News

marble statues on wood pallets

The Philadelphia Inquirer | PAFA closes historic building to reimagine permanent collection

On the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer today, Peter Dobrin writes 'Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts closes historic building to reimagine permanent collection.'
In the News
Graphic of gold dots and thumbnails of art

Alumni Awarded 2023 Wind Fellowships

Pafa Alumni Dara Haskins (BFA '19), Athena Scott (MFA '22), and Meg Wolensky (BFA '14) have been awarded 2023 Wind Fellowships. Join their virtual artists’ talk on February 2nd.
Alumni News
students standing and eating in open gallery area with elevators and large window behind

Rachel Saunders (MFA ’23) Creates Moments of Inspiration with Gallery 8

Rachel Saunders’s favorite space on the campus lies nestled away from the public eye on the 8th floor of the Hamilton Building, surrounding the elevators that transport her and her fellow MFA students from the streets of Philadelphia up to a haven of artist studios.
Perspectives
painting of people on a beach

Art Keeps Him Young: CBS News Interviews Alumni Philip Cohn

CBS News interviews the artist for the exhibition Philip Cohn: My Life's Work on view in the Alumni Gallery, in "99-year-old Philly artist shows how fine arts keeps him young."

"The important big deal is me getting in front of the canvas and working today, that's the big deal, not the show," Cohn…

Alumni News
Two men in yellow shirts assist artist in assembling white sculpture molds

Zofia Chamera (MFA ’22) Writes a New Story on White Pages and Paper

For her culminating work at PAFA, Zofia Chamera (MFA ’22) created Shedding Fear, a 7-foot paper figure which debuted at the Annual Student Exhibition in the spring of 2022 and then showed in Italy two months later for the Lucca Biennale, an art, architecture, and design exhibition dedicated to paper…
Alumni News
Gallery view of portrait paintings

Broad Street Review | PAFA presents Making American Artists: Stories from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 1776 – 1976

A review of the major exhibition, including each of the five subject areas: portraits, history, still life, genre and landscape
In the News
abstract sculpture mounted on wall

Philadelphia Inquirer | Mixed Media: At America's first art school and museum, Black artists forged a space of their own

As part of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s series “A More Perfect Union,” which explores the roots of systemic racism in America through institutions founded in Philadelphia, Dr. Synatra Smith and Zoe Greenberg examined the legacy of Black artists at PAFA.
In the News
installation view of galleries with blue and red walls and landscape paintings

Philadelphia Inquirer | Five iconic American artworks on display at PAFA’s newest show

Five art experts on their favorite pieces in Making American Artists: Stories from PAFA, 1776-1976.
In the News
print with drawings of figures

WHYY | Gift/Deeds exhibit at PAFA highlights selections of 20th century art

WHYY Host Priyanka Tewari sat down with Philadelphia-based artist, activist, and collector, Ofelia Garcia and Dr. Brittany Webb, curator of Gift/Deeds: Collectors at PAFA, to speak on how and why people collect art.
In the News
Brittany Webb headshot

Curator Brittany Webb is Juror to Select Artist to Honor Marian Anderson

Peter Dobrin reports in The Philadelphia Inquirer that the artist Tanda Francis has been chosen to create a statue of the renowned vocalist Marian Anderson from South Philadelphia, to stand outside of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.

PAFA curator, Brittany Webb was on the jury panel that…

In the News
Anna Marley standing in front of landscape painting with fox in snow and crows above

Philadelphia Inquirer | Is this painting of a fox one of the greatest works of American art?

Julia Shipley reports on several national art scholars' favorite selections from the exhibition, including The Fox Hunt by Winslow Homer, as well as works by Harriet Hosmer, May Howard Jackson, and Georgia O'Keefe.
In the News
gallery with Making American Artists text and two large portrait paintings

Rewriting the Story of American Art with Making American Artists

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts rewrites the story of American Art with Making American Artists: Stories from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1776–1976. (October 6, 2022—April 2, 2023)
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.