We hope everyone reading this is ready to take a deep dive into the local Philadelphia art scene. Galleries, museums, supplies, schools, shows, events and more will all be covered thoroughly right here.
Kicking things off will be the best Philadelphia Art Galleries and Museums where you can see some of the finest exhibitions and collections your area has to offer. Up next we will let you know where you can find all of the supplies you need at some of the best art stores near you.
Contents
Shows, festivals, and events that are held annually or more frequently will be the topic of our next section. Going on an art walking tour or checking out the best sculptures and statues around town can be a great way to see a variety of styles in a short amount of time.
Local art classes and lessons will need to get its own section and there are plenty of classes for both kids and adults that are available. Some of our more experienced readers may not need any lessons so we will tell you where you can find art studios for rent near you as well. And our final section will list the best shops for framing around town.
Stick around for our local art map towards the end to find all these spots pinned. And anyone who is interested can read more of our posts on the Northeast at that link.
Best Art Galleries & Museums In Philadelphia
Many would agree that the best art galleries and museums in Philadelphia are:
- Philadelphia Museum of Art at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
- Rodin Museum at 2151 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
- Barnes Foundation at 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
- Arthur Ross Gallery at 220 S 34th St
- Woodmere Art Museum at 9201 Germantown Ave
- Little Berlin at 2430 Coral St
- Paradigm Gallery + Studio at 746 S 4th St
- Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art at 531 N 12th St
- Gross McCleaf Gallery at 127 S 16th St
- David David Gallery at 260 S 18th St
- Stedman Gallery at N 3rd St & Pearl, Camden
- Delaware Art Museum at 2301 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington
- Mezzanine Gallery at 820 North French St, Wilmington
- The Delaware Contemporary at 200 S Madison St, Wilmington
The collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art includes the world’s largest and most important collection of works by Marcel Duchamp, Auguste Rodin’s sculptures, and paintings works by Paul Cézanne’s The Large Bathers, Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and important paintings by Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, and others. They have several monthly programs that include artist talks and monthly live performances.
The Rodin Museum also has one of the most extensive collections of sculptor Auguste Rodin’s works outside of Paris. The museum houses a collection of nearly 150 objects containing bronzes, marbles, and plasters by Rodin.
The Barnes Foundation possesses about 4,000 items including over 900 paintings. They are home to the world’s biggest collection of Renoir and Cézanne paintings, as well as notable pieces by Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Van Gogh, and other well-known artists. You might also be interested in their art classes with new courses curated monthly.
The Woodmere Art Museum is home of important outdoor sculpture by Harry Bertoia, Dina Wind, and Robinson Fredenthal. Woodmere has almost 8,000 works in its collection, and nine galleries host exhibitions and events. Painting and watercolor courses are available.
Paradigm Gallery + Studio is glad to provide art consulting services for a wide range of projects, interests, and budgets in addition to numerous art classes. Every year, the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art offers over 300 events ranging from film premieres to art exhibitions to fashion shows.
Delaware Art Museum is always free on Sundays and from 4pm to 8pm on Thursdays from April to December. They provide workshops as well as weekly art courses. The collection contains over 12,000 works of art with notable holdings of work by John Sloan, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Howard Pyle.
The Mezzanine Gallery is always open to the public and free of charge. Every first Friday of the month from 5-7pm you should head over for a great event. They also have an individual artist fellowships program with applications accepted in eighteen artistic fields and awards ranging from $3,000 for emerging artists to $6,000 for established artists to $10,000 for masters.
The Delaware Contemporary offers art lessons and they even rent out art studios. They host an annual event called the West Street Art Festival in June which includes both indoor and outdoor creative-based activities, as well as weekly events on the first Friday of each month.
