I have volunteered my time to conduct talks for
PECO Sunday visitors. On both occasions I have turned to
archivists Amanda and Barbara for inside details on Dr.
Barnes’s life and The Dance by Matisse. The Barnes
Foundation archives helped bring my talks to life with
photos and insightful facts.”
The next archival display will celebrate Laura Barnes and
Kichizô Inagaki. Inagaki
provided mounts to the
dealer Paul Guillaume, from
whom Barnes bought his
collection of African
the 75th anniversary of the Horticulture Education
Program. The display will include historic materials dating
from the creation of the arboretum in Merion and the
establishment of the horticulture school by Laura Barnes in
1940.
sculpture.
The Barnes blog and
recent press
New Discoveries: The African collection
Barnes archives shared in
MoMA’s Henri Matisse: The
Cut­Outs
Two new Cézanne sketches
discovered at the Barnes
The Curious Case of the
Walking Figure
In Their Own Words: Blogs
of the Horticulture Certificate
Program
Sweeten up your garden
Follow us! Join the Barnes Foundation
alumni Facebook page
Like the Barnes Foundation
Facebook page
Subscribe to the blog
An integral part of the Barnes collection is its African art.
Albert C. Barnes assembled his African holdings swiftly, in
five large purchases made between 1922 and 1924, the year
he established the Foundation. His commitment to the
African collection was a conscious decision with aesthetic
purpose. The Foundation is pleased to announce this
spring’s publication of its catalogue, African Art in the
Barnes Foundation: The Triumph of L’Art nègre and the
Harlem Renaissance. The project is led by editor Christa
Clarke, senior curator of African art at the Newark
Museum. The definitive catalogue, including essays by
Clarke and fifteen other contributing authors and new
research by Barnes archivist Barbara Beaucar, will be of
great interest to alumni and other readers.
The beautiful new publication reinforces Dr. Barnes’s
aesthetic philosophy and his visual approach to art
appreciation, and it shares new discoveries about the
objects and their makers. “The new research and scholarly
discoveries made by the leading team of scholars
assembled by Dr. Clarke for the Barnes’s African sculpture
catalog will have a profound effect upon the scholarly
community and will provide students and scholars alike
with a deeper understanding of this seminal collection,”
said Senior Director of Conservation and Chief
Conservator of Paintings Barbara Buckley. “Senior
Conservator of Objects Margaret Little had the pleasure of
working with many of the scholars as they were researching
the collection, and will be sharing information on the
Barnes blog in the months to come. The catalog will
provide a sound foundation for further investigative and
technical studies on the collection in the years to come.”
The catalogue will be available at the Barnes Shop this May
and Clarke will lead a four­week workshop this fall.
Alumni and student spotlight
Carolyn Walker
Carolyn Walker. Photo by Michael Drennan
Carolyn Walker didn’t start out as the proprietor of the
specialist nursery, Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, or a blogger
with a huge following but she decided to change gears after
years as a lawyer. Interest in horticulture was in the family
as her aunt Suzy Walker attended Barnes during Dr. Fogg’s
tenure. Carolyn simultaneously attended Barnes and
Longwood in the early 1990s and began her business
immediately. Serious gardeners in the Philadelphia area
come down Carolyn’s driveway to learn about and buy
plants that thrive in the shade.
The garden surrounding her house is her laboratory
illustrating the possibilities of shade gardening and the
power of native plants. She doesn’t worry about control in
her woodland garden but encourages plants to create great
swaths through the garden. Carolyn proclaims it is better
to plant what works and her garden clearly exemplifies that
belief. She admires Doug Tallamy and credits his writing
with influencing how she thinks about gardening. Almost
half her garden consists of native plants demonstrating her
belief in the importance of natives to insects and birds and
to the whole ecological system.
She also runs the invasive plant removal project on Cliff
Island in Maine with hopes that the native understory
under attack from bittersweet, Japanese Knotwood and
barberry can be re­established. This work has gotten her
even more interested in natives and the crucial part they
play in our world.
Carolyn started her blog, Carolyn’s Shade Gardens: the Joy
of Gardening in the Shade, in November 2010 as a way to
communicate her plant knowledge. Anyone reading her
blog will note her love of snowdrops, mini hostas and
hellebores. Carolyn grows most of the Hellebores she sells.
Beguiling mini hostas appear all over her garden in low
containers, in her rock garden, and in dish gardens. The
“Mouse” series is a special favorite. A serious
galanthophile, she has begun to offer snowdrops in the
green at her nursery which is almost unknown in the U.S.
She was even featured in a BBC article titled “Snowdrops
and their Fanciers and their Mania”. By using her garden as
an example, Carolyn hopes that visitors and customers will
understand that the joy of gardening comes in the surprises
in the garden.
