LOWER MERION, PA.-Dr. Bernard C. Watson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Barnes Foundation, today announced that three major donors have joined together to provide the world-renowned educational and cultural institution with $3 million in operating funds over a two-year period.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Lenfest Foundation, and The Annenberg Foundation will each provide $1 million over 2005-2007. These funds will help to pay for the ongoing activities of The Barnes Foundation in the period leading up to the announced relocation of its gallery to a site on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Center City Philadelphia.

The three donors have previously registered strong support for The Barnes Foundation by offering to assist in raising funds for the institution, in order to secure its future and make its unparalleled art collection more accessible to the public. In a joint statement issued in December 2004, after the Montgomery County Orphans Court approved the gallery relocation, the three foundations said that “Allowing The Barnes Foundation to relocate its gallery to Philadelphia will sustain its programs while introducing thousands of people to Dr. Barnes’s unique vision of art education and art appreciation.”

Commenting on the announcement of funding, Dr. Watson said, “It is unusual for foundations to provide grants for operating support. It is extremely rare for them to do so at this high a level. So we are deeply grateful to the Pew Charitable Trusts, The Lenfest Foundation and The Annenberg Foundation for their generosity, but we are even more grateful for this _expression of confidence. With these grants, they have announced to the Philadelphia community, and the entire art world, that they believe The Barnes Foundation is moving forward. We are very proud to have them with us on our journey.”

Plans for the highly anticipated relocation of The Barnes Foundation’s gallery have been proceeding smoothly, including fundraising efforts, which have been accelerating even during the current “quiet phase” of a campaign. The Foundation is continuing to expand its Board of Trustees as part of its overall plan to secure the future of its educational activities and art collection.