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 connections with art collectors, art admirers, and other artists from all over. As a student at PAFA, showcasing our artwork and interacting with the public allows us to inspire and create valuable bonds with our supporters.

Reflecting on my own experiences, I am overwhelmed with the amount of support and love I received from everyone who came to visit. Open Studio Night reminded me of why I started creating in the first place—to connect. When I am alone painting in my studio, I create for myself and try to express my view of the world. But in life I am always longing to develop deeper connections with the world and people who surround me. Open Studio Night opened the doors to making those deeper connections I’m always striving toward.

Having visitors analyze, discuss and relate to my paintings was such a rewarding experience. A painting I made of the New York City Skyline raised a lot of interest for visitors who shared their own interpretation. This showed me how humans represent duality and diversity. The beauty of art is that it can shine light on those characteristics of humanity by bringing different perspectives together. We have all lived separate lives with unique backgrounds, beliefs, and values. We search for pieces of ourselves within another individual's artwork, creating infinite versions of stories behind each work of art. The beauty lies in the ability to discuss these unique stories with others. Open studio night gave this gift of sharing to all PAFA students."

One of the most anticipated events on the school’s calendar, Open Studio Night is the one time each year when PAFA's graduate and undergraduate students open their studios to the public to show and discuss their works in progress.

The event takes place on upper studio floors of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building at 128 N. Broad Street—comprising 200 private studios where PAFA students develop and refine their paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings throughout the school year.

Open Studio Night gives visitors a rare up-close and personal look into the creative process of a new generation of emerging artists, see the inner workings of their studios, and get a sense of how they develop their ideas. It also provides a sneak peek of works that will appear in the Annual Student Exhibition (ASE), where more than 1,000 works by PAFA students are exhibited in the museum galleries.