Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Museum of American Art
118 North Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 972-7600 • 972-2069 School & Other Groups
www.pafa.org

The Museum of American Art is housed in a masterpiece of High Victorian Gothic architecture designed by Frank Furness and George W. Hewitt. Opened more than 100 years ago by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the building (the third in the institution's history) was restored in stages between 1973 and 1985, resulting in the perfect showplace for one of the world's finest collections of American art.

The works of one of the Academy's founders, Charles Wilson Peale, is featured here, as is a wide selection of art popular with early Americans. Visitors can enjoy the works of Benjamin West and Thomas Sully, as well as the renowned portraits of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart.

In all, the Museum has acquired some 1,700 paintings, 300 sculptures, and 14,000 works on paper. Scenes from history and scripture, still lifes, and portraits can be seen. Thomas Eakins taught in the Academy, and his artwork is exhibited in the same building. The American Impressionists are well represented, as are 20th century modernists such as Stuart Davis, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Robert Motherwell.

Tours for families and individuals are Self-Guided. Throughout the year the Museum of American Art presents a number of special events, including exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations, and more for the entire family.

Adult Groups can enjoy unique Guided Tours that each focus on some special aspect of the museum. Highlights, Architecture and Art, Flora in Art and Architecture, Telling Tales (stories behind narrative paintings), and Impressionists and Realists are among the themes highlighted on these tours. Tour and Dining Packages are also available.

School Groups can participate in comprehensive Tours and Programs such as Philadelphia History: Portrait of an American City, which tours students through the Museum's permanent collection chronicling the city's history. Telling Tales focuses on the narrative paintings that tell stories drawn from mythology, literature, and American History. Another program, Changing Vision of American Life uses art to explore the changes that have occurred from Colonial times to the present in both the landscape and our way of life.

Several other programs are available, and each year brings a student exhibition to encourage our young artists.