Philadelphia - The Barnes collection, with more than 4,000 works ofart including paintings by Renoir, Van Gogh and Cezanne, opens atits new home on Saturday in Philadelphia's cultural center. The opening in the modern US$150 million (S$188 million) facilityon a 4.5-acre site comes after a nearly decade-long fight over themove from its historic home in a suburb outside the city. "This is a world-class collection and we decided to give it aworld-class home," Joseph Neubauer, vice chairman of the board ofThe Barnes Foundation, said on Wednesday. "The pictures have never had a better home than they have today." The new site in Philadelphia's Center City with its offices, shopsand open spaces is in sharp contrast to the collection's historichome in a stately mansion in suburban Merion, which some civicleaders thought was too far away to attract tourists. Neubauer said he expects attendance at the new facility, which ispaid for and sits on land donated by the city, to quadruple fromthe 60,000 annual visitors in Merion to as many as 250,000. The Barnes collection is named after Philadelphia doctor AlbertBarnes, who died in 1951. The Barnes Foundation, which controls it, says the paintingsconstitute one of the world's great collections of Frenchimpressionist, post impressionist and modern art. Among its treasures are 181 works by Renoir, 69 by Cezanne, sevenby Van Gogh and 59 by Henri Matisse, including a three-panel workcalled "The Dance" that stretches across several feet of archwaysin the building's most prominent exhibit space. Museum officials said the rooms inside the new facility are almostexactly the same as the 23 rooms at the Merion location, and theplacement of the paintings and other works is nearly identical aswell. "Whenever possible we went to the 16th or 8th of an inch," said arthandler Tim Giershick. Nancy Leeman, who was in charge of moving the paintings, furniture,sculptures and metal work, said 700 paintings were among more than4,000 works of art taken to the new site. "In Merion, it was a destination, and those who were interestedfound a way to get there," said John Gatti who is on the faculty ofthe institution. "We're hoping that more people will have great access to thecollection. The relocation follows an acrimonious battle documented in the film"The Art of the Steal." Critics say the move goes against Barnes' wishes to keep thecollection in Merion. Half a dozen people demonstrated outside the new building carryingbanners saying "So sorry Dr. Barnes," and "Barnes and Barnum,together at last." "Our job is to educate the public about what the history of thecontroversy has actually been," said one demonstrator Evelyn Yaari,of suburban Bala Cynwyd. I am an expert from digital-colour-printing.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Vinyl Banners Printing , Rice Paper Printing, Bus Wraps,and more.
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