Two Venues. One Exhibition.
Visit 250 Years of Creativity
On View Now
A Nation of Artists brings together three remarkable collections—the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Middleton Family Collection—for a once-in-a-generation presentation celebrating 250 years of American creativity. Spanning centuries, stories, and artistic traditions, this landmark exhibition unfolds across two iconic Philadelphia institutions.
Programs & Events
Discover workshops, talks, performances, family programs, and community events inspired by the exhibition.
November 5, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
George Washington Talk with Jill Vaum Rothschild
Jill Vaum Rothschild examines place, presence, and enslavement at Mount Vernon during Washington’s presidency, alongside Edward Savage’s depiction of the estate.
November 6, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Horizons: American Landscapes from Tradition to Tomorrow
Dr. Lea Stephenson (PAFA) and Kerry Bickford (Brandywine Museum of Art) explore how artists have depicted the American landscape, examining shifting ideas of place, belonging, and national identity.
November 7, 2026 | 2:30 – 3:30 PM
Black Writing and Writers in American Art
Join P. Gabrielle Foreman for a lively “Tour for 250” exploring how Black visual and literary arts intersect, from an enslaved potter-poet’s clay vessels to portraits of celebrated writers.
November 12, 2026 | 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Arcadia Library Lecture: Archiving Independence
Justina Barrett examines the 1876, 1926, and 1976 commemorations to show how anniversaries have shaped American identity and civil rights claims, and what the 2026 Semiquincentennial reveals about our own era.
April 10, 2027 | 11:00 AM- 1:00 PM
Neighborhood Walking Tour: Teaching & Artistry
Explore the archives of Philadelphia’s visual and performing art colleges and artists’ organizations with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Tour begins at 1300 Locust Street.
Tours & Ongoing Experiences
Ongoing
Piece by Piece
Hear A Nation of Artists through the voices of Philadelphia teens. Season 1, A Cacophony of Artists, a podcast made at the PMA, teens research, write, host, and produce their own art conversations.
Ongoing
Unscripted: Philly Voices on A Nation of Artists
Hear A Nation of Artists through the voices of Philadelphia. In this audio experience, locals and those connected to the region share first impressions of key works, offering personal reflections that connect art to lived experience, memory, and meaning.
Ongoing
Philly in the Making In-Gallery Film
Philly in the Making follows seven Philadelphia artists — working in painting, textiles, glass, metalwork, ceramics, and woodworking — as they reflect on identity, craft, and inspiration. A companion film to A Nation of Artists, it offers an intimate look at how contemporary artists make, and why.
Ongoing | Thursdays – Mondays at 1pm
A Nation of Artists Tour (Guided In-Gallery Tour)
Explore A Nation of Artists through guided tours highlighting the diversity, craftsmanship, and creative innovation shaping American art. Free with admission; Thursdays–Mondays at 1pm.
Ongoing | Saturdays at 1pm
A Nation of Artists Tour (Guided In-Gallery Tour)
Explore A Nation of Artists through guided tours highlighting the diversity, craftsmanship, and creative innovation shaping American art. Free with admission; Saturdays at 1pm.
Ongoing
A Nation of Artists (Audio Tour)
Experience A Nation of Artists through an immersive audio tour, offering insights into the stories, ideas, and perspectives shaping American art.
Step into A Nation of Artists, a groundbreaking exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and PAFA. Featuring more than 1,000 works—including over 120 masterworks from the private Middleton Family Collection—this collaboration reframes the American story through the power of art.
Mark Rothko (1903-1970), Orange, Red, Yellow, 1956.
On exhibit at PMA
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Mother and Sara Admiring the Baby, c. 1901. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
“More than an exhibition, A Nation of Artists is a celebration of imagination, identity, and the enduring power of art to reflect, shape, and inspire.”
At the heart of the exhibition is the Middleton Family Collection—one of the nations most significant private holdings of American art—on public view for the first time.
Presented in conversation with the renowned collections of PAFA and the PMA, these works spark unexpected connections and reveal how artists across generations have reimagined the story of this country. A Nation of Artists invites you to look closer, discover new voices, and see the American story with renewed curiosity and depth.
This extraordinary collaboration invites everyone to experience America’s story through its visual language—and to leave with a deeper connection to the creativity and resilience that define our collective history.
Open through September 5, 2027
At PAFA, experience American art through the eyes of artists themselves. Rooted in PAFA’s legacy as the nation’s first museum and school of fine arts, the exhibition unfolds throughout the newly reopened Frank Furness and George Wattson Hewitt-designed Historic Landmark Building. Bold thematic groupings explore how artists develop through study, mentorship, community, experimentation, and innovation.
Historical artists with deep Philadelphia ties, including Horace Pippin, Mary Cassatt, and Charles Willson Peale, appear alongside contemporary figures such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Rina Banerjee, María Berrío, Mickalene Thomas, and Kara Walker. Together, their work challenges conventions, brings underrecognized perspectives forward, and offers new ways of seeing the American story.
Discover how generations of artists have shaped and expanded American art in A Nation of Artists. PAFA members enjoy year-round benefits while supporting exhibitions, education, and artists.
Open through July 5, 2027
At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, immerse yourself in a world-class panorama of American art from 1700 to 1964. Organized around bold, distinctive themes, the installation traces the evolution of American identity—revealing dynamic exchanges between Native American, African American, European, and immigrant traditions. Across painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, fashion, ceramics, and more, the galleries illuminate the creative forces that have shaped the nations visual culture.
Iconic masterpieces by Thomas Eakins, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder, and others appear in striking juxtapositions that broaden the canon and deepen understandings of the American story.
