Critiques are integral to the learning and curricular experience at PAFA, designed to push students and make the most of their time while in school. Second-year MFA student Jess Aquino discusses her experiences with the critique process, and how they have shaped the work she makes.
Who came first—Philadelphia or New York? In "From the Schuylkill to the Hudson: Landscapes of the Early American Republic," PAFA explores an untold version of American art history.
An unexpected job loss in 2011 forced Illustration student Frank Genuardi '19 to rethink his future and reconsider past decisions. So Genuardi went back to community college with the intent to earn a degree in business. Upon re-enrolling, he discovered he was a few credits shy of earning a degree in…
An artist’s education doesn’t end at graduation. PAFA has a long-standing tradition of encouraging artists to explore the world and travel. Awarded each spring, PAFA's travel prizes—the Cresson, von Hess, and the newly-established Rubens—are among the most coveted at the Academy.
Rhona Hofmeyr '20 is a trained opera singer and studies sculpture at PAFA. After a summer study abroad trip to Greece, she was inspired to create more installations, which allows her to merge her creative interests.
To get prepared for a digital career in video games, PAFA-Penn student Gianna Del Rossi '21 chose to PAFA to study traditional fine art and focus on her technical skills. After finishing up at PAFA this spring, Del Rossi is going on to study at the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on…
There are several Walt Whitman-related artworks in PAFA’s collection, but in celebration of Whitman’s 200th birthday, contemporary curator Jodi Throckmorton thought there was room for one more Whitman work in the permanent collection. She commissioned artist Mark Stockton to create a drawing of the…
Cardin Moffett '19 came to PAFA to study painting but he couldn’t shake the nearly 20 years experience he has working in technology, as a graphic designer and programmer. As a recipient of a grant from PAFA’s Fine Arts Venture Fund, Moffett was able to marry his technology skills with art and create…
Graduation is a time when many students are getting ready to join “the real world” and are often uncertain of the road ahead for them. But PAFA’s 2019 graduation speaker, artist Chitra Ganesh, urges students to recognize that while they are on the cusp of something new they shouldn’t discount the…
As he prepares for the Annual Student Exhibition, the impact Philadelphia's landscape on Daniel Flinchbaugh's (BFA '19) artistic work is apparent—the city is deeply reflected in the subject matter and presentation of his work. After graduating from PAFA this May, Daniel plans to attend UPenn for…
On view in the Maguire Gallery are a series of prints by John and Richanda Rhoden. The Rhodens may have shown their individual work together during their lives, but not much is known about the collaborative prints they produced during their marriage. As stewards of John Rhoden's legacy, PAFA's…
After spending 3 years out of the country, Ash-Bob initially wanted to stay in California to pursue art. Her art teacher and PAFA alumnus Andrew Walker Patterson '07 encouraged her to look east. Even though she expected to be a figure painter at PAFA, the desire for connection and to share with…
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.
