PAFA The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

You'll this newsFamily Arts Academy returns in virtual form on February 14! Join us for a Valentine's Day Pop-Up Card workshop and create artistic greeting cards together! Fill your creations with lovely, heartfelt messages to a favorite person, friends, or family. PAFA's Family Arts Academy program offers families of all shapes and sizes a way to connect in an online space with fun, creative art projects.... Save your spot today + learn more about our offerings! See more

Philadelphia school buildings are a tribute to its past, and their names serve as a reminder of the important contributions of Black educators and professionals in the city. WHYY explores the stories behind these buildings in a new story. Learn more about this building and others at the link below. Laura Wheeler Waring graduated from PAFA in 1916 and whose work can be found in our permanent collection, in addition to many other museums. After her death, the Laura Wheeler War...ing School, located at 18th and Green Streets, was named in her honor, where her husband served as an educator. Waring's work is currently on view in the exhibition, "'Awakened in You': The Collection of Dr. Constance E. Clayton," through April 4. : GreatPhillySchools

Congratulations to PAFA's Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Twentieth-Century Art and the John Rhoden Collection, Dr. Brittany Webb, on being selected for Essence Magazine's "14 Black Contemporary Artists And Curators You Should Know". Read the full list at the link below! https://www.essence.com//14-black-contemporary-artists-a/

"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," says WHYY's Peter Crimmins on our new exhibition, Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale.

Join us on 2/10 for the closing reception of the exhibition, "Trade Ya!". Hear from curator Mia Rosenthal '08 about organizing the exhibition and the artists about their trades. "Trade Ya!" is an exhibition of 16 works traded between PAFA alumni and faculty. Each work in this exhibition was traded for another; the exchanged pieces hang in pairs. Trades were made between faculty and students, studio neighbors and friends. (L-R): Sarah Thompson Moore '15, "The Weight of Intention" (2014) / Stuart Shils '82, "Cliffs and Bay Lost in a Sunset Glare," (2001)

Due to winter weather conditions, PAFA will be closed on Tuesday, February 2. Remote and online classes will be in session.

Happy first night of Hanukkah!

Registration for Saturday art classes for teens is now open! Young artists can develop their skills in 10-week online sessions taught by PAFA faculty. Starting January 23, students can explore figure painting or the principles of animation. ... Teens can choose to take all courses for undergraduate credit at no additional cost, and scholarships are available. Learn more + save your spot today! See more

Art At Noon returns on December 16 with Dr. Nancy G. Heller, who will explore artist Audrey Flack's 1978 painting, "World War II (Vanitas)," currently on view as part of PAFA’s "Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale" exhibition. Audrey Flack was the only woman among the major Photo-Realist painters active in the U.S. during the 1970s. Featuring unexpected subjects and sizes, Flack’s canvases showed off her technical virtuosity and demanded the attention of viewers. Today Flack remains prolific, but her focus has turned to creating monumental sculptures and large-scale drawings. Dr. Nancy G. Heller is a Professor at The University of the Arts, where one of her specialties is the history of women artists.

PAFA is pleased to announce that Dr. Brittany Webb has been named Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Twentieth Century Art. A member of the PAFA community since 2018, Dr. Webb is the Curator of the John Rhoden Collection. With her new curatorial appointment, Dr. Webb becomes the inaugural Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Twentieth Century Art and the John Rhoden Collection. Congratulations to Dr. Webb!

Prospective undergraduate students can learn more about our academic concentrations through a series of online workshops hosted by PAFA's Admissions Office. Learn about each department's unique approach to their creative discipline, courses offered, participate in a live workshop with a faculty member, and more. 11/9 4:00 PM - Sculpture Workshop with Professor Darla Jackson... 11/18 4:00 PM - Animation Workshop with Department Chair Amy Lee Ketchum 11/19 4:00 PM - Painting Workshop with Professor Peter Van Dyck Save your spot today!

Registration for PAFA's Spring Continuing Education classes is here! Explore our Spring 2021 course offerings and save your spotspaces fill up fast! Save 10% when you use promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2021 by December 21.... Grow your creative interests and skills in a community of likeminded artists, taught by a stellar faculty of practicing, professional artists. PAFA's CE program offers formats to fit your needs: Learn at your own pace with pre-recorded online content or with live Zoom instruction alongside an instructor. See more

Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrowdon't forget to set your clock back 1 hour tonight.

Teens: Join our Youth Council program on December 12 and learn about art therapy, plus participate in an art-making experience focused on themes of self-exploration and self-awareness. The art activity will also provide an opportunity to alleviate stress and connect with the self and others. PAFA's Youth Council is a free after-school program that offers interested teens a chance to create a prominent place for young audiences in the daily life of the museum.

