PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 2026) — Woodmere and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) are proud to present Bodies and Souls, a collaborative exhibition that examines the enduring power of figurative art to assert the complexities of the human condition, cultivate compassion, and imagine more humane ways of being in the world. Built on the generosity of Philadelphia art collectors Robert and Frances Coulborn Kohler to both museums, the exhibitions unfold concurrently at Woodmere and PAFA, offering complementary perspectives on representation as an ethical and liberatory practice.

The two linked presentations are organized by Robert Cozzolino, a curator known for championing the figurative tradition and underrepresented artists in American art. Cozzolino was the Senior Curator and Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Modern Art at PAFA from 2004 to 2016 and has been a frequent guest curator, lecturer, and program participant at Woodmere. Bodies and Souls is accompanied by a major catalogue that includes an essay by Cozzolino about the liberatory power of representational art in the Kohler collection. It also includes an essay by Woodmere Director and CEO William R. Valerio about the Kohlers’ vision in underwriting important acquisitions at Woodmere, as well as an essay by Robert Kohler about the history of the Kohlers’ passion for collecting art.

“The artists in the Kohler collection played a long game, of investing in deeply personal subjects communicated clearly to their viewers, not knowing whether they would find an audience, but putting everything into these self-contained worlds,” comments Robert Cozzolino. “Many artists included may be unfamiliar to viewers, but their imagery will inspire visitors and fellow artists of all generations. Expect to see a new world through the Kohlers’ uncommon perspective.”

At Woodmere (March 14–June 7, 2026, Smith Hall), the exhibition features late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century figurative painting, drawing, and sculpture by artists including Roland Ayers, Henry Bermudez, Barbara Bullock, Ashley Flynn, Sidney Goodman, Anne Minich, Marta Sanchez, Andrew Turner, and Twins Seven Seven. The presentation focuses on works in which visibility and self-definition are actively claimed, depicting bodies as relational, vulnerable, and resilient.

"For more than two decades, Robert and Frances Coulborn Kohler's transformative support has expanded Woodmere's ability to collect, interpret, and present the full breadth of Philadelphia's artistic legacy, especially, but not limited to works by our city’s living artists," says Woodmere's Director and CEO, William R. Valerio, Ph.D.

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At PAFA (March 14–July 12, 2026, Fisher Brooks Gallery, Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building), the exhibition features more than 130 paintings, drawings, and sculptures given and promised to the museum by the Kohlers. The presentation examines how representational and realist practices remained vital tools for artists asserting their visibility, addressing issues of gender and sexuality, and exploring psychological states, interpersonal relationships, and connections to home. Luis Cruz Azaceta, an artist well-represented in the exhibition, summarized the stakes for representational artists in 1990, something that rings true today: “My concern is with humanity. I want to confront the viewer with life and with what we are doing to each other. I hope to awaken in the viewer a sense of compassion . . . without compassion there is nothing.”

“PAFA is delighted to welcome Bob Cozzolino back to curate this important exhibition. Our 220 years of presenting and teaching representational art is all the more complete because of Rob and Frances Coulborn Kohler’s vision and generosity and their commitment to these critical artists and their work. We look forward to sharing this outstanding collection with our audiences,” stated Kristen Shepherd, President and CEO at PAFA.

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Across both venues, Bodies and Souls presents representation not as mere likeness, but as a powerful strategy for liberation. Together, the exhibitions reveal how figurative art enables artists to document embodied experience while imagining fuller, more humane futures, celebrating pleasure, autonomy, connection, and the complexity of being human. To get the full experience, it is strongly recommended to visit both exhibitions.

Bodies and Souls is presented concurrently at:

• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Fisher Brooks Gallery, Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 128 N. Broad Street, March 14–July 12, 2026
• Woodmere, Smith Hall, 9201 Germantown Avenue, March 14—June 7, 2026

For more information, including exhibition programming and visiting details, please visit pafa.org and woodmereartmuseum.org.

About Robert Cozzolino

Robert Cozzolino is an independent curator, art historian, and critic based in Minneapolis. He curates collaboratively, in partnership with artists, colleagues, and broad communities.

“Starting where you are” is critical to his practice—knowing the immediate context and deeper history of the place in which he works. Dr. Cozzolino is drawn to artists who make work about the full range of human experience, especially those who aspire to visually express the intangible states of consciousness and a full range of emotions. Although he has worked on topics from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, he regularly works with contemporary artists in examining history. He considers himself a curator of fluid time, not bound to the labels and bins imposed on the field.

From 2004-2016 he was a curator at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and remains close to the Philadelphia arts community. He has curated over forty exhibitions at PAFA, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (2016-2024), Chazen Museum of Art (2001-2005), and The Art Institute of Chicago (1993-1997). They include: Reimagining Native/American Art (2023-24), Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art (2021-22), World War I and American Art (2016-17), Peter Blume: Nature and Metamorphosis (2014-15), David Lynch: The Unified Field (2014), and many others.

About Woodmere

Nestled in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Woodmere offers a unique museum experience that centers on the art and artists of Philadelphia. Vibrant exhibitions explore the achievements and social ideas of Philadelphia’s artists in the broader context of American art; Woodmere prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in its collecting, programming, and admission policies.

In November 2025, Woodmere opened a second site named Frances M. Maguire Hall for Art and Education, alongside its existing Charles Knox Smith Hall location. Marking Woodmere’s most significant expansion since its founding in 1910, the opening of the second site adds 14 new galleries showcasing Woodmere’s permanent collection, featuring American Impressionism, figurative arts, modernism, and Philadelphia’s jewelry arts. The expansion also introduces a children’s art and education studio, along with new public spaces for events and programs.

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, groundbreaking exhibitions, and exceptional educational programs. Through its museum and school, PAFA is committed to telling America's diverse story through art and expanding who is included in the canon of art history. Esteemed alumni include Mary Cassatt, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, William Glackens, Barkley L. Hendricks, Violet Oakley, Louis Kahn, David Lynch, and Henry Ossawa Tanner.

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Media Contacts

For media inquiries, please contact:

• Amy Ferracci | Director of Marketing & Communications
• Woodmere
• aferracci@woodmereartmuseum.org
   
• Lisa Willis | Director of Marketing, Communications and Event Services
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
• lwillis@pafa.org

Featured Artwork: Rafael Ferrer (born 1933) El Bolero, 1983–84. Oil on canvas; 60 × 72 in. © Rafael Ferrer, courtesy of the artist