The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) have launched a massive joint exhibition titled "A Nation of Artists," featuring over 1,000 works spanning from 1700 to 2026. The collaboration utilizes a chronological approach at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a thematic framework at PAFA, showcasing a diverse array of objects including colonial teapots, a New Mexican "death cart," and works by masters like Georgia O'Keeffe and Horace Pippin. The project also incorporates significant loans from the private collection of Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton.
This ambitious semiquincentennial project serves as a critical re-evaluation of the American canon, intentionally blending high art with decorative objects and folk traditions to provide a more inclusive narrative. By reopening PAFA’s historic landmark building and utilizing local celebrity voices for audio guides, the initiative seeks to democratize art history and highlight voices that were historically marginalized. It represents a significant institutional effort to address the complexities of American identity through the lens of creativity and social evolution.