News

Joan Semmel's Centered Oil on canvas 48 x 53 in
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) presents the first-ever retrospective of iconic painter Joan Semmel in a career-spanning exhibition, Joan Semmel: Skin in the Game, October 28, 2021 through April 3, 2022. With over 50 works that will trace the artist’s career from early abstract…
Press Release
Anne E. McCollum profile
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is pleased to announce the election of Anne E. McCollum as the organization's new chairperson of the Board of Trustees. McCollum will succeed Kevin Donohoe as the first female leader of America's first art museum and school. Donohoe will remain on the board…
Press Release
broad
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) announced that on the heels of a nationwide search for its next President & CEO, it has paused the Edna S. Tuttleman Director of the Museum position to reimagine its work post-pandemic.
Press Release
PAFA's Buildings at Night
In honor of National Hospital Week, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Barnes Foundation, Eastern State Penitentiary, the Franklin Institute, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art jointly announce Free Admission Days for Hospital…
Press Release
ASE 2021 and 1913
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) presents its 120th Annual Student Exhibition (ASE), May 14 through June 6 at 128 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, in the Historic Landmark Building and the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. On May 13, PAFA will host the school's Commencement ceremonies…
Press Release
Dyani White Hawk
PAFA announces the latest acquisitions of a wide range of artworks to its renowned American art collection. Ranging in date from 1869 to 2020, the museum acquired 168 works of art through purchase and gift.
Press Release
Joan Semmel work
PAFA is the recipient of a $40,000 Grant for Arts Project award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This grant will support the museum’s upcoming exhibition "Joan Semmel: Skin in the Game," opening October 28, 2021 and remain on view through April 3, 2022.
Press Release
animation frame
PAFA is pleased to announce Animation as the newest undergraduate program at the College of the Fine Arts under the leadership of department chair Amy Lee Ketchum. PAFA's Animation curriculum builds on PAFA’s strong tradition of narrative storytelling and experimental approaches to moving imagery.
Press Release
brittany webb
PAFA is pleased to announce that Dr. Brittany Webb has been named Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Twentieth Century Art. A member of the PAFA community since 2018, Dr. Webb is the Curator of the John Rhoden Collection. With her new curatorial appointment, Dr. Webb becomes the inaugural Evelyn and…
Press Release
bacchanal live auction
PAFA is pleased to announce the 22nd Annual Bacchanal Wine Gala & Auction will be held virtually on November 14, 2020. The institution’s largest annual fundraiser and the Philadelphia region’s premier wine event, Bacchanal raises $500,000 every year for student scholarships at PAFA.
Press Release
Historical Landmark Building interior, mezzanine | Image: Barbara Katus
PAFA and the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) are the recipients of two grants of $480K from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. These awards will support an upcoming, transformative, multi-site contemporary art collaboration between the two organizations and additional partners at…
Press Release
Annual Student Exhibition
PAFA is pleased to announce the updated schedule for the Annual Student Exhibition, opening opening to the public September 12 and on view through October 3, 2020, as well as information about the ASE Preview Party and related events.
Press Release

About PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America's first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and a world-class collection of American art. PAFA’s esteemed alumni include Mary Cassatt, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, William Glackens, Barkley L. Hendricks, Violet Oakley, Louis Kahn, David Lynch, and Henry Ossawa Tanner.