In the Press • Quotations From Withering Criticism From Around the Country From across the country, critics, curators, historians, and concerned citizens have voiced their opposition to the plan to move the Barnes Foundation. The common theme is the importance of preserving one of the world's great sites of art and culture from needless destruction. The common emotions range from profound dismay to anguish, all underscored with frustration over the hubris that has brought us to this. This archive is a mere sampling of what has been said in opposition to the move of the Barnes art collection. The weight of the commentary stands in contrast to the disturbing dearth of reporting from Philadelphia’s main newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer. With the exception of the Inquirer’s art critic, Edward J. Sozanski, and extensive reporting in 2005 by Patricia Horn, the paper has not reported the full story about the Barnes Foundation and has, until very recently, ignored the existence and substance of the strong opposition movement in Friends of the Barnes Foundation. This serious lapse has left the Inquirer’s readers uninformed and, consequently, misinformed. Through this website, Friends of the Barnes Foundation hopes to fill that information gap. To set the scene, we begin with John Anderson, author of the book, Art Held Hostage. His article “Another Legal Theft” was published in the Wall Street Journal on September 25, 2003: “You'd think the city's philanthropic and cultural
elite would have been eager to help an internationally renowned institution
in its own backyard. But things weren't that simple. When Ms. Camp (former
Director of the Barnes Foundation) went begging for financial
support, its members said no--or gave a dribble here and a drab there.
On one occasion, says Ms. Camp, she approached Raymond Perelman,
the multimillionaire father of billionaire Ron Perelman, who was
then board chairman of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He "stuck
out his hand, and he said he'd be happy to give money, 'as soon as
you give me this.' And I said: 'Give you what?' And he said: 'The
keys--the keys to the Barnes.' "Once again,
powerful forces within the Philadelphia art community were conspiring
to take over a priceless collection.”
Latest in the PressJuly 3, 2008 Judge Ott: Justice for Dr. Barnes is still 'in your court' by Aram K. Jerrehian Jr. DEAR JUDGE OTT: Although I am honored to be associated with the volunteer group known as the Friend of the Barnes Foundation, I am writing this on my own behalf. Your recent ruling denying standing to the Petitioners, including the County of Montgomery, to reopen the proceedings regarding moving the collection to Philadelphia is distressing and perplexing.
June 30, 2008
June 29, 2008 "Art: Friends of Barnes keep up the good fight," by Edward Sozanski,
Contributing Art Critic Although their last-gasp legal challenge to moving the fabulous Barnes collection to
June 19, 2008 “When Politics Shows its Face, It’s Not Pretty,” by Evelyn Yaari Main Line Times “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” Albert Einstein “On June 10 a delegation from Friends of the Barnes Foundation went to Norristown to meet the County Commissioners, our former allies in the effort to preserve the Barnes Foundation in Merion. During the course of the hour and a half meeting, it became apparent that the politics that had made the Barnes cause useful for election purposes had run its course. Commissioners Hoeffel and Matthews, previously totally committed to doing everything reasonable to preserve the Barnes, were caving in right before our eyes.”
June 25, 2008 "Postcards from Nowhere" by Jed Perl, The New Republic ...... Shortly after returning to New York, I went down to Philadelphia to visit the Barnes Foundation, a sacred place for anybody who loves modern art. And the news there is bad as well, for most likely the Barnes will soon be torn out of its historic home in suburban Merion and reconstituted as part of a projected museum district in downtown Philadelphia
June 11, 2008 “A last-ditch pitch” Commissioners hold closed-door meeting on Barnes issue by Margaret Gibbons, Times Herald COURTHOUSE — With Monday’s deadline looming for an appeal, the Montgomery County commissioners still have not decided whether to pursue litigation aimed at keeping the renowned Barnes art collection in Lower Merion.
June 4, 2008
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