The Art of the Steal

(USA, 2009, 101 mins, 35mm)

Wisconsin Premiere

cinematographer: Don Argott
editor: Demian Fenton
sound: Gary E. Irwin
music: West Thordson
executive producer: Lenny Feinberg
producer: Sheena M. Joyce
production company: 9.14 Pictures/ MAJ Productions

Five miles outside Philadelphia is the The Barnes Foundation, a school and museum housing the personal collection of Dr. Albert C. Barnes. He had an affection for Post-Impressionist and Early Modern works, and gathered a significant number of important paintings and other items at the museum in Lower Marion. So great was his appreciation for this work, he advocated for a very specific arrangement for hanging in the galleries, never to be removed — which also reflected his disdain for the cultural elitism of the big city. After his death, however, a dramatic and quite thrilling chain of events has led to the establishment of a new Barnes museum in the heart of Philadelphia’s tourist district, and the collection is slated to be moved there against the founder’s wishes. The Art of the Steal vividly tracks the intriguing story and the people involved, which include the trustees of Lincoln College, the wealthy neighbors in Lower Marion fighting to keep the collection in the original location, and members of Pennsylvania’s government and social circles. In the process, the film explores questions of the role of art in civic society: is art for the masses better than art for the few, and who stands to gain from artworks worth millions of dollars? 2009 Toronto, New York, AFI Film Festivals.

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