News

Venturing Far Outside One's Comfort Zone

While visiting her brother at the University of Pennsylvania, first-year MFA student Bhoomi Patel started looking for a graduate program so she could continue her at practice. Hailing from Ahmedabad, India, Patel said PAFA offered a flexibility that she didn’t have while completing her undergraduate…

November 5, 2018

Going Global: PAFA Curators Put American Art on the World Stage

Artwork from PAFA’s permanent collection is not only on view at the museum in Philadelphia but in exhibitions across the country and globe. Each year dozens of works are lent to museums that want to highlight American art. This fall, some of PAFA’s most important pieces are traveling to Germany for…

November 2, 2018

Moving From Master Printmaker to Painter

Second-year MFA student Mike Kondel had been helping artists make work as a master printer, but it wasn't until an encounter with MFA chair Didier William that he realized he was ready for a change in his own life. Coming to the MFA program, Kondel made a conscious decision to step away from…

October 31, 2018

Mentoring the Next Generation of Museum Professionals

Nzinga Simmons and T.K. Smith are recipients of the Tina Dunkley Fellowship in American Art, a 2-year fellowship providing hands-on training in curatorial practice and museum professions for individuals from historically underrepresented groups who have expressed an interest in American Art. Here at…

October 30, 2018

Lindsay Rapp '14: The Power of A Compliment

Lindsay Rapp '14 shares her paintings of mermaids and marine life to over 300,000 Instagram followers, and her artwork can be found in private collections across the world. But that wasn't the case during her time as a BFA student at PAFA. She credits painting professor Steven Nocella with the…

Alumni News

October 26, 2018

Cadaver Drawing Lets Students Train Like the Old Masters

At Hahnemann University Hospital, PAFA students draw cadavers that have been donated, giving them an opportunity to learn and practice their skills. PAFA professor Anthony Ciambella said students incorporate the experience into their work in many different ways.

October 24, 2018

Expanding Education Through Art with Roman Catholic High School

As Roman Catholic High School embarks on a new era of fine arts with the opening of the Howard Center for the Arts, they are reflecting on and celebrating the 25th anniversary of Roman’s partnership with PAFA through the After School Studio Arts Program for high school students.

October 22, 2018

Exploring Difficult Themes Through Art

The spark for Maura Roncace’s projects can come from anywhere. Read how the MFA student uses art to explore difficult themes as a means to process her feelings and experiences.

October 16, 2018

Out in the Open on Broad Street

While working in PAFA’s Broad Street Studio, MFA student Rod Jones II reacts to the people walking by and how they interpret his work. In addition to reaction from people on the street, Jones recently received feedback from artist Doreen Garner. Garner visited PAFA as a part of the Visiting Artist…

October 10, 2018

Asking What It Means to Be "American"

"'Alter'ing American Art" (now on view through December 16th), features works from PAFA's Linda Lee Alter Collection of Art by Women, and looks at the shifting definition of what it means to be “American.” The curators of this exhibition are aiming to give voice to artists and people who are often…

October 8, 2018

Finding Her Place at a Historic Art Academy

“I came to Philly and toured and I loved it. I loved the city,” said Dara Haskins (BFA '19). “It just felt like a home away from away home, somewhere I could grow. Not just grow as an artist but also grow as a woman in Philly, I love it here.”

Perspectives

October 5, 2018

Kathleen Gallo '20: Artist Sculpts to Solve Cold Cases

A 3-D print of a skull made its way to a forensic reconstruction workshop, and into the hands of PAFA student Kathleen Gallo. Through her work transforming the skull into a face, Gallo was able to help a family identify a missing person.

Perspectives

October 1, 2018

About PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America's first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and a world-class collection of American art. 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.