By Diane Newbury
Helen W. Drutt English
In December 2012 I was invited to deliver two lectures
responsive to the modern and contemporary craft
movement in St. Petersburg. The invitation followed
Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya and Tamara Rappe’s visits to my
home in Philadelphia. After the lectures, Prof. Piotrovsky,
Director of The State Hermitage Museum requested a
meeting, during which he informed me that Tamara Rappe
wanted to exhibit my Philadelphia dining room at the
museum. He stated that he would like The State Hermitage
Museum to be the first European museum to exhibit a Post
World War II American studio furniture room – (still
pending).
This request followed a discussion in which interest was
expressed in expanding their applied arts collection into
the 20th and 21st centuries. During a serendipitous
moment, I stated I could probably acquire one or two gifts
– within eight months, I had collected 74 gifts from artists,
patrons, as well as my family to enter into their permanent
collection. The result was that an exhibition was born and
exhibited at The State Hermitage Museum Foundation in
St. Petersburg upon the occasion of its 250th Anniversary,
“Gifts from America” was exhibited (December 2, 2014 –
June 8, 2015) simultaneously with “Francis Bacon and the
Art of the Past”, “Dada and Surrealism from the Collection
of the Israel Museum”, and a private collection of rare
impressionist paintings. by Helen W. Drutt English
Gifts from America: 1948­2013
Exhibition catalogue introduction
The late Russian poet Joseph Brodsky, who combined our
worlds, stated in an essay “.... That in the course of this life
every person sooner or later finds himself in the position
of Robinson Crusoe, carving notches and ... crossing them
out. Such is the origin of ornament, regardless of preceding
civilizations … and these notches are a profoundly solitary
activity isolating the individual and forcing him toward an
understanding ... of the autonomy of his existence in the
world.”
It is within one of these notches that contemporary artists
share a mission to strengthen art, society, and create works
responsive to our time. We can only hope that the art
created by these individuals will not fail to reach out and
satisfy greater aesthetic and political needs. These works,
which engage one another, provide a dialogue and merge
creative and diplomatic expression. Since that symbolic
gesture is physically impossible, the aim of “Gifts from
America” is that the artworks will provide a catalyst for all
and an exchange of ideas that serves as a bridge to bring
our lives together.
This initiative was born during a meeting with Tamara
Rappe and Dr. Mikhail Piotrovsky at the Hermitage
Museum in December 2012. The concept of a selection of a
few gifts of American crafts developed into the present
exhibition of seventy­four works collected from February
to October 2013. A special thank you to Tamara Rappe and
her assistant Vera Emelyanova for their understanding and
patience during this period.
No exhibition can occur without the existence of a
community. The enthusiastic response of the artists and
patrons made the concept a reality and is deeply
appreciated – without their support there would be no
“Gifts from America.” I would like to thank Paul and
Chauncie Rodzianko, directors of the Hermitage
Foundation, New York who lent spirited support to this
initiative. In addition, my deepest appreciation to Mihai
Burlacu, my assistant, whose immeasurable assistance
made the impossible possible, and Kenneth Yanoviak who
provided photographic documentation when needed. Last,
but far from least, I would like to thank my son, Matthew
Drutt. His relationship with the Hermitage Museum
preceded mine by several years and he oversaw this project
from its inception which included the numerous details of
organization and scholarship.
St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 and Philadelphia in
1682, the cities are close to each other in birth. In 1986 I
was part of a select delegation sent to Leningrad (now St.
Petersburg) in an effort to establish a cultural exchange
between the two cities. It never occurred, but the
forthcoming exhibition of “Gifts from America” as well as
the proposed installation of the rooms from my
Philadelphia house scheduled for exhibition during the late
spring of 2015 will provide realization, in part, to that
initial cultural exchange.
“Gifts from America” celebrates the hand and the survival
of the creative spirit in a mechanized society. Russia and
America are two countries at opposite ends of the globe
whose relationship can be nurtured by ensuing dialogue.
Mutually curious and respectful of each other’s
achievements in art and culture, our nations can further
their relationship through an exchange of political, social
and cultural events. We can only hope that the artworks
offered here serve to further our common goal of realizing
world harmony.
Helen W. Drutt English
Founder / Director, Helen Drutt: Philadelphia
Amaranth Ehrenhalt
Amaranth and Giacometti’s portrait of her, Roslyn I. Photo by Katie Adams. Photo ©
2015 The Barnes Foundation
Artist Aramanth Erenhalt’s earliest memories are of
making art. From a young age, she requested paintbrushes
and a palette. She spent Saturday mornings at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art’s art classes for children, but
unlike most of her classmates, who were immediately
collected after class by their parents to head to other
activities, her sojourn through the artistic wonderland of
the museum was just beginning. Aramanth (born Roslyn
Erenhalt) refused to leave the galleries until the museum
closed. She would spend hours in the museum, looking at
art and telling herself: “When I’m grown up, I’m going to be
doing big beautiful paintings like that.”
