News

American+ displayed in gallery

Michael Coppage (MFA ’05) Confronts Centuries of Negativity with Resiliency in American+

American+, a touring solo exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Michael Coppage (MFA ’05), kicked off the new year in PAFA’s School of Fine Arts Gallery. A venue for alumni showcases, the 2710 square-foot gallery is the largest that American+ has been shown in so far, allowing Coppage to display…

Alumni News
Sally Ride Quarter Drawing

PAFA Alumni Design and Sculpt the Sally Ride Quarter for USMint

 Two PAFA alumni, designer Elana Haglar (MFA '07) and sculptor Phebe Hemphill (Sculpture '87), created the depiction of astronaut Dr. Sally Ride on a new quarter released this year. The artists are employed at the US Mint as "Artist Infusion Program" Designer and "Medallic Artist" respectively, and…
Alumni News
WURD host Nick Taliaferro interviewing Eric Pryor

Rewatch the WURD Radio Black History Month Broadcast at PAFA

WURD Radio has reshared the interviews from their Black History Month live broadcast at PAFA! Follow the link below to watch the full program and find more photos.

"Evening WURDs host Nick Taliaferro kicked off the event by interviewing Eric Pryor, PAFA’s first Black president in its 217-year…

In the News
Peter Van Dyck painting

Trebuchet Magazine | The Way I See It. Presence, Realism, and the Artist in Physical Space: Peter van Dyck

The work of painting faculty, Peter Van Dyck, is explored in Trebuchet Magazine's latest issue, Process.

Van Dyck’s process brings whoever is watching into soft afternoons and empty streets touched with the light melancholy of contemplative solitude. Our eyes, following the graceful curves of…

In the News
AXA logo

Executive Dean Clint Jukkala Serves as Juror for AXA Art Prize

The AXA Art Prize shines a spotlight on the re-emergence of figurative art and the undiscovered stars of its future.

"We're pleased to introduce Regional Juror, Clint Jukkala. Jukkala is the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and previously served as the…

In the News
Maggie Bosco in her studio on Open Studio Night

MFA Student Marguerite Bosco Reflects on Open Studio Night

MFA student Marguerite Bosco reflects on this year's Open Studio Night:

"On February 25th, PAFA students opened their studio doors to welcome hundreds of visitors to a behind the scenes look at their creative process. This annual event presents an invaluable opportunity for students to make…

Perspectives
Eric Pryor in Museum

6ABC | Meet Eric Pryor, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 1st Black president & CEO

As part of their Black History Month series on "Visions" 6ABC reports on Eric Pryor's appointment as President & CEO, with video and article introducing his background and vision for PAFA.
In the News
Graphic Novel lecture

Illustration Student Emily McLaughlin Reflects on Greg Niedt's Graphic Novel Course

The (Near) Infinite World of the Graphic Novel: Greg Niedt Breaks Down the Medium in the Liberal Arts Course "Deconstructing the Graphic Novel"
Perspectives
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

About PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America's first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and a world-class collection of American art. 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.