We, the undersigned, wish to express our total opposition to the planned dismantling of the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania. Removal of the art collection of Albert C. Barnes for installation in a replica is unnecessary, unjustifiable, and would destroy a unique site of national historic and cultural significance. We are dismayed that Attorney General Tom Corbett has not fulfilled his responsibility as legal protector of the Barnes Trust, that Governor Rendell and The Pew Charitable Trusts stand ready with massive public and private funding to replicate the Barnes rather than work to find creative solutions for its permanent preservation. To undertake such an enterprise at a time of extreme economic upheaval is beyond all reason and no evidence has been published to indicate otherwise. The Barnes in its Merion setting embodies ideals of a particular visionary, at a particular time in our history, in a particular place. The art collection, its Paul Philippe Cret designed gallery building, and surrounding 12-acre arboretum are integral to one another and both have equally profound roots to the Merion site. To be authentic, they must remain intact. To those who say that the Barnes move is a “done deal,” we say “No, it is not.” To those who say that it is too late to turn back from the brink of a cultural disaster, we say, “It is not. Turn back now.” We urge instead the widest possible financial and moral support for the permanent preservation of an intact Barnes Foundation in Merion as a national cultural treasure unlike any other.

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Dear Donor, I am writing to express my opposition to the plan to dismantle the Barnes Foundation, to which your organization has reportedly pledged financial support. The Parkway Barnes project would cause the destruction of the Barnes complex in Merion, a site of national historic significance that is respected by people all over the world. In order to assure its preservation, I urge your foundation to reconsider your pledge toward removal of the Barnes art collection, and instead contribute to funding permanent preservation of an intact Barnes Foundation in Merion. There, it can fulfill the Barnes legacy with integrity and be sustained for future generations as one of our nation’s most extraordinary cultural sites at a fraction of the cost of the proposed new building. Sincerely,

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