Renowned for its training in the arts, PAFA, which had been open to enrollment for Black artists since the mid-19th century, became the preferred institution for Theodore E. Wells (1922-1998) to realize his artistic aspirations, made possible by funding from the GI Bill.
“I would rather fail at painting than succeed at anything else in life” writes Peter Miller on her 1933 application to study at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA.
The next time you visit Center City, be warned - a visit to Morton Contemporary will leave you deeply…