PAFA’s 113th Annual Student Exhibition:
A Celebration of Tradition and the Art of Today

May 9 – June 1, 2014

PHILADELPHIA (April 21, 2014) — The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) presents its 113th Annual Student Exhibition (ASE),  May 9 – June 1, 2014 in PAFA’s Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building at 128 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia. The exhibition opens to the public with a reception on Friday, May 9, 5-8 p.m.

The longest-standing exhibition of its kind, the Annual Student Exhibition is one of the most highly anticipated student group shows in the country. It is also an art collector’s dream, as the ASE offers the opportunity to view and purchase works by the art world’s next big stars, including winners of PAFA’s Spring Prize competition, the prestigious Travel Awards, and other prizes awarded to students in recognition of various categories of excellence. This year’s ASE will feature well over 1,000 works in various media by 128 students, including 46 graduating MFA students and 82 Certificate and BFA students.

An academic capstone and professional debut for PAFA students, the ASE offers students the opportunity to curate, install, and sell their own works in a professional setting. While it is not uncommon for graduating art students to exhibit work, the Annual Student Exhibition provides an opportunity to have work displayed in the galleries of a major museum. Thousands of people see the work: artists, collectors, curators, as well as the public.

Formal and informal PAFA experiences to prepare students for the ASE include studio classes in drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture; receiving critiques from faculty and visiting artists; assisting in student-organized exhibitions during the academic year; and participating in ASE workshops focusing on topics ranging from pricing artwork and talking about their work, to planning and installing an exhibition, as well as museum gallery pest management practices, and curator discussions.

To capture this uniquely PAFA experience, PAFA introduced a new Tumblr blog series this year to chronicle the artistic journeys of six students on their Road to ASE. The featured students are Fernando L. DeJesus (Cert. ’14); Jude Martin (Cert. & BFA ’14); Lauren Pellerito (BFA ’14); Christian Platt (Cert. ’14); Tiffany Tate (MFA ’14); and Meg Wolensky (BFA ’14).

On May 8, 2014, the ASE kicks off with a Preview Party hosted by PAFA’s Women’s Board.

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Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America's first School of Fine Arts and Museum. A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts presented by the President of the United States, PAFA is a recognized leader in Fine Arts education. Nearly every major American artist has taught, studied, or exhibited at PAFA. The institution's world-class collection of American art continues to grow and provides what only a few other art institutions in the world offer: the rare combination of an outstanding Museum and an extraordinary faculty known for its commitment to students and for the stature and quality of its artistic work.