Visual Arts

A view of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a long building of orange brick and blue angled roofs. The Schuylkill River flows in the foreground.

Art museums plant seeds of human flourishing

Researchers from the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project in the Positive Psychology Center at Penn have found that art museums are associated with wide-ranging benefits to human health.

Luis Melecio-Zambrano ・

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 ・



Media Contact


Louisa Shepard

Louisa Shepard Senior News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu

In the News


6ABC.com

Artist Ken Lum snaps life on the streets with new exhibit ‘Klump’ at Ulises bookstore

“Klump,” an exhibit by Ken Lum of the Weitzman School of Design, will display photos of people in urban settings at the Philadelphia art bookstore Ulises.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

What Philly arts leaders want to see from the city’s 100th mayor

The Institute of Contemporary Art has partnered with Taller Puertorriqueño to offer free bus service for residents of Fairhill to an ICA exhibition by North Philly native and artist David Antonio Cruz.

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The Observer

On view now: Two shows on domesticity and the housing crisis

A review examines the group show “Movables” at the Institute of Contemporary Art, including pieces by Ken Lum of the Weitzman School of Design.

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CBS Philadelphia

New class from Barnes Foundation and UPenn shows a new twist in art therapy

Penn professors, including James Pawelski and Katherine Cotter of the School of Arts & Sciences, are teaching an online class about art therapy with support from the Barnes Foundation.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Bolivia in Philadelphia: Mural Arts commissions renowned artist Roberto Mamani Mamani

Catherine Bartch of the School of Arts & Sciences, who first encountered Roberto Mamani Mamani’s art in Bolivia, is noted for encouraging the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies and Mural Arts to fund Mamani Mamani’s mural in Philadelphia.

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The New York Times

On our National Mall, new monuments tell new stories

Paul Farber of the Weitzman School of Design is helping to curate “Pulling Together,” an open-air exhibition at the National Mall that will address some of the stories neglected by past monument makers.

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