Amaranth has the same passionate commitment to her
artistic voice today, at nearly 90 years old. “I’ll do anything
to stay home and paint,” she said. “I can forget to eat or
drink.”
Sitting beside this poised and beautiful woman in her New
York studio is a privilege. Her creative output is never­
ending, finding outlets in every medium, including
painting, sculpture, monotypes, watercolor, and writing.
While studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in
the late 1940s, Amaranth registered for art courses at the
Barnes Foundation. Amaranth remembers that her classes
and personal conversations with “Dr. Barnes and Violette
de Mazia were transforming.” Ever confident and curious,
she asked to climb a ladder to study closely Cézanne’s
glorious Bathers at Rest. Granted permission and aided by
the Barnes caretaker, Amaranth had a rare opportunity to
be eye­to­eye with this masterpiece.
After class, Amaranth and de Mazia would continue their
conversations over coffee and donuts. When Amaranth
moved away, their correspondence continued. She recalled
sending dried wildflowers to Merion as a souvenir from her
international travels. Amaranth still holds onto the books
given to her and inscribed by Dr. Barnes while she took
classes at the Foundation in 1948 and 1949.
A woman of great beauty, inside and out, Amaranth formed
friendships with and modeled for numerous artists. She
traveled through Morocco and Italy with her dear friend,
world­renowned artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. He
made three portraits of Amaranth.
The sculptor Alberto Giacometti was also a close friend. He
would “hold my cheeks in his strong sculpture hands to see
my cheekbones and such in great light,” Amaranth
remembered. Her memories of Giacometti were featured
in a 2012 issue of Vogue.
Her intellect, curiosity, and wit are apparent in her painting
and print series, into which she integrates puzzles and
writing. Amaranth loves sounds, words, and language—
she’s fluent in Arabic, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Looking over a series of large, energy­filled and colorful
canvases, I asked about the title of the series, Poggibonsi,
named for a town in Italy. “I don’t know the town, but I love
the word,” she replied. “It’s like a mouth full of cherries. I
named a series of paintings just because I loved the word. If
I hear a word and I love it, it will become an inspiration for
some creative output.”
Amaranth’s New York City studio. Photo by Katie Adams. Photo © 2015 The Barnes
Foundation
Other works are named for family members, friends, and
loved ones. Amaranth’s art is personal and full of passion
and praise for her work abounds: “One feels joyful when
encountering the work. . . Her art seizes the gaze, providing
a waterfall of surprises.”
The 87­year­old artist continues to work incessantly and
her work continues to draw national and international
attention. The Huffington Post recently featured an
interview with the artist, whose work is on view in a group
show at Anita Shapolsky Gallery. Amaranth will also
participate in an exhibition of art by female abstract
expressionists at the Denver Art Museum in 2016.
No matter how it manifests itself, Amaranth’s creativity
finds its voice. Her art springs from deep personal
convictions. You don’t want to leave her studio, where each
inch of wall, table, and sitting space is covered with works
of art (sometimes the paint is still wet). Leaving her studio,
Amaranth playfully recited a poem from her childhood; her
creativity continues to pour forth like a waterfall of delight.
by Katie Adams
Third Year Students Compete at Flower Show
With assistance from the Arboretum, Education, and
Living Collections staff, the students in the Barnes
Horticulture Certificate Program created a wonderful
display at the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show. Their entry
in the Flower Show's Garden class, titled Shades of Noir,
was inspired by a film genre. It was awarded second prize in
each of the two rounds of judging. It also won a blue ribbon
for being the best­maintained exhibit in its class.
Congratulations to current third year students Laura Axel,
Rachel Carnahan, Nancy D'Angelo, Thom Donahue, Jen
Follo, Laureen Griffin, Saskia Lucardie, and Sandy Vernick.
Grenhouse manager Lynn Cherry also assisted. Enjoy this video, produced by the husband of third­year
student Jen Follo, about the students’ display.
In the Frame
Careers in horticulture Dennis Robinson and Mary Fran Cardamone. Photo by Katie Adams
Mary Butler, Mary Fran Cardamone, and Harriet Cramer
led an engaging conversation about their careers at the
January 24 panel.
Mary Butler is the head gardener for a large private estate
in Chester County. Harriet Cramer is the owner of Cramer
Design Associates, a garden design and maintenance firm
on the Main Line, and Mary Fran Cardamone is a botanical
artist working in mixed media.
“What I enjoyed most about it was just hearing the varied
and enlightening experiences of the panelists,” said
incoming horticulture student Dennis Robinson.
