In This Academy: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection

Founded in 1805, the Academy is the United States’ first school and museum of fine arts. Playing a vital role in shaping the development of American art, PAFA’s longstanding history and exceptional training have established the Academy as a landmark for the nation’s artistic heritage.

An in-depth exploration of painting, In This Academy: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection highlights the scope of visual languages that has emerged from the school’s rich learning environment and dynamic community through the years. From Arthur De Costa’s 1960 work “Seven Pears” that fuses a sensitive painterly touch with delicate realism to Elizabeth Osborne’s 2000 painting “View (Bridge)” that embodies light and space through effortless brushstrokes, the pieces in the exhibition shine light on the school’s embrace of rich tradition and progressive experimentation.

Ultimately, this exhibition offers a glimpse of what is generated by the countless artists who have gone through PAFA’s diverse educational programs and the indelible impact they have made and will continue to make upon the larger framework of American art for generations to come.