By Steve Tawa

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The newly opened Barnes Foundation, which continues to pack them in on the Ben Franklin Parkway, has begun an education program near and dear to the heart of the man who put together the collection back in the 1920′s.

More than a dozen schools are sending their 7th and 8th graders to the Barnes so they can study the collection, and the quirky ways in which Dr. Albert Barnes displayed paintings, wall hangings and other objects:

“Albert Barnes’ ambitions were far greater than just affecting people’s abilities to ‘get it’ when they saw art.”

Barnes Director of Education Blake Bradford ushered a group of students from the James Martin School in Port Richmond to the main gallery.

“What do they have in common? How are they different? Why would he hang them on the same wall?”

Colin Milewski, 13, enjoyed the classroom experience, in the presence of great art, like Cezanne’s “The Card Players.” It features three card players seated in a semi-circle at a table:

“I liked the bright colors in the background, including green and blue. They had alot of triangles — there was alot of geometry inside of it.”

The intent of the “Crossing Boundaries” program is to make great art accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.