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Jennifer Bartlett, (1941-2022) Shadow, 1984 Etching, soft-ground, aquatint, spit bite, and drypoint (7 plates) on Fabriano Tiepolo paper each sheet: 30 x 22 1/4 in. (76.2 x 56.515 cm.) (4 sheets) John S. Phillips Fund and the Collector's Circle, 1989.15

PHILADELPHIA – February 13, 2024 - The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) has opened the exhibition, Artists as Cultivators, an examination of how artists have fostered critical social dialogues over three centuries through their use of nature as a subject, theme, and material. The…

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second floor landing

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) today announced plans to wind down its BFA and MFA degree-granting programs and return to its roots, recommitting itself to expanding the stories of American art through its collections and exhibitions and providing arts education for the full…

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To commemorate the exhibition, the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts have published an exhibition catalogue that will be released September 2023.

PHILADELPHIA – The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the…

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PHILADELPHIA – Aug 29, 2023 - The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) celebrates 20th century African American sculptor John Rhoden (1916-2001) with the exhibition, Determined To Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden, the first comprehensive retrospective of the artist’s work. The exhibition…

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Open to the public on March 23, the new exhibition hosted by the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts will explore a reoccurring question in American history.
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gallery with Making American Artists text and two large portrait paintings
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts rewrites the story of American Art with Making American Artists: Stories from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1776–1976. (October 6, 2022—April 2, 2023)
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Installation view of Gift Deeds Kholer collection

PHILADELPHIA - June 30 2022 - The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to present, “Gift/Deeds: Collectors at PAFA,” an exhibition of 20th century and contemporary art gifted to PAFA’s permanent collection by six significant and influential Philadelphia art collectors. The…

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Eric Pryor in Museum
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to announce that Eric Pryor has been appointed president of the historic museum and college, beginning January 18, 2022. One of Philadelphia’s cornerstone cultural institutions, PAFA is poised to move forward into its next significant…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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.