Materials & Supplies Near You
Some of the best local stores to buy art supplies and materials would be:
- The Expressive Hand at 622 S 9th St
- The Phila Canvas Co at 3525 I St #304
- Plaza Artist Materials at 3200 Chestnut St
- Blick Art Materials at 1330 Chestnut St
- Artist & Craftsman Supply 307 Market St
- Family Dollar at 425 N 8th St, Camden
- Michaels at 3080 Brandywine Pkwy, Wilmington
- Dollar Tree at 825 N Union St, Wilmington
The Expressive Hand sells pottery supplies and provides glazing and firing services. They also have pottery classes. The Phila Canvas Co specializes in selling canvas and also does custom orders.
Plaza Artist Materials, Artist & Craftsman Supply and Michaels all offer framing services.
Shows & Events
Check out the best shows, festivals, and events held in your area like:
- West Street Art Festival in June
- Manayunk Arts Festival in June
- Mezzanine Gallery First Friday
- The Delaware Contemporary First Friday
The Delaware Contemporary hosts the West Street Art Festival in June which includes indoor and outdoor based activities, performances, vendors, food trucks, and refreshments. Manayunk Arts Festival is one of the region’s largest outdoor arts events that attracts upwards of 200,000 people each year to Manayunk’s historic Main Street for a two-day festival of arts, crafts, music, food, and more.
Visit the Mezzanine Gallery or Delaware Contemporary on the first weekend of each month to check out their First Fridays which are always a good time.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
If you want to add a new piece to your collection or find out how much a piece is worth you can contact art dealers and appraisers near you like:
- Hahn Gallery at 2401 Pennsylvania Ave
- McCarty Fine Art and Antiques at 7733 Winston Rd
- Rebecca O’Leary Art Advisory at 230 S Broad St 17th Fl
- Bruce Murray Collection at 236 S 22nd St
- Thomas Lift at 339 N Front St, Camden
Hahn Gallery provides a variety of services including restorations, appraisals, framing, and art consulting. McCarty Fine Art and Antiques has been a local Philly dealer since 1978 and can help with sales and restoration, collection consulting, licensed auction services for public or private sales, and insurance appraisals.
Gross Mc Cleaf Gallery from the best museums list also sells art.
Walking Tours
If the weather is nice why not go on an art walking tour at:
- Mural Arts Philadelphia at 1727-29 Mt Vernon St
- Association for Public Art at 1528 Walnut St #1000
Mural Arts Philadelphia will take you to see the world’s largest outdoor art gallery and learn about the city’s beautiful mural collection. The Association for Public Art provides a self-guided tour route to uncover an array of sculptures throughout the city.
Sculptures & Statues
You can also find some really creative sculptures and statues around your area like:
- Government Of The People at 2-32 N Broad St
- Clothespin Sculpture at Market St & S 15th St
- Iroquois Sculpture at 552 N 24th St
- Shakespeare Memorial at Logan Square
- Playing Angels Sculpture at Kelly Dr
- Lion Crushing a Serpent at 1848 Walnut St
- Copeland Sculpture Garden at 2301 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington
The Clothespin Sculpture is located in City Center, between the two office towers of Centre Square. Claes Oldenburg created it and it was erected in 1976. Government of the People was sculpted by Jacques Lipchitz and installed at the Municipal Services Building Plaza in 1976.
Mark di Suvero made the Iroquois Sculpture between 1983 and 1999, and it was placed in 2007. Alexander Stirling Calder created the Shakespeare Memorial in 1926, placed it in 1928, and then transferred it to its current location in 1953.
The Playing Angels Sculpture was made in 1950 by Swedish-born artist Carl Milles and installed in 1972, hovering above the grass along Kelly Drive. Lion Crushing a Serpent by Antoine-Louis Barye was made nearly 200 years ago and installed in 1892.
The Copeland Sculpture Garden, which was dedicated in 2006, features over 20 sculptures by nationally recognized artists.
