News

bacchanal live auction
PAFA is pleased to announce the 22nd Annual Bacchanal Wine Gala & Auction will be held virtually on November 14, 2020. The institution’s largest annual fundraiser and the Philadelphia region’s premier wine event, Bacchanal raises $500,000 every year for student scholarships at PAFA.
Press Release
Historical Landmark Building interior, mezzanine | Image: Barbara Katus
PAFA and the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) are the recipients of two grants of $480K from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. These awards will support an upcoming, transformative, multi-site contemporary art collaboration between the two organizations and additional partners at…
Press Release
Annual Student Exhibition
PAFA is pleased to announce the updated schedule for the Annual Student Exhibition, opening opening to the public September 12 and on view through October 3, 2020, as well as information about the ASE Preview Party and related events.
Press Release
Gilbert Lewis (b. 1945), Pale Gold, 1991. Gouache on paper, 24 x 18 in. Private Collection. © Gilbert Lewis.
As PAFA prepares for the museum's reopening on September 12, we are pleased to announce our updated schedule of museum exhibitions through Spring 2021.
Press Release
Broad Street at night
PAFA is pleased to announce the appointment of Jane Allsopp as Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President. In this role, Jane will develop and lead PAFA's comprehensive fundraising initiatives, working with senior staff, the Board of Trustees, and the development team to ensure the long…
Press Release
installation view of "from the schuylkill to the hudson"
PAFA is the recipient of a gift totaling $2 million from National Trustee Ken Woodcock. This generous gift will endow the museum's Curator of Historical American Art position, which will henceforth be named The Kenneth R. Woodcock Curator of Historical American Art. This position is currently held…
Press Release
summer academy students
PAFA has announced that its summer programming for 2020, including its Continuing Education, Summer Art Camp for Kids, and Teen and Pre-College Programs, will be conducted online through virtual learning platforms.
Press Release
Philadelphia Wireman, "Untitled" (ca. 1970-75)
PAFA is pleased to announce the addition of 88 historic, modern, and contemporary works to its renowned permanent collection of American art. Works by Purvis Young, Liliana Porter, General Idea, Winifred Lutz, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, and more are among the latest acquisitions.
Press Release
visitor in the museum
PAFA is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $75,000 urgent needs grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, awarded for the purpose of providing financial support for PAFA as it continues to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Press Release
Students in the West lobby
PAFA is pleased to announce the initiation of a new grant program for incoming undergraduate and graduate students from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Press Release
claire huber, spring awakening
PAFA announces the revised schedule for its 119th Annual Student Exhibition, and commencement exercises for the graduating class of 2020.
Press Release
Brodsky Center Director Paola Morsiani guides visitors through a print portfolio
PAFA's Brodsky Center is pleased to announce the participants in its upcoming traveling seminar on contemporary prints for early- to mid-career curators. The seminar is made possible by a grant from the Getty Foundation and will take place April 5–10 across multiple venues in Philadelphia and New…
Press Release

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.