Center for the Study of the American Artist

Appointments are dependent on staff availability. The Center is closed on all federal holidays.

The Center for the Study of the American Artist is located on the 5th Floor of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. Please note that the research room is 68° F. We advise you to dress appropriately if you are not accustomed to working in cooler environments.

If the work you have requested is a painting or sculpture in the Museum collection, you will meet at a different location, which will be noted in your correspondence with PAFA.

• Appointments are limited to groups of 14 people or less, for a period of 1 hour.
• Appointments must be made at least two (2) weeks in advance. If you need to reschedule or cancel, please provide at least 24 hours notice.
• Works of art may be handled by museum staff only.
• Only graphite pencils are allowed for notes.
• No food or drink, including bottled water is allowed.
• Coats and bags (except for laptops and small purses) must be checked in storage lockers.
• Please note that works on paper are by nature delicate objects that can be irreparably damaged from cumulative exposure to light. As a result, the museum exhibits only a small portion of its vast collections of prints, drawings, and photographs at any given time.

Please use the form below to contact the Center and schedule an appointment.

In your request, please include a list of works you would like to see, formatted as follows:

• Artist’s Last Name
• Title of Work
• Accession Number

This information can be accessed by visiting PAFA's online permanent collection database (limited to 12 works and dependent on size and storage location). Requests that do not include this information will be declined by PAFA.