PAFA Announces Preview Party
for 115th Annual Student Exhibition

Thursday, May 12, 2016, 4 - 8:30 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA (April 11, 2016) -- The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) will kick off the 115th Annual Student Exhibition (ASE) with a Preview Party, hosted by PAFA's Women's Board, on Thursday, May 12, 4 - 8:30 p.m. at the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 128 North Broad Street in Philadelphia.

The party is the Women's Board's major annual fundraiser and has an enthusiastic following of savvy art buyers with an eye for work by emerging artists on the verge of their professional careers.

The ASE Preview Party provides the first and best chance to view and purchase work by PAFA's talented BFA students, third- and fourth-year Certificate students, and MFA candidates. The majority of the 1,000 works in the ASE each year are purchased on the night of the Preview Party.

Preview Party guests have the opportunity to discuss the works with the artists, who are present throughout the evening. Students retain the majority of the purchase price of works sold, and all proceeds from the Preview Party support PAFA student scholarships.

Honorary Chairs for the 2016 Preview Party are Bill and Laura Buck. Co-Chairs are Kelly Culley and Carolyn Nagy.

This year, guests at the Preview Party will have unique opportunities to interact with art and the artists themselves. Lydia Hamilton Brown (MFA '16) will be inviting party guests to cut, paste and converse as part of an active, collaborative collage-making work in progress. In addition, Lauren Feusahrens (MFA '16) is currently making a functional art object that will be used as one of the bars in the museum on the night of the party.

Ticket prices are in multiple tiers, allowing guests different benefits and entry times: Scholar level attendees at $3,000 per person, Philanthropist level at $1,000, and Connoisseur level at $500 all enter at 4 p.m. and have the first hour to themselves to enjoy the exhibition and make their selections. Collector levels at $300 per person enter at 5 p.m., Patrons at $250 enter at 6 p.m., and Friends at $150 enter at 7 p.m. The party, sale and festivities continue until 8:30 p.m.

The 115th Annual Student Exhibition opens to the public the next day, Friday, May 13, and continues until Sunday, June 5. For Preview Party tickets and information, visit pafa.org/asepreview or call 215-972-2077.

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Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America's first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts, PAFA is a recognized leader in fine arts education with a world-class permanent collection of American art.