The Barnes collection is so visually rich and dense with masterpieces that one can barely navigate all the rooms without feeling “art dizzy.”

Since its move to downtown Philadelphia, art lovers are flocking to see this amazing collection. The new building, designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, created a gorgeous exterior to house a mammoth interior collection of 800 paintings, plus iron works, antique furniture and accessories. The rules of the move were that the art had to be hung in the exact same manner that Dr. Albert C. Barnes dictated when the Barnes Collection was first built in 1922.

As one travels from room to room one can be overwhelmed by the many, many masterpieces. Some of the highlights of the Collection are:

In the Main Room
Look for Paul Cezanne’s, The Card Player and George’s Seuart’s Models.

In Room 2
You can find Vincent van Gogh’s, The Postman.

In Room 14
You will see Henri Rousseau’s, Attacked by a Tiger.

Room 19 houses Pablo Picasso’s
Acrobat and Young Harlequin.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s, Leaving the Conservatory can be found in Room 23.

The Barnes Collection
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am – 6 pm, Friday 9:30 am – 10 pm, Tuesday Closed.

A short walk across the street from the Barnes Collection, you will find the Rodin Museum, which houses a collection of 150 pieces by sculptor Auguste Rodin. Jules E. Mastbaum collected these works over a period of years, ultimately donating both the museum and art works in 1929 to the city of Philadelphia. Newly renovated after 3 years of work on the building, gardens and gallery, this museum is a jewel and I highly recommend a visit.

The Rodin Museum
Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m, Tuesday Closed
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Early risers may have an advantage when planning a day trip to Crystal Bridges from the New York area.
 
Ben Whine, the head of The Patron Circle of the Guggenheim Museum, planned a perfect day trip for its members (bwhine@guggenheim.org). We woke up with the sun to catch the morning United flight from Newark, and arrived a few hours later at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. After a 30 minute ride, we found ourselves immersed in a structural and artistic marvel. Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club founder Sam Walton, created Crystal Bridges and open the museum in 2011. Walton funds the museum with an $800 million dollar endowment from the The Walton Family Foundation.
 
The museum collection emphasizes American Art and spans five centuries, featuring many iconic pieces such as George Washington (ca. 1780-1782) by Charles Wilson Peale, Asher Durand’s, Kindred Spirits (1849) and Rosie the Riveter (1943) by Norman Rockwell. My personal favorite is Dolly Parton (1985) by Andy Warhol — with her big blond hair and red lips, she represents the warmth and sweetness of the South.
 
I was immediately stunned by the architecture of the museum — a knockout in every way. The glass, stone, and wood structure was designed by architect Moshe Safdie. It is situated on Crystal Springs, which acts as a beautiful mirror reflecting the building in the water. Large curved glass windows are a prominent feature throughout the buildings and one sees nature — water, trees and sky, at every angle.
 
The pavillion in which we had lunch quickly became my favorite. Eleven, the restaurant at Crystal Bridges, is the “center core” of the surrounding structures. Enveloped by walls made of curved glass, we ate lunch while admiring the wooden beams that arched across the ceiling. Eleven is spectacular in every way.
After viewing the art in the interior of the museum, we took a walk on the Crystal Bridges’ Art Trail, ending up at the site-specific commission by James Turrell, The Way of Color (2009.) This “Skyspace” is a circular stone building with an opening at the top through which to marvel at the sky. It is a delight to sit on a bench and watch the sky’s shifting colors and shapes. On the way back to the airport, we stopped in Bentonville and visited the Walmart Visitor Center that one enters by walking through the original 5&10 which Sam Walton opened in 1950. The Visitors Center highlights Walton’s business life, even displaying his iconic 1979 Ford F 150 pickup truck.
 
Many goodies will tempt you as you exit the Visitors Center. Of course, I could not resist buying Made in America, Sam Walton’s autobiography. This entrepreneur’s guiding principles of life are to “Work very hard and live below your means.”
 
Walmart Visitors Center is free and is open 6:30 am – 9:00 pm Monday-Saturday and 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday. (105 N. Main Street, Bentonville, AR)
 
Crystal Bridges is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from11 am to 6 pm, and Wednesday Friday from 11 am to 9 pm. (www.crystalbridges.org, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville AR, 72712)
 
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Crystal Bridges
600 Museum Way
Bentonville, AR
72712
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The Panza collection is a study in contrasts. Old and new, classical and contemporary – the collection’s dichotomies offer an interesting space for the art lover to explore.
 
