The Barnes Foundation
2020 Pennsylvania Ave.
Philadelphia
July 23, 2026
On a recent rainy afternoon, I decided to take advantage of the Barnes Foundation's current offer of free admission for Philly residents throughout July. As a native Philadelphian, I had actually never been — and this felt like the perfect opportunity to correct that. The first piece that caught my eye was a large stainless steel structure outside of the museum itself by Ellsworth Kelly, appropriately titled Barnes Totem. Its commanding presence reminded me of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Seeing it from afar, I was already impressed by the sheer size, and that perspective only grew as I walked closer towards it. As I made my way towards the entrance, I crossed a large pool that made the totem double in size with the help of its reflection off the water. To me, this piece served as a preview for the vast, eye catching, and diverse array of pieces that the Barnes contains. Totems from many different cultures gathered under one roof to be admired, analyzed, and in a sense, worshipped.
I scanned my ticket and headed downstairs to check my bag, where I was met with an installation detailing the many Barnes Foundation grant recipients throughout the years and a gift shop that for the sake of my wallet I should pretend does not exist. The first exhibit I decided to check out was "Freedom Dreams," a collection of five short films exploring the cultural memories of Black Americans as The United States celebrates its 250th “birthday.” With some of the films clocking in close to 30 minutes, I made the call to only watch the shortest one in the interest of time – there’s still some July left, and I’ll definitely be back. I caught bits and pieces of the other shorts, but I was pleased with my choice of Love is The Message, The Message is Death. My experience was heightened by the fact that there was no one else in the room during the entirety of the 7-minute viewing. Dozens of clips ranging from the horrors of police brutality to civil rights protests across multiple eras to swag surfing were interspersed with footage of space as Kanye West’s "Ultralight Beam" soundtracked the video. My personal favorite inclusion was a clip of IceJJFish singing his viral hit "On The Floor," which really highlighted the diversity of contributions that Black people have had on video media throughout the years. As each clip cut into the next, I found myself thinking about the concept of "Black famous" and how many of the videos included could only truly be appreciated by someone from the culture. This piece was for a specific audience and I'm proud to be a part of it.
The next piece that I was drawn to was one of the many ironworks on display that fills the negative space between paintings. A French weather vane in the shape of an angel sits above "The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence," extending the painting beyond its physical frame. As Saint Lawrence is being tortured by Roman soldiers below, the presence of his faith lingers above, directing him atop an arrow. These two separate pieces from different eras and places compliment each other naturally and create a new narrative that maybe neither of the original artists intended. The placement of every piece in The Barnes feels intentional and complimentary.
While exploring the upstairs of The Barnes, I was fascinated by the array of patterns on an oriental rug on display. The care and attention to detail throughout the threads was impressive and of all the beautiful art I saw that day, this is probably the one I would’ve taken home with me if given the chance.
With another week left in July, I would implore every Philly resident to take advantage of the free admission. Even if you can only do a quick lap, it’s worth observing the wide assortment of art on display. Find out more about the Barnes Foundation and its July free admission for Philadelphians here.
