If you’ve ever been emotionally moved by a painting, song, or poem, you understand the power of art to inspire and brighten our lives. As certified art therapist Dona Duncan has seen first-hand, art also has the power to help people experiencing a range of symptoms from PTSD and depression to…
Renowned artist Titus Kaphar visited PAFA several times throughout the spring semester to meet with about a dozen MFA students for a series of studio critiques.
PAFA docents recently had a chance to take a tour of Faith and Family. Inspired by the World Meeting of Families 2015 and the historic visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia, Faith and Family is PAFA's first online Collections Focus, yet these works are also on view in the galleries currently. Anna…
Liza Samuel recently demonstrated her process for making oil-based paint, as a large group of students crowded around to watch. Her formulas have become the go-to paints for many fellow students—and teachers—at PAFA.
“PAFA was a very exciting environment where I was able to figure out and develop a type of critical thinking that is applicable to many aspects of life, not just painting."
PAFA’s community of faculty, students and alumni came together this week to kick off a new school year at an assembly that served up encouragement, ideas, advice – and lunch, of course – to new and returning graduate and undergraduate students.
The first assembly of the 2015-2016 academic year was…
"I am at an advantage for applying to jobs, internships, and graduate programs in scientific illustration because not only can I draw, but I can understand the science of what I’m drawing."
Moe Brooker '63 credits instructors at PAFA with helping him develop as an artist. “What I learned at PAFA allowed me to go from being a realistic painter, which I did for more than 10 years, to become an abstract painter, which took seven years, and is what I do today.”
Mia Rosenthal had her sights set on being a painter when she enrolled in PAFA’s graduate program. Soon after her arrival, however, she found herself “making things that weren’t paintings.”
Bodu Yang decided to make museums her main subject in her paintings, as PAFA’s museum was a critical factor in her artistic development. “I really value the relationship between artwork and exhibition spaces.”
Perspectives
About PAFA
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the United States’ 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 educational opportunities in the fine arts. The PAFA Museum aims to tell America's diverse story through art, expanding who has been included in the canon of art history through its collections, exhibitions, and public programs, while classes educate artists and appreciators with a deep understanding of traditions and the ability to challenge conventions. 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.
