Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

December is the final month to experience PAFA's portion of Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America, a transformative exhibition of contemporary works examining the provocative and timely question: “Is the sun rising or setting on the experiment of American democracy?” This one-of-a-kind exhibition spans two historic Philadelphia institutions, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP). While PAFA will close it's...

Rising Sun artist, Lenka Clayton, will share recent works that intersect with time spent in archives. Art At Noon is PAFA's  free virtual lecture series with scholars and artists covering a variety of topics related to PAFA’s exhibitions, collections, and areas of interest. Lenka Clayton (b. 1977) is a British-American interdisciplinary artist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Clayton graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins School of Art,...

Join us for a Friday Night out in the heart of Philadelphia. The Art, Architecture, and the Dream of Democracy Tour explores the architecture and the art within two of Philadelphia’s most iconic buildings, PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building and Philadelphia’s Masonic Temple. The Tour begins at PAFA’s iconic Historic Landmark Building, where stories of industrial innovation, artistic excellence, and civic engagement are all inscribed in the stone and paint of...

Rising Sun artist, Shiva Ahmadi, will delve into her artistic practice–a journey that began in figurative painting and now includes hand-painted animation–as can be seen in her works on view at PAFA in Rising Sun: Artist in an Uncertain America. Ahmadi's art is deeply rooted in her own life experiences, allowing her to address critical global issues like political oppression, violence, immigration, and women's rights. Shiva Ahmadi (b. 1975) is an...

The Citizenship Art Bazaar is a free, open-air market where Philadelphia visual and performing artists, civic and social justice organizations invite audiences to discover and take part in the infinite ways art informs and inspires citizenship. Join us Saturday, September 30th to make art, enjoy music, soak up stories, and learn how we can put citizenship in motion through a multiplicity of perspectives. Live music by the Eubie Nieves Band....

Rising Sun artist, Lenka Clayton, will present an in-person gallery talk about her unforgettable installation, "The True Story Of A Stone". Lenka Clayton is an interdisciplinary artist whose work exaggerates and alters the accepted rules of everyday life, extending the familiar into the realms of the poetic and absurd. Lenka will share insights into her artistic practice as well as tell the tale of a specific stone that around 2,000 years ago was...

Join us for a very special evening atop PAFA's rooftop terrace and embrace the magic of the Rising Moon. Prepare yourself for an extraordinary night filled with art, culture, and celestial wonders. As we bask in the moon's glow, you'll have the chance to mingle with talented artists and passionate curators, fostering connections with like-minded art enthusiasts. Enjoy a delightful selection of wine, beer, and cheese, curated to complement the...

Join us for a one-on-one conversation between Rising Sun artist Petah Coyne (PAFA) and Jodi Throckmorton, co-curator of Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America and former Curator of Contemporary Art at PAFA. The artist and curator will speak about their contributions to Rising Sun, the development of project in collaboration with the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and how the tumultuous years of the Trump Presidency, the pandemic and the murder of George...

The World Premiere at PAFA will feature a screening of Art of Survival, a discussion with artists and participants from the Kensington Storefront and a performance by Ursula Rucker and Miles Orion Butler. Art of Survival is an intimate short documentary about a place and a spirit. From 2017 until early 2020, the Kensington Storefront studio offered people in Kensington a free cup of coffee, a snack and a chance...