Une nation d'artistes : Une grande exposition d'art américain dans deux musées Philly en 2026/2027

What can visitors expect at A Nation of Artists?

Une nation d'artistes includes exhibitions at both the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), making for two distinct but connected experiences.

The collection spans three centuries, featuring more than 1,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs and decorative arts representative of the evolving time period from early America to the present.

On view: a mix of works previously exhibited, works never before on view and 120 rarely seen pieces on loan from the Middleton Family’s private collection.

Gilbert Stuart George Washington (The Lansdowne Portrait), 1796 Huile sur toile, 96 x 60 pouces (243,84 x 152,4 cm) Académie des beaux-arts de Pennsylvanie, legs de William Bingham   — Photo gracieusement fournie par Philadelphia Museum of Art

The PMA and PAFA pair familiar artists alongside underrepresented voices to reveal connections, juxtapositions and themes of America’s ever-changing creativity, identity, and nationhood.

Les points forts sont les suivants :

• Thomas Eakins, Portrait du Dr Samuel D. Gross (Clinique Gross), 1875, which moves from the PMA to its temporary, 5-year home, on view at PAFA for this exhibition
• Frederic Edwin Church, Pichincha, 1867, on view at the PMA
• Charles Willson Peale, Groupe de l'escalier (Portrait de Raphaelle Peale et Titian Ramsay Peale I), 1795, on view at the PMA
• Horace Pippin, John Brown se rend à sa pendaison, 1942, visible au PAFA
• Georgia O'Keefe, Canna rouge, 1923, on view at PAFA
• Gilbert Stuart, George Washington (Le portrait de Lansdowne), 1796, on view at PAFA
• Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Qu'est-ce qu'un Américain ?, 2001-2003, on view at PAFA, and
• Jasper Johns, Flag, 1960-1966, part of the Middleton Family Collection, on view at PAFA.

What can I see at the Philadelphia Museum of Art?

The Philadelphia Museum of Art celebrates 150 years in 2026, with Une nation d'artistes installed in the museum’s recently renovated American galleries.

Here, the exhibition focuses on American art from 1700 to 1960, arranged chronologically to create a visual evolution of art and culture in an ever-changing nation.

Visitors begin in the early American galleries, exploring the nation’s artistic roots through paintings, decorative arts and more, before continuing to the renovated second-floor galleries, showcasing works from 1840 to 1960.

Additional highlights here include:

• Storage Jar, 1859, a work created by an enslaved potter who would eventually take the name David Drake
• American West landscape paintings and works from Hudson River School artists
• iconic works from Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent, and
• modern and contemporary works from Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Lenape artist Laura Watters.

Philadelphia Museum of Art   - Photo par Elevated Angles pour Visit Philadelphia

What can I see at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts?

The debut of Une nation d'artistes marks PAFA’s long-awaited reopening of its Historic Landmark Building, featuring a complete reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection alongside works from the Middleton Family Collection.

Here, the nation’s first art museum and school has organized its exhibition thematically, with a focus on the development of American artists.

An introductory section welcomes visitors to the exhibition with works from Jasper Johns, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, William Rush and an ongoing performative work called Unraveling, where artist Sonya Clark deconstructs a Confederate flag one thread at a time.

Visitors then journey through the thematic galleries, taking in works reflective of wealth, labor, internationalism, spirituality, nature, industry and westward expansion.

Additional highlights here include works from early American artists like George Bellows and Henry Ossawa Tanner, modern artists like Georgia O’Keefe and Andy Warhol and contemporary artists such as Njideka Akunyili and Rina Banerjee.

Académie des beaux-arts de Pennsylvanie   - Photo de R. Kennedy pour Visit Philadelphia

What kinds of programs can I attend during the exhibition?

Both the PMA and PAFA have curated a robust collection of programs offered jointly and separately that include lectures, festivals, walking tours, hands-on educational seminars and so much more.

Stay tuned for more detailed information about:

• two free, family-friendly art festivals with hands-on activities, guided tours and live performances that celebrate the American art and artists in the joint exhibition
• citywide walking tours exploring the intersection of art and culture
• two hands-on professional development programs for educators, and
• a lecture series that brings scholars, artists and other creative professionals together to discuss art, identity and legacy.

Comment puis-je obtenir des billets ?

To see the entire exhibition, visitors will be able to purchase a full-price ticket to one of the museums, and then use the link in the e-mail receipt to buy a second ticket (to use within seven days) at the partner museum with a 50% discount.

Pour en savoir plus Une nation d'artistes, cliquez sur le bouton ci-dessous.

Une nation d'artistes