There’s so much to experience in A Nation of Artists — join the PMA community and be part of it. Members enjoy year-round benefits while sustaining the exhibitions, conservation, and education that bring art to more of Philadelphia.
On View
Discover highlights from the collection, currently on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), George Washington at Princeton, 1779. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
Mickalene Thomas (b. 1971), Din Avec la Main Dans le Miroir, 2008.
On exhibit at PAFA
Rookwood Pottery, Cincinnati, Ohio (Manufacturer), William Ernst Hentschel (Decorator), Vase, 1927.
On exhibit at PMA
Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017), J.S.B. III, 1968.
On exhibit at PAFA
Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), Crown of Flowers, 1974. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
Everett Shinn (1876-1953), Theatre Scene, c. 1906-07. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
John Wallace (1861-1950), Untitled, 1939.
On exhibit at PMA
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), Group with Parasols (A Siesta), 1904-1905. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
William Bradford (1823-1892), Whalers Trapped in the Arctic Ice, c. 1870-80. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
Robert Henri (1865-1929), Ruth St. Denis in the Peacock Dance, 1919.
On exhibit at PAFA
Edward Hopper (1882-1967), The Lee Shore, 1941. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
Artist Unknown, Face Vessel, c.1860-1870.
On exhibit at PMA
Jasper Johns (b. 1930), Flag, 1960-66. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942), Les Derniers jours d’enfrance (The Last Days of Infancy), 1883-85.
On exhibit at PAFA
Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), Untitled (New Mexico still life), 1919. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Green River of Wyoming, 1878. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
Arthur Garfield Dove (1880-1946), Naples Yellow Morning, 1935.
On exhibit at PAFA
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), The Artist in His Museum, 1822.
On exhibit at PAFA
Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), The Shore of the Turquoise Sea, 1878. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (1940-2025), What is an American?, 2001-2003.
On exhibit at PAFA
Sanford Robinson (1823-1880), Mount Mansfield, 1859. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
Artist/maker unknown, Sofa, 1835-40.
On exhibit at PMA
Severin Roesen (1816-c. 1872), Flower Still Life with Bird’s Nest, 1853.
On exhibit at PMA
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), Red Hills and Bones, 1941.
On exhibit at PMA
Jasper Johns (b. 1930), According to What, 1964. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PMA
Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), Mother and Child, c. 1956.
On exhibit at PMA
Thomas Birch (1779-1851), Fairmount Water Works, 1821.
On exhibit at PAFA
Joan Mitchell (1925-1992), Untitled, 1960. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Mists in the Yellowstone, 1908. The Middleton Family Collection
On exhibit at PAFA
Charles Sheeler (1883-1965), Pertaining to Yachts and Yachting, 1922.
On exhibit at PMA
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Frequently Asked Questions
- No. Each museum requires its own general admission ticket, and there is no single ticket that covers both venues.
- A Nation of Artists is included with general admission at both museums—no special exhibition ticket needed.
No. You can visit on the same day or on different days, as long as your second visit takes place within 7 days.
Both PAFA and PMA are open Thursday through Monday with late hours on Fridays; just be sure to check their websites before you visit for current operating hours, holidays, and any unexpected closures or updates.
Yes. Both museums offer free and reduced admission for various groups, but policies differ. Visit each museum’s admissions page for current details.
Either. There’s no required starting point, and the exhibition works in any order.
- Philadelphia Museum of Art presents American art in a chronological narrative, tracing how styles and ideas evolved over time.
- PAFA takes a cross-generational approach, bringing works from different eras into conversation with one another.
Each offers a distinct experience; together, they reveal a richer picture of American art.
Yes. Both museums will offer tours, talks, performances, and public programs connected to A Nation of Artists. Details are available or will be announced on each museum’s website.
Free guided audio tours for the exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and PAFA are available anytime on the Bloomberg Connects App.
For any visit related questions, please contact the museum you plan to visit directly through its website contact page.
Support
A Nation of Artists is organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Lead support for the exhibition and programs is provided by The Middleton Family.
Major support is offered by the Connelly Foundation, Citizens Bank, the Henry Luce Foundation, and The Victory Foundation.
Gratitude also goes to The City of Philadelphia and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, Comcast NBCUniversal, Asplundh, Schoelkopf Fine Art Advisors, Grace and Andrew Schoelkopf, The 25th Century Foundation, Lawrence H. and Julie C. Berger, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Nyheim, Marsha and Richard Rothman Family Foundation, an anonymous donor, and other generous supporters. Funding for the publication is generously provided by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.
This exhibition is sponsored by
Funding for the publication is generously provided by
The exhibition celebration at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is generously sponsored by
The renovation and reinstallation of the American 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, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Nyheim, Lyn M. and George M. Ross, 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.
All exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art are underwritten by the Annual Exhibition Fund. Generous support is provided by Andrea Baldeck, M.D.; Julia and David Fleischner; Robert Hayes; and Mark W. Strong and Dana Strong.
The presentation of A Nation of Artists at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is made possible by significant grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, Richard C. von Hess Foundation, Julie Jensen Bryan and in memory of Robert Bryan, the Terra Foundation for American Art, the William Penn Foundation, Atelier Fine Art Services, LLC, and generous individual donors.
Curators
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Kathleen A. Foster, Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Senior Curator of American Art, and Director, Center for American Art
Alexandra A. Kirtley, the Montgomery-Garvan Curator of American Decorative Arts, and Manager, Center for American Art
PAFA
Leah Triplett, Curator of Contemporary Art
Lea C. Stephenson, Kenneth R. Woodcock Curator of Historical American Art