In the News

WHYY | From the vaults to the walls at PAFA, women artists are front and center

WHYY’s Priyanka Tewari reports on the legacy of women artists at PAFA, following a visit to the museum.

"PAFA, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in Philadelphia, has quite a few firsts under its belt.

Established in 1805, it is the first museum and art academy in the United States, and it was the first to appoint a full-time female professor, Cecilia Beaux, in 1895. PAFA also ranks first among 26 major art institutions at collecting art by women, doing so at a rate of five times the national average."

"I wanted to show people how amazing women artists have been in terms of their technique, but also how they relied on each other to make professional opportunities possible." —Dr. Anna O. Marley, curator of Women in Motion: 150 Years of Women's Artistic Networks at PAFA

Read or listen to the full interview at the link below, and visit Women in Motion at the museum through July 24.


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.