The Art of the Steal

This 2009 documentary is riveting. It tells the tale of the embattled Barnes Foundation located  four miles outside Philadelphia.. The Barnes Foundation is home to a vast collection of numerous works of Matisse, Cezanne, Dali and many other modern and post-impressionist works of art. And the collection is worth billions. The intent of the orginal collector was to leave all this artwork for students to access and not in a large museum. Of course, the wealthy and powerful of The City of Brotherly Love desire the collection to be housed in Philadelphia in order to support tourism and the money tourisys bring to a city. Granted, this documentary is one sided. The people, all former Barnes students and board members, interviewed are all against the move to Philadelphia. Although this documentary shows one side it is interesting to read that all the powerbrokers declined invitations to be interviewed. I green light this documentary. Although it is about the art world, the story unfolds like a crime thriller.