Final Day on View – Making American Artists: Stories from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1776-1976

It s the final day on view! Making American Artists: Stories from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1776-1976 presents the Pennsylvania Academy for the Fine Arts’ formidable collection of iconic historic works alongside stellar pieces by traditionally underrepresented artists. By exploring PAFA’s impressive collection with a critical eye, this exhibition catalogs changes in our national artistic identity, weighing what it meant to be an “American” artist from when the institution was founded to the late twentieth century. Painter and scientist Charles Willson Peale and sculptor William Rush founded PAFA in 1805 to champion American art and artists. Making American Artists features works from PAFA’s esteemed collection that helped define new chapters in the history of American art. Amidst this expansive selection emerge the compelling stories of underrepresented artists who found unparalleled support and inspiration at PAFA, including Mary Cassatt, Barkley L. Hendricks, Edward