Visual Arts

a little dress on a backdrop of fabric in a white cubicle with printed designs hanging on the adjacent walls

Design on display 

For the first time since design became a major two years ago in the College of Arts and Sciences, 15 seniors created an in-person exhibition to showcase their final projects, interpreting the theme “in search of” in a variety of media.

Louisa Shepard ・

An old and large book upside down on a table, being held by two sets of hands, one gloved, the other not. There are boxes and other materials all around.

Keepers of the cultural memory

In wartime, saving human lives is a top priority. But secondary considerations often include preserving the cultural heritage also under siege. Penn experts offer their thoughts as the situation in Ukraine continues to unfold.

Michele W. Berger ・

Group of people wearing masks at a vigil in Philadelphia.

Viewing 2021 through a lens

Photojournalist Kylie Cooper’s annotated photo essay about the liminality of 2021 captured the Capitol insurrection, the Ground Zero commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and more.

From Annenberg School for Communication ・

Three students standing outside

The philosophy of visual studies

Founded 20 years ago, the interdisciplinary major of visual studies creates a bridge for students to combine interests, including philosophy, art history, architecture, fine arts, and psychology.

Louisa Shepard ・

People in masks talk about an exercise in listening

Learning to listen in troubled times

The SNF Paideia Program and partners featured Ernesto Pujol and Aaron Levy, an artist and an interdisciplinary scholar who have transformed both what it means to listen and what the act of listening can achieve as part of a lecture and workshops.

Kristen de Groot ・



Media Contact


Louisa Shepard

Louisa Shepard Senior News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu

In the News


The New York Times

Painter of Elijah Cummings portrait finds it’s a career-changer

Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the artistic opportunities resulting from commissions for the National Portrait Gallery. “For a young painter, a commission like this can be really pivotal,” she said.

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Art Newspaper

Curator Meg Onli wins inaugural prize aimed at advancing racial equity in the arts

The inaugural Figure Skating Prize, aimed at Black artists, curators and contemporary art scholars who are advancing equity and racial justice within the arts, has been awarded to Meg Onli of the Institute of Contemporary Art.

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The Washington Post

Massive Simone Leigh sculpture now greets Penn students

Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about “Brick House,” the newest sculpture on campus. “It’s a moment for Black women artists in particular. A lot of work by these women is being seen in the public sphere,” she said. “Black women sculptors are making really powerful pieces that take up a lot of space.”

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The Washington Post

Essays reflect on connections between art and medicine

Rx/Museum is a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and local art institutions that sends subscribers newsletters with artwork and accompanying essays. “We’re trying to weave an interesting multidisciplinary lens of clinical medicine and anthropology and social justice,” said Lyndsay Hoy of the Perelman School of Medicine.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

‘30 Americans’ at the Barnes Foundation brings a stellar lineup of black artists to Philadelphia

Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw of the School of Arts and Sciences curated “30 Americans,” an exhibit featuring new and older works depicting black Americans, at the Barnes Foundation.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn's ICA Receives $4.5 Million to Endow Curators' Positions

The Institute of Contemporary Art has received two donations from ICA board members Daniel and Brett Sundheim and from Penn Trustee Emerita Andrea B. Laporte, who also serves as a board member for ICA and the School of Nursing.

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