Pennsylvania
A World of Art: The Barnes Foundation, Murals & More
Program No. 23179RJ
Revel in the artistry of Philadelphia as you visit some of the nation’s most celebrated museums, and find out why Philadelphia is known as the unofficial mural capital of the world.
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
6 days
5 nights
11 meals
5B 3L 3D
1
Check-In, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Philadelphia, PA
2
Grounds for Sculpture, The Barnes Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
3
Philadelphia Outdoor Wall Art, PAFA
Philadelphia, PA
4
Brandywine River Museum
Philadelphia, PA
5
Philadelphia Museum of Art & Free Afternoon
Philadelphia, PA
6
Rodin & Program Concludes
Philadelphia, PA
At a Glance
Philadelphia is home to some of America’s finest art, found in the world-renowned museums and on urban walls across the city. Exceptional collections span the breadth of artistic history from Impressionism to present-day works and beyond. Get an in-depth view of this extraordinary world of art as you go behind the scenes with local art experts, and go on a Philadelphia field trip to explore the street art of the “unofficial mural capital of the world.”
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking up to two miles.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Discover world-renowned collections of art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Barnes Foundation and the studio and museum of the Wyeth Family in the Brandywine Valley.
- Explore Grounds for Sculpture, a 42-acre sculpture park, with a professional sculptor and view impressionist paintings as posed in “plein air.”
- Join a local art expert on a street-art excursion around Philadelphia to learn about the transformative power of public murals from the canvas to the urban wall.
General Notes
Join us in Philadelphia as we celebrate, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - 250 years of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Elizabeth Anderson
Elizabeth earned a master’s in Art History at the University of Pennsylvania and was associated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she served as curator, for 40 years. She presented lectures on art history and gallery talks at the museum and has taught at LaSalle, Drexel and Princeton Universities. Elizabeth is a former secretary of the Philadelphia chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians and the Museum Council of Philadelphia. She also serves as trustee of The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Elizabeth Anderson
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Elizabeth earned a master’s in Art History at the University of Pennsylvania and was associated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she served as curator, for 40 years. She presented lectures on art history and gallery talks at the museum and has taught at LaSalle, Drexel and Princeton Universities. Elizabeth is a former secretary of the Philadelphia chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians and the Museum Council of Philadelphia. She also serves as trustee of The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks.
Tish Byrne
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An artist and historian, Tish Byrne is passionate about all aspects of her native city and its environment after having lived in and led explorations at the Physick House, which belongs to Philadelphia Landmarks. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts later becoming an administrative assistant to the Director of the school. Presently, she leads excursions for the mural arts program, is a docent at Historic Christ Church and leads explorations of Philadelphia landmarks.
Lauren Kain
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Lauren Biddle Kain is the site coordinator for Philadelphia Landmarks Road Scholar. She received her BS/BA from Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. After marriage and transfer to the San Diego area, she began working at EVENT NETWORK, a leading experiental retail operator, on behalf of cultural attractions such as zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, museums, science centers and other cultural attractions. Lauren and her family now reside in the Philadelphia area. She started working with Road Scholar as a junior Group Leader for Grandparent Programs.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
A World of Art: The Barnes Foundation, Murals & More
Program Number: 23179
A Concise History of Philadelphia
Small paperback book telling the history and politics of Philadelphia from 1682 to 1976
The Perennial Philadelphians
Philadelphia - Portrait of an American City
Philadelphia Then & Now
Masterpieces of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, The Annenberg Collection
Covering some of the most striking and extraordinary art to come out of the nineteenth and early-twentieth century, this handsome book presents more than fifty masterpieces by such luminaries as Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso, each work accompanied by clarifying texts and comparative illustrations.
A Layperson's Overview of Three Centuries of Philadelphia Architecture
Autobiography
Building the City Beautiful: The Benjamin Franklin Parkway & the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Devil and Dr. Barnes, Portrait of an American Art Collector
Art collector and famously combative eccentric, Albert Barnes was a legendary figure in the early 20th-century art scene, and his remarkable life is given a full treatment in Greenfield's entertaining biography
A Guide's Guide to Philadelphia
William Penn's Holy Experiment
Impressionism
A readable account of the French Impressionist movement and its most notable artists, illustrated with color reproductions. This book's thoughtful analyses of individual works are illuminated by solid historical and cultural background.