In the News

Artblog | Curators Work to Decolonize Western Art Museums

Kemuel Benyehudah weighs in about the importance of the work and activism of Black curators in collecting institutions, and spoke with curator Dr. Brittany Webb on her efforts at PAFA and beyond:

“There is an urgency for me to see an exhibition like that to think it’s actually a huge responsibility to make the choice that some artwork is worth storing and preserving. Give it real estate in a building like this (PAFA). Do the research on it, so you can write a label. So you know how to talk about it. So that you’re not misrepresenting the history of a whole form as whiter and more narrow than it actually is."


About PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the United States’ first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers a world-class collection of American art, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and educational opportunities in the fine arts. The PAFA Museum aims to tell America's diverse story through art, expanding who has been included in the canon of art history through its collections, exhibitions, and public programs, while classes educate artists and appreciators with a deep understanding of traditions and the ability to challenge conventions. 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.