Happy #Halloween from PAFA!

Join us on December 9 for Art At Noon as PAFA curator Jodi Throckmorton is joined by Swarthmore College professor Dr. Bakirathi Mani and artist Annu Palakunnathu Matthew for a discussion on Matthew’s series, "An Indian From India" in relation to Edward S. Curtis's photographs of Indigenous peoples and Mani’s recent publication, "Unseeing Empire: Photography, Representation, South Asian America" (2020, Duke University Press).

Get kids ready for the approaching holiday by making decorations and presents for family and friends in PAFA's Art Explorer Holiday Fun sessions. PAFA's Youth & Family Programs are designed for parents and kids living through this moment with online sessions to keep kids engaged and creative. Our educators run fun and creative art-making activities, ranging from drawing and mixed media art to sculpture and paper art. Register today!

On 11/7 and 11/14, join CE faculty Shushana Rucker for a two-part online workshop on how to turn your prints and drawings into artists’ books. Register by 10/30 to save your spot: https://bit.ly/2HhcpiY This workshop will introduce beginners to the basics of bookbinding. Bookbinding only requires simple tools, is easily portable, and does not require a shop or studio, making it ideal for any artist working from home.... Basic book structures, book stitching, and more will be covered through online videos and live instruction. See more

Teens who love fiction: Join us on 11/7 for a 2-day online writing workshop and get a chance to craft immersive, short fiction pieces no more than 500 words. Instructor Brian Heston guide students through the process, along with additional readings, feedback and more. Take an idea from your own culture or lived experience, build on a comic or illustration you’re already working on, or compose a creative glimpse into a completely imagined world. Whatever your inspiration, you... will learn to help your audience suspend their disbelief through great, active writing and find new ways to develop compelling, unforgettable visual scenery. Save your spot today!

From PAFA Board Chair Kevin F. Donohoe: "Dr. David Brigham has chosen to leave his position as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) to accept an appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. On behalf of the PAFA Board of Trustees and staff, we offer him our best wishes as he embarks on this new endeavor."

PAFA attends various National Portfolio Day events (NPDs) across the US. All NPDs are free and open to the public, for any student seeking information on our undergraduate degree programs. This year, NPDs are being held virtuallyvisit the link to see where PAFA will be this November! At these events, prospective students can meet with their PAFA Admissions Counselor or Admissions Representative to discuss the admissions process, get feedback on their portfolio, and learn about PAFA’s programs and scholarship opportunities.

This fall, kids 1013 can explore the art of sketchbooks in our Saturday Classes for Middle School Students program. Class begins 11/14use promo code "SATCLASS10" and save 10% when you register by 10/31. Save your spot! This 6-week online course will introduce students to a variety of artistic sketchbooks styles and practices, helping them build their drawing skills and experiment with different media. It is a great way to start a journey into this great artistic practice, joining Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and many other artists who have created unique sketchbooks.

"Re-Framing American Art/History: Whose Monument?" wraps up on October 27. This fall, examine American art history with PAFA curator Dr. Anna O. Marley and professor Dr. Christian Ayne Crouch in our new 4-part lecture series, "Re-Framing American Art/History". Register for the whole series or a la carte.

PAFA and The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) are the recipients of two grants from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. These awards will support a transformative, multi-site contemporary art collaboration between the two organizations and additional partners at venues throughout Philadelphia in late 2022. One of the most ambitious and multifaceted Philadelphia art exhibitions in recent memory, "Rising SunArtists and an Uncertain America" will feature newly co...mmissioned work by 30 leading contemporary American artists. Learn more about our exciting collaboration!

On November 11, Erin M. Riley is the featured guest for the Visiting Artist Program. Erin M. Riley is a visual artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Riley earned a MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University in 2009 and a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2007, both in Fibers. Riley’s work is woven by the artist using traditional tapestry techniques in hand dyed wool. The work uses imagery relating to and overlapping with sexuality, addiction, trauma and death, filtered through the perspective of a human who came of age on the internet. Riley is represented by P.P.O.W Gallery in New York, NY and has recently been shown at Henie Onstad Museum in Oslo, Norway, Gana Art Center in Seoul, South Korea and the Tang Teaching Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Let PAFA faculty member Anthony Ciambella take your acrylic painting to the next level on October 28 in this online demonstration. The popularity and possibilities of acrylics are often overwhelming, with hundreds of products available to artists. This lecture presents valuable information for artists of all levels, as well as for anyone interested in learning about painting processes to heighten their appreciation of artworks. Gain confidence in your selection and use ...of materials, and learn a variety of contemporary techniques to expand your use of this medium. Discover alternatives for supports, palettes, and brushes, plus explore various paint application methods. Save your spot today!