The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) enters the final 10 days of Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden, the first major retrospective celebrating the legacy of Rhoden, a visionary sculptor whose work continues to inspire generations. The exhibition’s final day is Sunday, April 7. One of the most prolific sculptors of the 20th century, Rhoden worked in a style that was ahead of his time, with a sculptural sensibility defined by his extensive world travels, sensualism, and a breadth of visual influences. Several special events precede the closing.

Special Exhibition Tour
Saturday, March 30, 2024
12:00 PM
Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building
To register or for further information

Lori Waselchuk, PAFA's Assistant Director of Public Programs, will talk about Rhoden's work, his personal story, and PAFA's stewardship of the Rhoden Collection and John Rhoden Digital Archive.

Rhoden's Bronze: Tour and Live Pour
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building
11:00 AM
To register or for further information

This tour and live bronze pour is an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience. Explore the exhibition Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden, delving into the artist’s primary artistic medium: bronze. Gain insider knowledge of bronze casting with PAFA's Sculpture Facilities Manager, John Greig.

Art at Noon | William Villalongo on Where the Black Atlantic meets the Black Mediterranean
Wednesday, April 3
12:00 PM
This is an online only event. Advance registration is required.
To register or for further information

Like John Rhoden seventy years before, William Villalongo was awarded a fellowship at the American Academy in Rome in 2020. Here, Villalongo will detail this opportunity to live, research, and make work in Rome in 2021-22. The fellowship enabled him to create new works for his recent solo exhibition Black Menagerie at Susan Inglett Gallery, which tells a nuanced story about the Black presence in antiquity.  

Art At Noon offers free discussions and lectures with scholars and artists, covering a variety of topics related to PAFA’s exhibitions, collections, and areas of interest. 

Passport Dance: Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society
Sunday, April 7, 2024 
2:00 PM
Rhoden Arts Center, Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building
Free with museum admission
To register or for further information

The Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society presents a special PAFA performance of a Peking Opera program featuring select episodes that focus heavily on the dance elements of the art form, such as the Sword Dance, Ribbon Dance, Water Sleeve and Fan Dance. The Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society will transport you to ancient China with their elaborate storytelling, brilliant costumes, beautiful arias, and mesmerizing dances.

Passport Dance is inspired by sculptor John Rhoden (1916-2001), an accomplished, world-traveler who made every effort to meet new people wherever he went. He developed networks with international artists, sharing skills, techniques, and ideas along the way. Rhoden attended the American Academy in Rome from 1951 to 1954 first on a Fulbright Fellowship and then the Prix de Rome. He was selected by the US Department of State to serve as an art specialist from 1955 through 1959 as a part of the International Cultural Exchange and Fair Participation Act of 1956. During this service, he visited over 20 countries [including Iceland, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Kenya, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Uganda, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Zanzibar (now Tanzania), Poland, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and the Soviet Union] in an official capacity.

PAFA is open Thursday/ Friday, 10:00-4:00, and Saturday/Sunday, 11:00-5:00. The Museum is open Easter Sunday.

About the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

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 a world-class collection of American art, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts. The PAFA Museum aims to tell the sweeping story of American art, expanding who has been included in the canon of art history through its collections, exhibitions, and public programs, while the College and extended classes of the School of Fine Arts educate artists with a deep understanding of traditions and the ability to challenge conventions. PAFA’s esteemed alumni include Mary Cassatt, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Maxfield Parrish, William Glackens, Barkley L. Hendricks, Violet Oakley, Louis Kahn, David Lynch and Henry Ossawa Tanner. Learn more at PAFA.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Katherine E. Blodgett
Communications Consultant
katherineblodgett@gmail.com
215.431.1230 

Featured Image: Determined To Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, October 5, 2023–April 7, 2024 in the Hamilton Building. Courtesy of PAFA. Photography by Adrian Cubillas.