As a high school Summer Academy student in 2018, Safiya Wharton was a dedicated, serious painter.

She spent the school year at CAPA, Philadelphia’s public high school for creative and performing arts, surrounded by creative peers. But she wanted more. So she spent a summer studying with PAFA’s…

In the last few years, Jonathan Lyndon Chase (MFA ‘16) has been all over the world, showcasing their work in London, New York, Switzerland, China, and more. But one of their favorite places to be is in Philadelphia visiting student studios as a Visiting Critic at PAFA.

It’s one thing to see Andy Warhol’s work in a museum but Annie Thompson (MFA ‘24) says it’s an entirely different experience to hold the icon’s work in your hands. 

“It kind of blinded me a little bit. It was kind of wild to see some of his pieces in person and understand how strong the pigments were…

Being able to study art up close is one thing, but being able to engage with it deeply is another.

Callie Coccia, Pre-College Coordinator and PAFA Alum (PAFA-Penn BFA ’21), sat down with Ellie Zahorik, a first year BFA student at PAFA, to talk about Ellie’s high school experience at Summer Academy in 2021 and how it impacted her path to art school. 

This interview has been lightly edited for…

Kelly Lawler leads with her heart. Returning to art studies after 25 years in technology and project management, much of Kelly’s practice and output now focuses on the connections that draw us together as humans. "I stepped away from one really intense industry into something completely different…

Makenna Glessner (MFA ’23) is currently at work on her master’s thesis, but has been a constant presence at PAFA since 2016 as a high school summer attendee and an undergraduate student, earning her BFA in 2021. Makenna’s self-awareness immediately emerges in her thesis work, which focuses on the…

Pafa Alumni Dara Haskins (BFA '19), Athena Scott (MFA '22), and Meg Wolensky (BFA '14) have been awarded 2023 Wind Fellowships. Join their virtual artists’ talk on February 2nd.

Rachel Saunders’s favorite space on the campus lies nestled away from the public eye on the 8th floor of the Hamilton Building, surrounding the elevators that transport her and her fellow MFA students from the streets of Philadelphia up to a haven of artist studios.