Friends of the Barnes Announce Legal Defense Fund

The Friends of the Barnes Foundation, who are the enemies of the Barnes’ move to Philadelphia, have established a legal defense fund for donations supporting its planned court challenge to the move.
Its solicitation of financial support lists the following recent developments favoring its cause:
—The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners is joining us to reopen the Barnes matter in Orphans’ Court.
—Montgomery County offered the Barnes Foundation a $50-million leaseback arrangement.
—Lower Merion passed a zoning resolution that will allow up to 140,000 people a year to visit the Barnes.
—We have sponsored an evaluation of the Barnes for National Historic Landmark status, which is supported by the district’s U.S. Congressman, Jim Gerlach.
—Pennsylvania State Representatives Mick Gerber, Daylin Leach, and Connie Mandarino have all declared themselves in support of the Barnes Foundation remaining in Merion.
—Our attorney, Mark Schwartz, has prepared an excellent case and we believe this time our petition will be heard fully with all the facts presented. The petition will be filed in a few days.
There are only two problems: The Philadelphia political, cultural and philanthropic establishment is determined to secure the Barnes for their city, and the Orphans Court, where the Friends of the Barnes are filing their petition, has already ruled that the Barnes can move. Overturning that decision is a longshot.
If the Friends are to succeed, they will probably have to convince the political powerbrokers that the Barnes can survive and thrive in Merion, and that ripping a cultural resource from a community that wants it, in contravention of the express wishes of the institution’s founder, is not only bad policy but also bad politics—also a longshot. Possibly working in their favor is the difficulty of securing the site for the new Philly facility. Calling Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell!