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Exhibition

New Early American Galleries

Ongoing

Trace the origins of our city’s extraordinary creativity in our new Early American Art galleries. The 10,000-square-foot space has been installed to tell the story of how Philadelphia became the young nation’s cultural capital, and how Black, Indigenous, and Latin American artists contributed to the development of American art.

Stroll through spacious, beautifully lit galleries—a highlight of the museum’s extensive renovation project—featuring our unparalleled collections of paintings, ceramics, furniture, glass, silver, and more.


Main Building

Free with museum admission

Pay What You Wish admission on 1st Sunday of the month & every Friday night

Sponsors

The installation of the new Early American Art galleries has been made possible with lead support from the Henry Luce Foundation, and by The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, The Richard C. von Hess Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom, an anonymous donor, The Davenport Family Foundation, Edward and Gwen Asplundh, Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Booth, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. James L. Alexandre, The Americana Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. S. Matthews V. Hamilton, Jr., The McLean Contributionship, Lyn M. and George M. Ross, Dr. Salvatore M. Valenti, the Wunsch Family, Donald and Gay Kimelman, Boo and Morris Stroud, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald C. Anderson, Matz Family Charitable Fund, Marsha and Richard Rothman, and other generous donors.

Additional support for the museum’s building project, including the construction of the new Early American Art galleries, was provided by Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Leslie Miller and Richard Worley, Laura and William C. Buck, Kathy and Ted Fernberger, Joan and Victor Johnson, John and Christel Nyheim, Lyn M. and George M. Ross, National Endowment for the Humanities, Marsha and Richard Rothman, and other generous donors.

Ongoing support for American Art initiatives and programs is provided by the Center for American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, established by Robert L. McNeil, Jr.

Curators

Kathleen A. Foster, the Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Senior Curator of American Art, and Director, Center for American Art; David Barquist, the H. Richard Dietrich, Jr., Curator of American Decorative Arts; Alexandra A. Kirtley, the Montgomery-Garvan Curator of American Decorative Arts; Carol Eaton Soltis, Project Associate Curator; John S. Vick, Collections Project Manager; and Rosalie Hooper, Interim Head of Interpretation and Project Curatorial Assistant

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