Exploring Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
Bill Hooper, Sonia Pettingill, Isaiah Zagar, Nina Eni, Nancy Small, Aren Alfaro, Judith
Sandson, Bill Reimert, Patricia Kahle, Annette Warriner, and John Gatti visit the Magic
Gardens. Photo © 2015 The Barnes Foundation
The Art Now class experiences numerous galleries, artist
studios, and cultural venues throughout the course.
Captured here is a recent visit to Philadelphia’s Magic
Gardens with founder and mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. Visit to the Barnes Foundation's living roof
Bill Hooper, Nancy Small, Nina Eni, Bonnie Weiner, Vince D’Antonio, Sonia Pettingill, and
Grace Ong­Yan visit the Barnes roof. Photo © 2015 The Barnes Foundation
The Art Now class treks to the rooftop of the Barnes in
Philadelphia to explore the living roof and its architecture
with instructor Grace Ong­Yan.
Revitalizing the rose garden
Horticulture Education and Programs Manager Nicole Juday and underwriter of the rose
garden revitalization, alumnus Richard Goalwin. Photo © 2015 The Barnes Foundation
Barnes horticulture alumni and arboretum volunteers
dedicate their time and resources to revitalizing the rose
garden at the Barnes Arboretum. Visit this spring to see the
roses in full bloom.
Stay connected: alumni and student 2015
events calendar
Classes and workshops
Educational opportunities abound at the Barnes. Enjoy a
short workshop or class this spring and summer.
Barnes Arboretum member preview
Friday–Sunday, April 24–26 Held at the Barnes Arboretum, 300 N. Latch’s Lane,
Merion, PA 19066 Soutine: Sources and Legacy
Sunday, April 26
2–3 pm
The Violette de Mazia Foundation and the Barnes
Foundation present scholar, curator, and Barnes alum
Richard Wattenmaker for a lecture on Chaim Soutine.
Wattenmaker argues that Soutine used his profound
knowledge of artistic tradition and his predecessors as the
basis for his own original and unique work. Reception to
follow.
Alumni, students, and their guests. Reserve online or call
215.287.7110.
Barnes Arboretum plant sale
Saturday, May 2
8:30–10 am member preview
10 am–2 pm public hours Join us for the annual plant sale featuring rare trees and
shrubs, many propagated from the Barnes’s living
collections. Choose from a wide variety of classic and hard­
to­find annuals, perennials, and woody plants. Barnes
horticulture experts are on hand to answer your garden
questions and ensure you choose the right plant.
Free. Held at the Barnes Arboretum, 300 N. Latch’s Lane,
Merion, PA 19066
The Order of Things opening party Friday, May 15 6–9 pm
Internationally­renowned artists Mark Dion, Judy Pfaff,
and Fred Wilson have each created an installation piece
inspired by the unconventional way that Albert Barnes
installed his own collection. Be among the first to see this
thought­provoking show and rediscover through
contemporary art how the Barnes ensembles defy
curatorial norms and challenge visitors to see art with a
universal sense of order. $25; members $20. Register online or call 215.278.7200.
An Unusual Party: Preview the Scott Arboretum
Unusual Annual and Tropical Sale
Friday, May 15
5:30–7:30 pm
A preview of the Unusual Annual and Tropical Sale at Scott
Arboretum for alumni of the Barnes Foundation art and
horticulture education programs. Enjoy refreshments and
hors d’oeuvres and get the first chance to purchase limited
quantities of more than 200 unusual tropical and annual
plants at this popular annual event. Come early for a tour
of annual and tropical plants in Scott Arboretum, guided by
Scott horticulturists. Sponsored by the Alumni Council of
the Barnes Foundation and Scott Arboretum. Receive a 25% discount off the $40 entry fee when you
register online, or call 215.278.7200.
The Garden Conservancy: Open Days Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7
The Barnes Foundation is proud to partner with the
Garden Consevancy for Open Days. Barnes alumni gardens
will be featured. Volunteers needed. Contact Nicole Juday. The Ensemble: Conversation and Critique Tuesday, June 23
10–11:30 am
Alumni enjoy a private viewing of The Order of Things,
with site­specific installations by Mark Dion, Judy Pfaff,
and Fred Wilson. Curator Martha Lucy will discuss her
inspiration for the exhibition and provide insight into the
individual artists’ reactions to the Barnes Foundation and
its signature ensembles. Students and alumni $15. Call 215.278.7110.
Cultivating Passion: how plants inspire creativity
Thursday, October 1
Symposium and reception to celebrate the 75th
Anniversary of horticulture education at the Barnes
Foundation. Details to come.
The Barnes Foundation
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130
General Information 215.278.7110
www.barnesfoundation.org
[email protected]
The vision continues with your support. Thank you!
Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe