The Philosophy of Learning By Discovery at the Barn
I started at the Barn in the early 70s as a young teen, maybe around 13. I continued until I graduated high school, at which time Pat helped me build my portfolio and encouraged me to apply to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Thanks to Pat, I was accepted and awarded a scholarship.
I learned about the Barn from Carole Barnett. Carole’s mother was a neighbor and best friend of my aunt. Carole was attending the Barn and shared stories of this fantastic place, it sounded like fun, so my mother signed me up. I hoped to carry this tradition forward by encouraging my children to attend the Barn as well.
I always believed in the Barn’s philosophy of learning by discovery. Pat would reference Viktor Lowenfeld’s Creative and Mental Growth, a timeless book. Its stages of creative development are crucial, especially in children, and it’s a philosophy that makes the Barn special.
Over the years I’ve made many great memories at the Barn, though a few come to mind now:
Sleeping over at the Barn as a teenager for the teen arts festival
Having Pat take a carload of us teenagers to Philadelphia to help with teaching at the museum
Taking care of the Barn and trying to identify all of the crazy noises there in the middle of the night
Visiting Eagles Mere with Pat, Louis Sloan, and Glen Rudderow to paint for the weekend
And now for the best memory: painting with Pat outside one day, when she called me over and asked, “Betsy, what’s the difference between titanium white and zinc white?” As I was about to explain, she picked up a giant blob of white from her palette and licked it. Her response was, “I can’t taste the difference”. My jaw dropped and I thought, okay, she’s finally lost it! Pat just roared with laughter, as she had only harmless marshmallow fluff on her palette. She got me that time!
After attending college, I returned to the Barn and started teaching the Tiny Tots class and then also Saturday morning children’s classes. In 2017 I began to teach the Wednesday night adult class, and for the past year during the pandemic I’ve been teaching the adult virtual classes. The Barn is filled with great, creative, wonderful people, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.
My love of art is who I am, and the Barn encouraged that love. I’m an artist and a teacher, and now I’m able to focus on my own art and on my teaching at the Barn. Pat is my mentor, and I’m so grateful to have her and the Barn in my life. Clearly the Barn is a positive force.
