Happy Belated Birthday, Dr. Barnes!

On the first Friday of the New Year, Philadelphia art enthusiasts gathered at the Barnes Foundation to celebrate and remember Dr. Albert C. Barnes. This dedicated art collector was born in the city of brotherly love on January 2, 1872. A true renaissance man, he was a doctor, chemist, writer, businessman, educator, and philanthropist. How do you celebrate the 142nd birthday of a man who left such a legacy of art?

The galleries opened from 6-9 pm to members and anyone who could snag a $25 ticket before the event sold out. As a lover of music who provided scholarships for many young students to learn at prestigious music academies, Dr. Barnes had very eclectic taste and appreciated everything from classic Mozart to soulful African American spirituals. To honor his distinct musical taste, a string quartet and a tabernacle choir filled the grand hall with joyous sound that surely would have had Dr. Barnes dancing and humming in his grave.

My roommate and I attended this 142nd birthday bash for only $12.50 thanks to a deal on uwishunu.com. We enjoyed gourmet cupcakes provided by Whole Foods and a very expensive but delicious cheese assortment before exploring the nearly empty galleries. Note: when there is a cash bar and drinks are not permitted in the galleries, you are guaranteed to have an unobstructed view of the art for approximately the length of time it takes to finish a glass of wine.

As it was my second trip to the Barnes and my roommate had never been, I took it upon myself to be her tour guide. We started in the main room on the first floor, where the sheer volume of paintings is enough to make your head spin. My technique for absorbing everything was to embark on two rounds of art viewing: a strategic speed-through followed by a slow perusing. This way, the shock of the amount of artwork could be absorbed in one fell swoop so that during round two, one could actually linger and appreciate the collection.

Some personal highlights of the collection are Van Gogh’s House and Figures and Still Life and Matisse’s Blue Still Life and La Joie de Vivre (pictured above). Each room of the museum is home to artwork of different eras and regions, showing that Dr. Barnes’s taste in art is as eclectic as his taste in music. 

Painting the Town

Himo and all of his helpers pose with their masterpiece.

Up until last week, walking down 36th street has been typical to any sidewalk stroll through University City. While en route to class, I noticed the brick home to Power Yoga and Urban & Bye was painted white. There were some workers sitting on scaffolding, applying the white paint evenly over the brick. I didn’t think much of it, and hurried on my way. The next day, a patch of color was smiling at me from the wall.

36th & Lancaster gets a makeover.

I did a double take. With just a corner of a mural painted, the intersection was transformed into a place of wonder. It’s now a place where people can gather and where the community could meet beside a 15x20 foot technicolor fresco. The boost of energy, color, and happiness provides a vibrant surface for the sun to bounce off of and for people to reflect beside.

I watched the progress of the mural installation for a week, and on the final day of painting, I couldn’t stay away. I was pulled like a moth to a flame, like a design student to a bucket of paint. 

After a solid five minutes of standing on the sidewalk smiling at the mural like the village idiot, one of the artists asked their leader a question.

“Hey, are you gonna let this girl just stand there or are you gonna give her a brush?”

Before I knew it, I had a can of silver paint in my hands and I was adding lacey layers of iridescence to a beautiful web of color. Their Spanglish joking and banter drew me in, and the colors made me stay. I spent the next hour painting, laughing, and playing with their dog, Samantha. I learned about Himo’s first art lessons, which were held at the community down the street. I also learned about his artistic process, which draws inspiration from his native Veracruz. As a Spanish Minor who was currently preparing for a presentation on Central and South American artistic movements, I couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky to be working alongside Philly's own Diego Rivera.

I also met his assistant, Ana Uribe V., who hails from Colombia and has a broad portfolio of murals throughout the city. Her son, David, and two other painters stood a few feet back on the sidewalk with me and we all said what we saw in the mural. Chinese calligraphy, hurricanes, topographical patterns, bubbles, lightning…the list went on. This abstract fiesta breathes life into the community and energizes the entire surrounding area.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for flyers with details regarding the mural dedication ceremony, where a Colombian band, food, and dancing will help celebrate the achievements of Himo and his team of painters. The mural capital city of the nation has a new piece of history that has just been written, and it's only a few steps away from Ed's. 

Himo’s mural vibrates and sings the stories of the Latin community of Philadelphia. I hope you’ll take the time to see it and let the visual tango take your eyes for a spin down Lancaster.