Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Founded in 1805 in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is the oldest continuously operating art museum and school in the United States. After early buildings were lost to fire, storm damage, and demolition, it opened its present Broad Street building in 1876, designed by Frank Furness and George Hewitt as the nation’s first purpose-built home for both art instruction and exhibition. The academy became a major force in American art education under Thomas Eakins and gradually expanded opportunities for women artists. Its museum, archives, and growing collections of American art have made it an enduring center for the study and display of the nation’s art.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States