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.
Each year PAFA’s Fine Arts Venture Fund awards more than $20,000 to student projects. When Sophie Brenneman (MFA '17) heard about the Fine Arts Venture Fund while she was a first-year MFA student she thought it was too good to be true.
To find his own voice, PAFA MFA student Ben Grzenia listens to others. Learn more about how PAFA's MFA faculty and visiting critics help students like Ben to try new methods of experimentation and develop new modes of critical thinking.
The art of illustration is woven into the DNA of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The Illustration program was officially introduced at PAFA in the fall of 2015 but there is a long-standing tradition of illustration at the academy. Fine Arts Dean Clint Jukkala sat down with Jessica Abel…
For Kristy Munday (Cert '18), the ASE is a culmination of more than a semester's worth of work and multiple mediums coming together. She attributes this convergence to the lessons she's learned as a PAFA student.
Daniel Flinchbaugh has a passion for the unexpected. He's always on the lookout for his next adventure and is excited to try new things in life and his artwork.
“The lure of PAFA was its connection to Philly, and how this would provide a sort of bedrock to my early professional years as an artist. Reflecting on this, I felt charged by the atmosphere of Philly, and found something very special in the intimacy and legacy of PAFA. Upon visiting the MFA program…
For the past twenty-plus years, Mike Schley’s work has been digital and small. His impact working in fantasy and science fiction publishing is large but he often found himself working on a tablet, translating the worlds that came alive in his mind to a computer screen.
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.
