Image: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Inquirer has reviewed the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ ‘A Nation of Artists’ and the reopening of the academy’s Historic Landmark Building in Philadelphia. Critic Peter Dobrin described the renovation as a “crisp reset” and wrote that the Furness Building continues to dazzle, calling it a place with “no more beautiful interior in the city.”
The review links the exhibition’s presentation to the recently restored building, a National Historic Landmark designed by architect Frank Furness. PAFA’s own account of the coverage says Dobrin emphasized the relationship between the exhibition and its setting, where the museum’s historic architecture forms the backdrop for a broad account of American art.
Organized in conjunction with America’s 250th anniversary, ‘A Nation of Artists’ examines the ways artistic production in the United States has been shaped by creativity, exchange, expansion, conflict, and innovation. The presentation spans works from the late 18th century to the present and is arranged thematically around subjects including westward expansion, the rise of industry, and international exchange.
The exhibition is installed throughout PAFA’s restored Historic Landmark Building and brings together more than 1,000 paintings, photographs, sculptures, decorative arts, and other works. Across PAFA and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, more than 120 rarely seen works from the Middleton Family Collection are also being shown publicly for the first time, according to PAFA’s exhibition materials.
Public programming has extended the exhibition’s consideration of American art and its histories. On September 10, Eleanor Nairne, the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, is scheduled to discuss Lee Krasner’s life, career, and working process, focusing in part on Krasner’s ‘Untitled’ (1968–1983), which is on view in ‘A Nation of Artists.’ On September 17, contemporary Lakota artist Dyani White Hawk will discuss Indigenous art, cultural continuity, and the evolving story of American art in a conversation moderated by scholar and curator Leah Triplett.
Further programming includes an October 7 online discussion with art historians Monica Bravo and Carolin Görgen on photography’s role in shaping representations of the American West. The event will address the relationship between photography, environment, resource extraction, and ecological rights, as well as the medium’s relevance to ‘A Nation of Artists.’ Guided tours of the exhibition are offered on Saturdays at 1 p.m., free with general museum admission.
Founded in 1805, PAFA describes itself as the United States’ first school and museum of fine arts. Its museum holds a collection of American art and presents exhibitions and educational programs intended to broaden the stories represented in American art history. PAFA is located at 118–128 North Broad Street in Philadelphia; museum hours listed by the institution are Thursday through Sunday, with extended hours on Friday evenings.
