Information
Landmark: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsCity: Philadelphia
Country: USA Pennsylvania
Continent: North America
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, USA Pennsylvania, North America
Overview
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the nation’s oldest art museum and fine arts school, where sunlight spills across centuries-old paintings.It spans two connected buildings at 118–128 North Broad Street in Philadelphia: the historic Furness-Hewitt Building, built between 1871 and 1876, and the Samuel M. V. Hamilton Building, built in 1914 and refreshed in 2005, still shows the warm brickwork of its original design.They bring together a world-class American art collection, lively exhibition halls, and hands-on studios that keep alive a 200-year tradition of shaping artists.The Furness-Hewitt Building, with its bold brickwork and striking arches, was designed by Frank Furness and George W. Hewitt, this High Victorian Gothic gem pulls together red terracotta, mauve granite, patterned brick, and cast-iron flourishes that catch the light like old bronze.The polychrome façade wraps around a towering Moorish arch, leading inside to a grand staircase that climbs through vaulted galleries lit by shafts of skylight and glimmers of ruby and emerald stenciling.It earned the title of National Historic Landmark in 1975, the brass plaque still gleaming by the front gate.Once the Pennsylvania Railroad Annex, the Hamilton Building’s grand Beaux-Arts halls now hold sleek contemporary galleries, the Works on Paper Study Center, quiet conservation labs, and airy classroom lofts.The collection holds over 17,000 works, charting American art from the late 1700s to today-everything from fragile ink sketches to bold, modern canvases.Key strengths span the Hudson River School and Luminism, with artists like Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, and Martin Johnson Heade capturing skies that glow like warm gold at dusk.American Impressionism comes alive in Mary Cassatt’s *Woman in a Loge*, with its soft glow of theater lights, and in Childe Hassam’s bustling, rain‑slick city streets.Ashcan and Urban Realism-John Sloan, George Luks, Everett Shinn, and Robert Henri’s *Young Woman in White*, her pale dress glowing softly against a shadowed street.Modernism and abstraction come alive in Charles Demuth’s *My Egypt*, Arthur Dove’s bold forms, Georgia O’Keeffe’s luminous watercolors, and Jacob Lawrence’s dynamic *Builders Series*.Contemporary practice includes Faith Ringgold’s vibrant story quilts, Mickalene Thomas’s bold photo-collages, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s layered mixed-media pieces.The collection includes William Rush’s towering ship figureheads, Hiram Powers’ haunting *Greek Slave*, and the warm bronze portrait reliefs crafted by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.Since 1811, the Annual Student Exhibition has taken over every floor of the museum, turning them into a carefully curated marketplace where graduating BFA and MFA students showcase their work.Rotating shows-like the themed survey “Making American Artists: Stories from PAFA, 1776–1976”-blend cornerstone pieces from the collection with borrowed works, inviting visitors to reconsider the stories we’ve long accepted.Public programs include life‑drawing marathons, lively artist talks, and the weekly “Art at Noon” lectures, where pencils scratch and ideas flow.Digital Initiatives - through the “PAFA From Home” portal - stream studio demos, explore hidden corners of the archive, and offer K–12 art lessons that feel as hands-on as fresh paint on canvas.The school offers a BFA, a BFA with certificate, a low-residency MFA, and a post-baccalaureate certificate-four clear paths, from freshman studios to advanced graduate work.You start with classical foundation courses-drawing from plaster casts, studying anatomy, mastering perspective-and those skills carry you into advanced work in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and even new media.Among its alumni are Thomas Eakins, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Violet Oakley, David Lynch, Bo Bartlett, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, names that still echo through gallery halls.The Arcadia Fine Arts Library and the Historic Costume Collection help drive research, offering shelves of rare books and fabrics you can feel between your fingers.Planning a visit in 2025?Stop by Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or catch the weekend hours-Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the sunlight spills across the front steps.We’re closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and on major holidays, like Christmas.Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and free for anyone 18 or under, military personnel, or PAFA members-just show your ID at the door.On the first Sunday of every month, you can pay whatever feels right-even the price of a cup of coffee.The main entrance ramp sits on Cherry Street, and the elevators carry visitors to every public floor.You can pick up large-print guides and grab a portable stool at the coat check, right next to the rack of umbrellas.Transit – Just a block northwest of SEPTA’s Jefferson Station on the Regional Rail, and only a few minutes’ walk to the Market-Frankford Line at 11th Street, where the rumble of trains fills the air.Get your parking discounted at the Parkway Broad-Cherry Garage when you validate-just show your ticket at the counter.Amenities – At Portfolio Café, you can grab a hot coffee, a fresh sandwich, and relax in the shaded garden; the Museum Store features American-made ceramics, hand-pulled prints, and well-crafted art supplies.PAFA left a lasting mark on American visual culture, gathering national art when almost no one else was doing it, staging groundbreaking retrospectives-Mary Cassatt’s in 1898, Henry Ossawa Tanner’s in 1924-and training generations of artists under a demanding atelier model where charcoal dust clung to their hands.At PAFA, historic galleries mingle with bold contemporary shows and buzzing studios, creating a living laboratory where American art’s past meets its present in one vivid, walkable campus.
