PHILADELPHIA – June 28, 2024 | The iconic, Frank Furness-designed Historic Landmark Building (HLB) at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), 118 North Broad Street, will be temporarily “offline” for planned renovations to its HVAC system. The building will be unavailable to the public beginning July 8, after the current exhibition, Artists as Cultivators, closes. The renovation work, which begins in August, focuses on upgrading the HVAC system to ensure better climate control within the building, vital for safeguarding PAFA's invaluable collection for future generations. The HLB is anticipated to reopen to the public in the fall of 2025, in advance of the building’s 150th anniversary in 2026.  

Artists as Cultivators, remains on view through Sunday, July 7. Sunday Serenades, special concerts that take place in the exhibition galleries feature solo performances by renowned Philadelphia Orchestra musicians. On Sunday, June 30, from 12:30 to 2 pm, cellist Bob Cafaro will perform and on Sunday, July 7, violist Ren Martin-Doike will perform, both playing unaccompanied works by Bach. Performances are free with museum admission.  

During the HLB renovations, PAFA has a robust slate of exhibitions and public programs planned for its Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building at 128 North Broad Street. Layers of Liberty: Philadelphia and the Appalachian Environment, on view June 27-November 3, 2024, explores Philadelphia’s relationship to the Appalachian region. Through paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture drawn from PAFA’s permanent collection, 56 works by 41 artists trace Philadelphia’s connections to the extraction of natural resources in Appalachia, from a historical to a contemporary perspective.  

The Atwater Kent Collection (AKC) at Drexel University opens the exhibition Philly Revealed: Unpacking the Attic in the Hamilton Building at PAFA, July 18, 2024. The large, interactive display of over 600 authentic objects tells the story of Philadelphia’s city history collection, reflecting over 350 years of Philly history. On view through December 1, 2024. Visit Drexel News for more information.

PAFA’s permanent collection is currently traveling across the country in the enormously successful exhibition, Making American Artists, organized through the American Federation of Arts (AFA). Currently at the Albuquerque Museum of Art, the exhibition will also make stops in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Syracuse, New York; Salem, Massachusetts; and Roanoke, Virginia, before returning to Philadelphia in January of 2026. Visit the AFA for more details on the exhibition tour.

Visitors can also access PAFA’s permanent collection online, 24/7, through the free arts and culture app, Bloomberg Connects. The app is available for free via Google Play or the App Store. For more information.

PAFA is open Thursday and Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Reserve tickets and access further information about visiting.  

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