Philadelphia Art Classes
We aren’t all at the same skill leval and sometimes a lesson or two can give us the boost that we need. Some of the best Philadelphia art schools and classes can be found at:
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at 118-128 N Broad St
- Institute of Contemporary Art at 118 S 36th St
- University City Arts League at 4226 Spruce St
- Manayunk Art Center at 419 Green Ln
- Art Sphere at 1901 S 9th St #502
- Philly Art Center at 2333 Fairmount Ave
- Create – Sues Art Class at 2119 Spruce St
- The Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy at 990 Morgan Blvd, Camden
- Painting With a Twist at 1812 Marsh Rd #409, Wilmington
- Cab Calloway School of the Arts at 100 N Dupont Rd, Wilmington
- Delaware College of Art & Design at 600 N Market St, Wilmington
The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1805 and offers undergraduate and graduate fine arts education degree programs. The University City Arts League offers art lessons to people of all ages and also puts on summer art camps and after-school programs.
Throughout the year the Manayunk Art Center has a variety of workshops for all ages taught by professional creators. Art Sphere provides art classes for children and teenagers, after-school programs, and thematic workshops.
The Philly Art Center has a wide range of programs, including after-school programs, art camps for kids, and parties. They also offer night classes for adults.
Create – Sues Art Class specializes in unique small private classes, workshops, parties, and events for students of all ages. They also offer evening lessons, after-school programs, one-day workshops, and art camps.
Cab Calloway School of the Arts is a magnet public arts school that accepts students in grades 6–12. They offer majors in dance, digital media and communication arts, instrumental music, piano, strings, technical theatre, theatre, visual arts, and vocal music.
The Barnes Foundation, Woodmere Art Museum, Paradigm Gallery + Studio, Delaware Art Museum, and The Delaware Contemporary from our initial best galleries near you list to start also offer art classes, as does The Expressive Hand from the supply stores list.
Studios For Rent Near You
Those of you who are ready to start a big project can find art studios near you like:
- Studios @ 2202 Alter at 2202 Alter St
- The Warehouse Artist Lofts at 1205 N 4th St
- 47arts at 47 High St
- Jasper Studios at 2930 Jasper St
- Hotbed at 723 Chestnut St 2nd Fl
The Delaware Contemporary also has art studios for rent.
Framing
A frame can take a normal looking picture a long way, and some of the best places for art framing in Philadelphia are:
- Seven Arts Framing at 255 N 3rd St
- Trinity Framing at 701 S 3rd St
- Frame Works Studio & Gallery at 2103 Walnut St
- Flying Pig Picture Frames at 1420 N Front St
- Vision Graphics Picture Framing at 221 Chestnut St
- American Picture Framing at 3821 Powelton Ave
- Seven Arts Framing at 255 N 3rd St
- The Framemaker at 4416 Kirkwood Hwy, Wilmington
- Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery at 3625 Silverside Rd, Wilmington
- Carspecken Scott Gallery & Custom Framing at 1707 N Lincoln St, Wilmington
Trinity Framing is only open by appointment. Frameworks Studio & Gallery provides home and office consultations. In addition to custom framing they have a large selection of distinctive, original ready-made frames and handcrafted gifts manufactured by local artisans.
Vision Graphics Picture Frames provides a variety of services like custom framing, fine art scanning and printing, photo restorations, framed art packaging and shipping, and art installation.
American Picture Framing has over 500 moulding options and over 250 mat selections in store. Plaza Artist Materials, Artist & Craftsman Supply and Michaels from art supplies list as well as Hahn Gallery also do framing in your area.
We should also mention that we also have posts on:
- Art in the Baltimore area
- Art in the New York City area
- Art in the Washington DC area
- Art in the Atlantic City area
Have Fun Enjoying The Philadelphia Art Scene
Well guys, we tried to cover the full art scene near you to the best of our abilities. We listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in your area.
If you made it all the way to the end then you probably love art as much as we do. You can let us know about any of your own tips and tricks in the comments at the end of the post, or please also mention if we got anything wrong or if anything we posted has become dated.
Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies or doing anything that has to do with art in Philadelphia!