Reference & Research Services

<p>PAFA animal sculpting, archives</p> — Reference & Research Services

The Center for the Study of the American Artist provides a wide range of services in support of the research interests of students, scholars, faculty, staff, and the general public.

The Center for the Study of the American Artist at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) unites school and museum professionals from multiple departments across campus in order to provide valuable resources for research.

Take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the Center’s staff. We are happy to help you with your research.

For students, faculty, and staff who need help accessing and using the Library’s physical and digital collections, and our electronic resources and databases? Just ask!

Use other resources on these pages to explore assistance in citing & writing, the publishing and data services available, the guide to dissertations and theses (including databases for searching previous dissertations) and the facilities and equipment the library offers.

If distance or scheduling conflicts do not allow you to come to the Center yourself, we can still try to help you find the answer to your question.

Guidelines
Patrons requesting general information about PAFA’s history including students, faculty, exhibitions, buildings, and artwork can contact us by email. Requests for our search service must include the name of the individual to be searched for, the type and location of record, and the dates to be searched. Queries which lack this data will be delayed.

Finding Aids and Inventories

The PAFA Archives was accumulated as a result of the institution's primary activities: Training artists and collecting, preserving, and exhibiting works of art.

Study Center

Inaugurated at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in the fall of 2016 with the generous support of The National Endowment for the Humanities, the Center for the Study of the American Artist supports the museum’s mission to collect, conserve, exhibit, and interpret works of art as well as the rich archival collections that document the history of the institution and the men and women that helped shape American Art and Art Education.

Image Use

Researchers may contact PAFA's Rights and Reproductions Department to request permission to reproduce an image from the Museum's collection and obtain a schedule of fees.

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Jordan Griska