Founded in 1805 as the first school and museum of fine arts in the United States, PAFA is a National Medal of Arts recipient that celebrates the transformative power of American art and art-making through its collections, exhibitions, and education programs.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) congratulates artist Martin Puryear (b. 1941) for being chosen to represent the United States at the 2019 Venice Biennale. PAFA currently has 25 works by the 77-year old African American artist and sculptor in its permanent collection, including 23…
PAFA mourns the loss of H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, 88, the philanthropist and civic leader, who died Sunday morning. Gerry and his wife, Marguerite, have been longstanding leaders within the PAFA community and since 2002 Marguerite has served as a member of the Board of Trustees.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ashley R. Lomery as Chief Development Officer. Lomery, who has more than 20 years of fundraising experience in higher education and the arts, most recently served as Assistant Vice President of Development at…
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to announce four new members to its Board of Trustees. PAFA Board Chair Kevin F. Donohoe said, “We are thrilled to welcome these four exceptional individuals to the board. Their expertise, energy and service to the community are well suited…
During its most recent Collections Committee meeting, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) announced a relationship with the Paulson Fontaine Press to be the only East Coast repository for all of its prints by African American artists. The museum also added nearly 40 historic, modern and…
PAFA President and Chief Executive Officer David R. Brigham, Ph.D has been named a senior advisor to the executive director of the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora. Established in 2001, the Center is committed to…
PAFA president and Chief Executive Officer David R. Brigham, Ph.D. was awarded an honorary Doctorate degree from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania at the College's 149th Commencement on May 12, 2018. Brigham was one of four national and international leaders to be recognized during the ceremony…
The Brodsky Center, a collaborative paper and printmaking center devoted to the creation of new work, is coming to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). The Brodsky Center will become part of the School at PAFA, expanding its printmaking curriculum and providing internship and…
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) announced today that it purchased American artist Frederic Edwin Church's masterful oil painting, "Valley of Santa Isabel, New Granada" (1875). Church is arguably an integral part of American art history and this will be the first work by the artist…
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) invites you to explore the idea of space and unique spaces in "Infinite Spaces: Rediscovering PAFA's Permanent Collection," opening June 30th. "Infinite Spaces" brings together more than 100 new acquisitions and rarely seen gems from PAFA's historic…
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to showcase the work of artists Didier William and Nestor Armando Gil/Taller Workshop in the exhibition "SWARM.," which opens June 30th. Viewers will encounter more than 30 works in a variety of media in which William and Gil reveal their…
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to announce that Aubrey Brown, a graduating Illustration student in the Certificate program, is the recipient of this year’s Anne Bryan Memorial Award. The Anne Bryan Memorial Award is named for Anne Bryan, a PAFA student who died in the…
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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.
