THE ART OF THE STEAL

**Ends Thursday, May 6th**

"A suspenseful art-world documentary in which the forces of art and money collide ferociously." - Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"An intellectual crime thriller, uncovering each new surprise - and a seemingly endless parade of villains - with deadpan flourish." - Elizabeth Weitzman, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

"A PASSIONATE TELLING OF A GREAT STORY...told like a crime thriller and riveting throughout." - Moira Macdonald, THE SEATTLE TIMES

An eye-opening account of one of the art world’s most fascinating controversies, and a real life detective story worthy of the world's most famous thriller novelists, Don Argott’s gripping documentary THE ART OF THE STEAL chronicles the long and dramatic struggle for control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of art valued at more than $25 billion.
In 1922, Dr. Albert C. Barnes formed a remarkable educational institution around his priceless collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern art - works that Barnes wished to make accessible to serious students and everyday people - located just five miles outside of Philadelphia.
But since his death in 1951, lawyers, elected officials, and businesspeople have sought to exploit and control the Foundation, ignoring the express wishes of Barnes never to turn his collection into an enormous tourist attraction—and never to move it to Philadelphia, a city he despised. However, standing in the way of the Foundation's destruction is a passionate group comprised of Barnes’ former students and his legal will, which contains strict instructions stating the Foundation should always be an educational institution, and that the paintings may never be removed. Will the Foundation be saved, or will a man’s final wishes be ignored and one of America’s greatest cultural monuments destroyed? Equally exciting and enlightening, THE ART OF THE STEAL is filled with intrigue, conflicting reports, enormous egos, and provocative questions about money, culture and art.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE:
http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-art-of-the-steal

Read a profile on the film from THE NEW YORK TIMES:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/movies/21barnes.html?ref=movies