Works by Dawoud Bey, Mary Cassatt, Eldzier Cortor, Sam Gilliam, Joyce Kozloff, the Guerilla Girls, Rina Banerjee and Martin Puryear are included
 

PHILADELPHIA (February 8, 2017) – The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) announces the addition of more than 40 historic, modern, and contemporary works to its permanent collection of American art.

As part of PAFA’s commitment to collecting works by women artists and artists often overlooked by the art world, more than half of the new acquisitions include paintings, photographs, sculpture, and works on paper by women and nearly a quarter of objects are by artists of color. Collecting and exhibiting work by African-American artists have been a part of PAFA’s history from the 19th century to today.

Highlights in the latest group of purchases include the painting Souvenir I (2013) by Eldzier Cortor; an etching from PAFA alumna Mary Cassatt, Looking into the Hand Mirror #3; Joyce Kozloff’s Art Girl, 2017; 120 projects, books and video from 1985-2016 of the Guerilla Girls work; and Martin Puryear’s etchings Slide (Beijing), 2013 and Phrygian (Cap in the Air), 2012. Included in the acquisitions is a sculpture by Rina Banerjee, whose work will be featured for the first time at PAFA in a major exhibition opening in October, 2018.

PAFA is also excited to announce the purchase of photographs by 2017 MacArthur Foundation Grant winner Dawoud Bey. These are the first works by Bey to enter our collection and to celebrate the artist will be speaking at PAFA in March.

“Bringing equity to the story of American art, by continuing to concentrate on the work of women and artists of color, is tied to our institutional mission,” said Brooke Davis Anderson, Edna S. Tuttleman Director of the Museum.

The purchases are made through collections endowments and dedicated collections funds, as well as gifts.

A complete list of new acquisitions and images are available.