The Minimal art collection of Giuseppe Panza is housed in a 17th century villa in Varese, Italy. As one walks through the villa, works by minimal artists David Simpson, Phil Sims, Ruth Ann Fredenthal, Robert Therrien and Max Cole hang in baroque rooms, some of which were designed in the 19th century. Massive crystal chandeliers, patterned marble floors, and frescos from the mid 18th century adorn the rooms of the villa as well as the private family chapel.
 
The real surprise is the added gallery space built to house the installation by well-known contemporary artists such as James Turrell, Robert Irwin and Dan Flavin. This gallery has the largest collection of continuously exhibited works by Dan Flavin. These artists’ site-specific installations are a tribute to the legacy of Giuseppe Panza, who had the brilliance to recognize how important these works were in the context of mid-20th century contemporary art history.
 
I suggest buying an exceptional book by Giuseppe Panza, Memoirs of a Collector. It describes Panza’s life and his love affair with America and American art in the most beautiful and elegant way. The book also showcases 37 pages of colorful plates that show the interior and exterior of the villa as well as the garden and fountain. The photographs of the rooms give one a real sense of what an incredible experience it is to visit the Villa.
 
The Villa also houses a lovely restaurant, Luce, which I would suggest you try. If you would like to explore the old town of Varese, you could eat at Ristorante Teatro near the Duomo. The old town area is charming, offering an array of international boutiques as well as delicious coffee houses for your post-art-viewing enjoyment.
 
Ristorante Teatro (Closed Tuesdays. Via Carlo Croce, 3, Varese 21100, +39 332 24.11.24)
 
The Panza Collection (www.visitfai.it/dimore/villapanza, Hours: Open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am-6 pm. Admission: Adults 8 Euros; Children and Students 3 Euros.)
 
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Collezione Panza
Piazza Litta, 1
Varese,
Italy
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Located in the picturesque town of Greenwich, Conn.—a short drive from the bustle and buzz of New York City—is The Brant Foundation, a private art foundation that was established in 1996 by art enthusiast, collector and publisher, Peter Brant. The Foundation, which is housed in a charming stone barn, is surrounded by sprawling green polo grounds, which are embellished by permanent sculptures created by Richard Serra. Other sculptures on display include Urs Fischer’s “Big Clay.”
 
Renowned for its long-term exhibitions, The Brant Foundation primarily curates from its own private collection and functions as a museum in that it borrows from other art institutions, and collections and also lends its contemporary works to more than a dozen exhibitions annually. What makes Brant’s collection so remarkable is that each artist that is featured is represented in depth, and the exhibits include works from the earliest period of an artist’s career through his or her most current works.
 
The star of the recent show, on view through September 2012, is artist Karen Kilimnik. Visitors are invited to explore Kilimnik’s glamorous, fantasy, femme-inspired world. She explores a wide range of themes—from the dark, mystery of witchcraft to set design, the wonder of the solar system and even magic.
 
Glamour and an ultra-feminine sensibility mingle rather artistically in a flowery room washed in pale blue walls. Chic, colorful fashion sketches adorn the walls, which are covered in whimsical wall paper. Oriental-style furniture and umbrellas are placed sparsely in the space and colorful decorative lanterns also dangle from the ceiling.
 
Another installation features a pristine, well-manicured garden of green. Impeccably tailored shrubbery adorns the English-style garden that boasts a decorative fountain as its focal point. A display of bold pink flowers adds a hint of unexpected color. Everything about this scene is clean and pure.
 
Free to the public Located at 941 North Street, Greenwich, Conn., The Brant Foundation is open Monday through Friday by appointment only, 203.869.0611.
 

Greenwich Day Tripper

You may want to venture out into the charming town of Greenwich, Conn., which is just a 15-minute drive from The Brant Foundation. There are plenty of chic, delectable eateries that are open for lunch, specifically Mediterraneo (zhospitalitygroup.com/mediterraneo/). If you’re looking for a sweet treat before your drive home, head to St. Moritz Pastry Shop (stmoritzpastryshop.com) and taste one of their Sarah Bernhards, which they’ve won top honors for.
 
If shopping is your passion, don’t miss Richards (mitchellstores.com)—an iconic Greenwich shopping institution that has been catering to the Greenwich community for three generations.
 
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