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Art Museums and Galleries
A stunning array of fine art
There's a stunning array of art institutions here. The Philadelphia Museum of Art's vast collection, ranging from Asian through Renaissance and modern art, makes it a world-class institution, and a must-see on any visit. Philadelphia and its surrounding area is studded with smaller institutional gems, each with its own character. There's the Barnes Foundation, still a somewhat hidden treasure of Impressionist and modern masterworks. Bucks County's Michener Museum is the place to see Pennsylvania Impressionism, while the Brandywine River Museum is home to works of American illustrators led by Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth, along with art by other Wyeth family members.
From the famous Oldenburg Clothespin opposite City Hall to the many statues lining Kelly Drive, and the thousands of murals sponsored by the Mural Arts Project, there's art to be seen outside all around the city too. You can even find art inside City Hall and at the Airport and the Convention Center. This wealth of public art is due partly to the city’s longstanding percent-for-art program – another Philly first. Along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, catch the Calder family public-art triple-play: the Alexander Calder mobile hangs in the Philadelphia Museum of Art's great stair hall, father Alexander Stirling Calder's graceful Swann Fountain is further down the Parkway, and grandfather Alexander Milne Calder's statue of William Penn watches over the city from the top of City Hall.
There are dozens of places to stay connected with developments in contemporary art, locally and internationally, from the big white spaces of the Institute of Contemporary Art to the elegant ambience of the Philadelphia Art Alliance (in the historic Wetherill mansion), and the loftlike Fabric Workshop and Museum. You'll find regular, lively exhibits at each of Philadelphia's major art schools, including Moore College of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy (it's a school as well as a museum), Temple University's Tyler School of Art (their Temple Gallery is in Old City), and the University of the Arts, as well as at Arcadia University, Philadelphia University, Swarthmore College, University of Pennsylvania and other places of higher learning.
Thanks to this strong concentration of art schools and programs, there's a constant stream of new talent bubbling up in the city, and this may be the secret ingredient sustaining our vibrant contemporary art scene. First Fridays, the monthly open-house celebration for the dozens of galleries in historic Old City, is a great way to sample the flavor and energy of new art in town. Watch for annual studio tours in the fall, when artists open their studios to the public. While Old City is brimming with galleries, including many cooperative galleries, you can find art galleries and organizations throughout Center City, in Northern Liberties, Manayunk and beyond. And many communities support their own community art centers, offering regular art shows in addition to classes and events.
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