Adult Programs
Our public programs and lectures allow members and visitors alike to explore a broad array of topics, encouraging deeper exploration of themes and ideas currently on view.
Continuing Education
Continuing Education at PAFA offers exceptional studio art classes and workshops for beginner to advanced artists outside of our degree programs, available to both museum members and the general public.
Art on Broad: Saturdays are for Art Lovers!
Play and investigate in the galleries, with deep insights shared by guest artists, curators, and outside-the-box thinkers.
Art At Noon
Enjoy free discussions and lectures with scholars and artists on weekdays at 12 PM. Art At Noon covers a variety of topics related to PAFA’s exhibitions, collections, and areas of interest.
Art History and Appreciation
PAFA's Art History and Appreciation series is designed to increase the public's knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts through a series of lectures around a specific topic.
Art & Medicine Programs
PAFA works with local medical schools to provide humanities-based training opportunities for medical students and professionals. These programs enhance the training of medical practitioners by improving their visual literacy as a means of improving one's ability to diagnose and reason from visual evidence.
Special Tours
Throughout the year PAFA presents a wide array of special tours devoted to a variety of topics related to exhibitions, our collection, and more.
Symposia & Conferences
Most years PAFA organizes programs that present new scholarship on American art, history, and culture. These programs raise the level of discussion and understanding about important disciplines by bringing experts and new ideas into conversation with the public.
Traveling Lecture Series
The Traveling Lecture Series, offered in conjunction with ongoing exhibitions, brings museum staff members to other institutions to give a talk about an artist or
Visiting Artist Program
Organized by PAFA MFA candidates, this free series brings an outstanding roster of local, national and international artists to campus each semester for lectures, critiques, and workshops. The program exposes students and the public to a range of artistic approaches and fosters discussion about contemporary art and ideas.
Art At Noon lectures in the fall are supported by the Behrend Family in memory of Rose Susan Hirschhorn Behrend, a former docent at the Academy and a great supporter of its education programs. Art at Noon lectures in the spring are supported by the Lefkoe Family, in memory of Mildren T. Lefkoe, a beloved member of the docents, having been in first vice president, 1987-89, and president, 1989-91.The Visiting Artists Program is supported by Abbot Downing.
Contact Us
PAFA offers programs for artists and art lovers of all ages and skill levels who want to learn about and make art.