Philadelphia and the Brandywine Valley: Art, Artists, and the New Barnes Foundation

May 22–26, 2013

Popular tour leader Lisa Hahn leads this artistic adventure in the City of Brotherly Love.

Wednesday, May 22
Arrive independently at the Philadelphia International Airport. Visit to the innovative Fabric Workshop and Museum, the only non-profit organization in the United States devoted to creating new work in fabric and other materials in collaboration with emerging and established artists from around the world. Continue for a visit to the studio of fabric artist Kevin O’Brien. Check into the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia located in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening at a popular local restaurant.

Thursday, May 23
Begin the day with a visit to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Continue for a private tour of the Barnes Foundation at its brand new Philadelphia home. The Barnes Foundation possesses a world-acclaimed collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early modern art in America. This afternoon, explore historic Olde City Philadelphia on foot, visiting galleries and seeing some of Philadelphia’s historic sites. Conclude the day with a reception at the prestigious Snyderman Gallery while examining the works of some popular craft and fiber artists. Dinner and the evening are at leisure.

Friday, May 24
Spend the first part of the day touring the permanent collection and special exhibition Great and Mighty Things: Art from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Continue to the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia and view a special exhibition featuring the large-scale sculpture of Glasgow-based artist Karla Black. End the day with a visit to a superb private collection of Minimalist and contemporary art. Dinner and the evening are at leisure.

Saturday, May 25
Depart for a full-day excursion to the Brandywine Valley. Visits include the Civil-War era building which now houses the Brandywine River Museum, which exhibits the works of Howard Pyle and boasts one of the largest collections of works by three generations of the Wyeth family as well as others of the Brandywine School. After lunch at the Gables at Chadds Ford restaurant, visit Longwood Gardens. Enjoy the exquisite flowers, majestic trees, and opulent architecture amid 1,050 acres. Continue to the Winterthur Museum in neighboring Delaware. Built for Henry Francis DuPont in 1839, the nine-story mansion is filled with one of the finest collections of early American furnishings and accessories and surrounded by beautiful gardens. This evening, enjoy a festive farewell dinner at a favorite local restaurant.

Sunday, May 26
This morning, visit the studio of artist Emily Brown whose work is firmly grounded in nature. Her large-scale ink drawings and her more intimate landscape paintings are fresh, serene, and poetic. Continue for lunch a visit to a private collection on the Main Line comprised of modern and contemporary art, along with some outdoor sculpture. Depart for the Philadelphia International Airport for your independently arranged flight home.

Terms and Conditions

Cost: $2,795 per person based on double occupancy; single supplement add $485. Full payment must is due at time of reservation and indicates acceptance of all group arrangements. Cost includes: Four nights’ accommodations at the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia; breakfast daily at the hotel, three lunches, two dinners, and one reception; all activities described in the itinerary; transportation by private motor coach; airport transfers in Philadelphia for those meeting designated group transfers; all taxes, gratuities, fees, and porterage; services of Lisa Hahn as tour manager and local docents and guides. NOT INCLUDED: Airfare to and from Philadelphia [contact the Member Travel department at (312) 443-3115 for suggested flights]; meals or beverages not specifically mentioned as included; items of a personal nature.

Upon registration, each participant will be provided with an Art Institute of Chicago Waiver and Release form that must be signed and returned to the Member Travel department prior to program departure.

Cancellation Policy

The Art Institute of Chicago (“AIC”) and Art Horizons International, Inc. (“Tour Operator”) reserve the right to withdraw the tour or any part if it and to make such alterations in the itinerary as to it (or them)seems necessary and desirable. In the event of the cancellation of the Tour prior to departure, a full refund will constitute full settlement between all parties. No refund shall be due from AIC in conjunction with changes in rates or itineraries or substitution of suppliers. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour. AIC and/or Tour Operator reserve the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour if AIC, Tour Operator, or both determine that the participation of that individual is objectionable and, in the event such authority is exercised, the participant waives any right and all claims for damages. Baggage and personal effects are the sole responsibility of owners at all times.

Cancellation notification must be in writing. Participants may cancel on or before April 5, 2013 with a cancellation fee of $100 plus any nonrefundable costs and cancellation fees incurred by hotels and other venues at the time of cancellation. After April 5, 2013, there will be no refund, unless canceled space can be filled from an existing waitlist. Trip cancellation insurance is highly recommended; an application will be sent with reservation confirmation.

To register, call (312) 443-3115.