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.
PAFA MFA candidate Ashley Garner '20 will expand her artistic practice at MassMOCA's highly competitive emerging artist residency program. Garner was drawn to the residency because of the similarities to PAFA's interdisciplinary and communal MFA program.
The curatorial team at Artsy has rounded up their favorite prints, and for every purchase, Artsy will donate to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Among the picks are editions from Jonathan Lyndon Chase '13 and Elizabeth Catlett from the Brodsky Center at PAFA.
In the scramble to find personal protective equipment (PPE), museums and art schools have stepped in to help local hospitals, all of whom say they are running short. Discover how PAFA, along with other local institutions, are participating in the efforts to fight the coronavirus.
PAFA’s doors may be closed temporarily to the public, but art doesn’t stop, and neither do we. There are still many ways that you can engage with our vibrant community.
Karen Chernick takes a closer look at the mother-daughter duo of Dr. Constance E. and Williabell Clayton, whose personal collection of art is on view in our exhibition, "Awakened in You".
Philadelphia's Association for Public Art has compiled a list of online arts resources from local cultural organizations—including PAFA's own permanent collection, which is available online. This resource connects art lovers of all kinds to thousands of artworks from these organizations.
Kemuel Benyehudah weighs in about the importance of the work and activism of Black curators in collecting institutions, and spoke with curator Dr. Brittany Webb on her efforts at PAFA and beyond.
A.D. Amorosi recaps our March 11 event with PAFA curators Jodi Throckmorton and Dr. Brittany Webb, which previewed our upcoming exhibition, "Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale".
Reporter Thomas Hine looks at two current PAFA exhibitions, "Awakened in You" and Making Community, for the Philadelphia Inquirer, calling the shows "intimate" and "communal".
KYW Newsradio spoke with Youth Council member Sophia Becker about her experience of being part of the curatorial team behind At One Stroke: Prints by Helen Frankenthaler.
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.
