The Art of the Steal

The Art of the Steal makes a damn good argument for having kids if you’ve amassed a fabulous art collection during your time upon this Earth. The documentary focuses on the fight over the Barnes Foundation, an arboretum and educational facility in a Philadelphia suburb that houses one of the world’s most incredible art collections. There have been many efforts to move this collection to a more modern, publicly accessible facility since the foundation’s founder, Albert C. Barnes, passed away in 1951. Barnes made a lot of money selling pharmaceuticals; he took a lot of that money and collected art. The film is obviously sympathetic to the people who want the art to stay where it currently resides, as it portrays those who want the art moved as money-mongering, insensitive devils. However, there’s no real way to deny some arguments for moving the collection.