News

Mariel Capanna's "A Nice Gift for Friends and Relatives" on display at Adams and Ollman in Portland, Oregon

Years after graduating from PAFA and thousands of miles apart, two kindred spirits have found each other. Gallery owner Amy Adams (MFA ’01) has welcomed artist Mariel Capanna (BFA ’12, Certificate ’13) into the artist roster at Adams and Ollman in Portland, Oregon. With a shared love for their…

Alumni News
Varvàra Fern checks alignment of railroad sculpture hung on wall

A lot has changed since 2018, when a young Varvàra Fern (BFA ’22) entered the undergraduate sculpture program at PAFA and felt the culture shock from Moscow to North Broad Street in Philadelphia. “When I came to PAFA, I had so many problems I had to solve...With the student visa time here is pretty…

Perspectives
mock up image of design for Alien Drive Thru

Receiving one of the first Burning Man Honoraria awarded to a PAFA alum, Madeline Fried (Cert. ‘16) is an artist helping us confront today’s challenges by imagining the future.

Fried is a founding member of Swing Shift Studio, a Bay Area collective whose work combines activism, science, art, and…

Alumni News
white walled gallery with paintings and sculptures
Two alumni are featured in the Woodmere Art Museum's 80th juried exhibition Nicole Michaud (Certificate '12) and Maci Kocizewski (MFA '22) through August 28, 2022. PAFA shares a deep history with the Woodmere, which features the art and artists of Philadelphia.
Alumni News
Vernon's Silent Hymns 2
In a testimony to the work of recent Low-Residency MFA students, the oldest auction house in America is showing two alum in their gallery through September 16.
Alumni News
painting by Nicole Parker

Congratulations are in order for alums Nicole Parker (BFA '17, Cert '18) and Martin Geiger (Cert '19) on their recent awards from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. The organization supports emerging artists from around the world who are working in a representational style and demonstrate the…

Alumni News
Installation view of Gift Deeds Kholer collection

PHILADELPHIA - June 30 2022 - The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is pleased to present, “Gift/Deeds: Collectors at PAFA,” an exhibition of 20th century and contemporary art gifted to PAFA’s permanent collection by six significant and influential Philadelphia art collectors. The…

Press Release
Details of works by Gu and Mamba
Gu and Mamba engage their first-generation experiences to interrogate the development and deployment of identity in America in the exhibition Living in between worlds, open Wednesday, June 29th through Saturday, July 30th. Visit the opening celebration on Friday, July 1st from 6 - 9 PM.
Alumni News
Colorful promo graphic from Estudio Abierto

David Dempewolf shows at the Estudio Abierto in Vigo, Spain this summer. The exhibition Spectrum from June 17-19 is curated by Josías Figueirido and Alberto ASH Santos. Read the Spanish preview in La Voz de Galicia by Begoña Rodríguez Sotelino, "La mítica consola «Spectrum» inspira a seis artistas

bands of Juneteenth colors red green yellow black
All PAFA facilities - studios, museums and college - will be closed on Monday, June 20th in honor of Juneteenth. "As we turn as a nation to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday, I am mindful of those who paved the way for us to get to this national celebration..."
Watercolor of George Hitchcock by John McLure Hamilton

Have you ever felt limited in your art subjects by the challenge of depicting people? Translating the human form from observation is one of the cornerstones of PAFA's long tradition of rigorous instruction. Gain confidence by joining summer Continuing Education courses in Human Form and Anatomy…

Graphite drawing of nude male figure
Since her very first visit to PAFA, Faith has truly found her place in a close-knit community where she can focus on her art.
Perspectives

About PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the United State's first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and a world-class collection of American art. 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.