Eleven years since the Barnes Foundation moved its collection to Philadelphia, St. Joseph’s University has opened the Frances Maguire Art Museum at its former location, 50 Lapsley Lane, Merion Station. Mike DeNardo covered the repurposing for KYW Newsradio.

The university is currently leasing the building from the Barnes Foundation at a nominal cost. The new museum is named after university benefactor Frances Maguire.

The building has been renovated and now boasts new lighting and dedicated classroom space. The latter was a must-have priority, as the university plans to hold programs for K–12 schools on both sides of City Line Avenue.

“We also have what we’re calling the Great Hall, which used to be called Gallery 1, the large space when you first walk in,” said museum director Emily Hage. “And that is a space for performances, musical performances, for lectures, and for other gatherings.”

Making art accessible was among the guiding concepts for the new museum.

“We have labels that are in English and Spanish,” said Hage. “Our collection is very strong in colonial Latin American art, and we want to develop that.”

Admission to the museum is free, but there is a suggested $10 donation.

More on the repurposed space at St. Joseph’s University is at KYW Newsradio.

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Virtual tour of the Barnes collection.