News

Joan Semmel work

National Endowment for the Arts Awards PAFA $40k Grant for Retrospective Exhibition

PAFA is the recipient of a $40,000 Grant for Arts Project award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This grant will support the museum’s upcoming exhibition "Joan Semmel: Skin in the Game," opening October 28, 2021 and remain on view through April 3, 2022.
Press Release
Awakened in You installation view

Visit Philly | Celebrate Black History Month

Visit Philly's 2021 guide to celebrating Black History Month includes a wide array of ways to engage and connect, and highlights PAFA's current exhibition, "'Awakened in You': The Collection of Dr. Constance E. Clayton".
In the News
Taking Space installation view

WHYY | Women Take Up Space in New Feminist Exhibition

"The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has reopened in a big way, with big art on big walls that take your breath away with their sheer size," reports WHYY's Peter Crimmins of Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale.
In the News
tarot card by amelia jeoung

Expanding Creative Horizons Through Liberal Arts Courses

This past fall, PAFA’s Pre-College program introduced liberal arts classes, offering high school students the opportunity to explore, analyze and interpret big questions in college-style seminars.
Perspectives
Only Tony installation view

WHYY | PAFA Debuts 3 New Exhibits

WHYY's Tonya Pendleton previews the reopening of PAFA's museum and its current exhibition lineup.
In the News
installation view of "taking space"

Museum Reopening and Updated Exhibition Schedule Announced

PHILADELPHIA (January 21, 2020) -- The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) announces the Museum reopening on January 21, 2020 and an updated exhibition schedule and Museum hours of operation for Winter/Spring 2021. For the second time, PAFA was closed to the public in mid-November in…

Taking Space installation view

Chadds Ford Live | New Virtual and Live Shows

Constance McBride rounds up the latest arts and culture events for Chadds Ford Live, highlighting PAFA's "Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale" exhibition.
In the News
Roll Press Pull installation image

uwishunu | Explore PAFA's New Exhibitions

PAFA's Museum reopening and new exhibitions were highlighted over at uwishunu.com for its January guide to what's happening around Philadelphia.
In the News
pafa campus

Elizabeth Warshawer Named Interim President & CEO of PAFA

Elizabeth Warshawer has been appointed Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of PAFA by the Board of Trustees. Warshawer brings over 30 years experience leading and managing academic, non-profit, and corporate organizations. She begins her role at PAFA on January 4, 2021 as the institution…
exhibition in samuel m.v. hamilton building

Philadelphia Inquirer | William Penn & Mellon Foundations Award Grant to PAFA

The William Penn and Mellon Foundations have awarded PAFA $400,000 in funding to support area arts organizations during the pandemic.

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Peter Dobrin reports:

The arts-funding package going to 37 groups is the most recent assembled by William Penn since March, when the…

In the News
PAFA campus at night

COVID-19 Closure Update

In accordance with restrictions announced Monday, November 16, by Philadelphia government and health officials, PAFA, along with other citywide art museums and colleges, will temporarily close for in-person activities, in support of broad-based efforts to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
animation frame

PAFA Announces Animation as Newest Program at the College of the Fine Arts

PAFA is pleased to announce Animation as the newest undergraduate program at the College of the Fine Arts under the leadership of department chair Amy Lee Ketchum. PAFA's Animation curriculum builds on PAFA’s strong tradition of narrative storytelling and experimental approaches to moving imagery.
Press Release

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.