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) is pleased to announce that Philadelphia philanthropist and longtime PAFA supporter Marguerite Lenfest will be the honoree at the 118th Annual Student Exhibition (ASE) Preview Party. Marguerite and her late husband, H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, have been…
During a museum trip to see an exhibit of dinosaur and fossil illustrations, Drawing student Gillian Cavoto '19 realized she could perhaps make a career out of her love or art and science. Cavoto now spends time at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University as a visiting artist where she…
Headline after headline, the news of the day left an impact on Painting student Bethann Parker '19. She started painting issues of The New York Times in November of 2017 and soon realized she wanted to dedicate an entire year to exploring her perception of current events. With the help of PAFA’s…
Though many learn that American landscape painting begins with the Hudson River School, looking back a little further reveals that Philadelphia—and PAFA—is at the heart of this tradition. Coming to PAFA this June, "From the Schuylkill to the Hudson: Landscapes of the Early American Republic," tells…
In 2018 PAFA added over 500 historic, modern and contemporary works to its permanent collection of American art. The newest acquisitions and gifts—many of them by women, artists of color, and artists not frequently seen in museums—include works by painter Joan Brown, a mixed media installation by…
Like many artists, she’s using the drawings of another artist to spark her creativity and create something new. But MFA student Sam Dominik pulls her inspiration from her young nephew’s scribbles. She came to PAFA after meeting MFA Chair Didier William, who set her on a different path.
The Anne Bryan Memorial Award was established in 2015 to support PAFA students on their artistic journey. The annual award is given to a select student each year to develop their professional careers. Previous award recipients Fang Fang Ren (BFA '17) and Aubrey Brown (Cert. '18) discuss how they…
Second-year student Leslie Pickel stepped outside the studio to work on an archaeological dig site in Tuscany, Italy this summer. Over the course of three weeks, Pickel and her fellow diggers worked at a site on the top of a mountain, eventually discovering an Etruscan wall. Now back home in the…
It’s not enough to make artwork for an exhibition in Stephanie Reyer’s "Digital Print and Web Design" class. For three weeks, students in Reyer's class designed a branding suite and layout for an exhibition that will feature their work and their classmates. Each student presented their design…
PAFA is pleased to present "From the Schuylkill to the Hudson: Landscapes of the Early American Republic," on view June 28 through December 29, 2019. Philadelphia's key role in the growth of American landscape painting has never been the subject of a major museum exhibition before. Delving into the…
The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation has selected the PAFA to receive ten Frankenthaler prints, up to ten proofs by the artist and a $25,000 grant to exhibit and study the works over three years. The gifts—spanning etching, lithography, monotype or monoprint, and more—will reflect the variety of media…
Bringing together 30 young artists from 13 undergraduate programs across the country for the exhibition Crosscurrents, PAFA leaders hope to foster a sense of community among students. Crosscurrents is not only an opportunity for undergraduates to showcase their work in America’s oldest art museum…
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at visitorservices@pafa.org — we’d love to help!
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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.
