News

Tuttleman Gallery

The Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD) Stands with HBCUs

PAFA President Joins Letter from AICAD President and Executive Director Deborah Obalil and Board Chair Elissa Tenny: The Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD) Stands with HBCUs
Painting Les derniers jours d'enfance by Cecilia Beaux of young boy on mother's lap

Smithsonian Magazine | "Letters to Cecilia Beaux..."

"These amusing letters implied and enhanced so many intricacies in the maternal relationship depicted in Beaux’s Les dernier jours d’enfance, and they continue to make my understanding of the portrait that much richer. Beaux’s subjects were not merely symbols of a mother and child—they were a real…
In the News
Jessica Abel and students at white board

Become Your Own Boss in Illustration Projects with Jessica Abel

Emily McLaughlin, Communications Work Study Student:

On the last day of the fall semester, students gathered around the project board in a public hallway. Each student stepped forward to check off their final task, and received the biggest congratulation sticker yet from Jessica Abel, Chair of…

Perspectives
Ash Garner working in her studio at MASS MoCA

Ash Garner (MFA ’20) Uses MASS MoCA Residency to Challenge Perceptions

Ash Garner (MFA ’20) is a Philadelphia-based artist who works with soft sculpture and site-specific installation. She recently participated in a Career Services Artist Residency Panel, sharing with current students her experience following graduation at The Studios at MASS MoCA Residency. In this…

Alumni News
Rhoden Arts Center

Thoughts on 100 Rejections from Career Services

An excerpt from last month's Career Services newsletter to current college students, from Assistant Dean of Student Life and Career Services, Greg Martino:

“A few years back, my colleague at the time, Morgan Hobbs, embarked on the 100 rejection project. The idea behind this is that you submit your…

Perspectives
drawing students in cast hall

Updates for Spring 2022 Semester due to Omicron Variant

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and evolve plans as needed based on information from the city, state, and federal public health officials. As reported widely, the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant has surged in the Northeast United States and the Philadelphia area. The following…

PAFA's digital lab

Fine Arts Venture Fund Helps Students Flex Entrepreneurial Skills

Studio classes and access to working faculty are only part of the training that shapes and challenges successful artists in the School of Art. Today’s artists must also strive to develop skills in entrepreneurship, self-promotion, and business acumen. Enter the Fine Arts Venture Fund. First awarded…

Perspectives
Joan Semmel sits in studio between two paintings

New York Times T Magazine | "Joan Semmel Takes an Unflinching View of Her Own Body"

"SEMMEL’S RETROSPECTIVE AT the PAFA is a thoughtfully curated (by Jodi Throckmorton), beautifully hung presentation of an entirely ravishing collection of her work."
In the News
installation view of two walls of paintings by Joan Semmel

New York Times | "Joan Semmel: Skin in the Game" in Best Art Exhibitions of 2021

Co-chief art critic of The New York Times, Roberta Smith, included PAFA's Joan Semmel retrospective in the "Best Art Exhibitions of 2021."
In the News
Eric Pryor in Museum

PAFA Appoints Eric Pryor as Its Next President

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to announce that Eric Pryor has been appointed president of the historic museum and college, beginning January 18, 2022. One of Philadelphia’s cornerstone cultural institutions, PAFA is poised to move forward into its next significant…
Press Release
Athena Scott with back turned works on large painting of figures

A “Year of Yes” for MFA Student Athena Scott

“An artist enrolled in a school such as PAFA finds their practice transitioning from one realm of exploration to another until discoveries are made.” So begins the description of the Paths exhibit, which displayed works by PAFA’s Master’s of Fine Art Class of 2022 this past summer and early fall…

Perspectives
Kristy Jane smiles, doing the splits in front of a large PAFA sign

Graduate Students Lead Visiting Artist Program to Benefit PAFA Community

This academic year Lily Jane Brown, Kristy Jane, and Marley Massey Parsons lead PAFA’s Visiting Artist Program. With untold opportunities for attendees and coordinators alike, the program is entirely student-run—Lily and Marley are enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program and Kristy participates…

Perspectives

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.