The holdings of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are constantly changing, and every year, hundreds, if not thousands, of new works are added to the permanent collection. These acquisitions would not be possible without the remarkable generosity of donors, whose dedication to philanthropy has sustained the Museum since its origins. The vast majority of works that visitors see in our galleries came to the Museum as gifts, and many other acquisitions were made possible by donations of funds specifically designated for the purchase of works of art.

This tradition of generosity and the Museum’s commitment to collecting are equally strong today. In the last five years, more than 8,000 individual works of art have been acquired or promised to the Museum. First Look celebrates the dynamic nature of the Museum’s collection and the donors who enable its growth by presenting a small selection of acquisitions made since July 1, 2008, many of which will be on view for the first time. The exhibition will coincide with the launch of the Anne d’Harnoncourt Society, a new effort on the part of the Museum to recognize and honor donors of works of art and funds for the purchase of works of art for the collection.

From hats and chairs to video installations and masterpieces in painting by Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne, the new acquisitions span centuries and continents and represent a wide array of media. To give an even broader sense of the range of the Museum’s collecting, special labels will be installed throughout the permanent galleries to highlight all works on view that have been acquired in the last five years, making the celebration of recent acquisitions something of a Museum-wide exhibition.

Curator

Alice O. Beamesderfer, Deputy Director for Collections and Programs; with Naina Saligram, Exhibition Assistant

Locataion

Dorrance Special Exhibition Galleries, first floor