museum procrastination

 

So, I’ve been meaning to go to an exhibit about Chinese restaurants that has been up since the spring. Now I have to scramble to try to make it by Sunday the last day and probably see it while angry interns are taking it down. Fortunately, a friend made it and has a photographic memory so I can get an item by item recap.

To avoid such a fiasco again, I’m going to be proactive in planning a visit to the Barnes Foundation this fall. Barnes was a rich guy who collected great impressionist, postimpressionist, and early modernist paintings in his Main Line (the fancy first suburbs of Philadelphia) estate. When he died he felt bad and made a school, but said that the art would have to stay in his estate and be seen salon style. They opened the museum to the public, but discouraged them to attend by making it very restrictive to not upset the wealthy neighbors with throngs of tourists. The whole collection is moving to center city sometime soon after a lengthy court battle, but I want to see it in the estate setting at least once before the move.

I tried to go once.
We walked in and were asked by a guard “What are you doing here?”
Us, “We wanted to see the collection.”
Guard, flustered, “Well. Well… first of all, you shouldn’t even be here… second of all, how did you get in… you need an appointment.”
Us, “Sorry we didn’t know.”
Guard… “Well I’ll escort you off the grounds now. I don’t know how you got in here.”

We tried to take a picture of the outside of the house but that was also forbidden.
I got this one of Dave climbing the gate.

Anyway, they seem to be only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the fall. I’m not going to wait, so contact me quickly if you want to come. I guess there are times when you have to make appointments months in advance. Contact me with questions if you have any. I’m going to make an appointment early next week.

My free dates
Saturday, September 23
Sunday, September 24
Saturday, September 30 morning
Sunday, October 1
Sunday, October 8
Saturday, October 14
Sunday, October 15
Sunday, October 22

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