This was the second of three exhibitions sponsored by Philadelphia Art Now, a three-year program funded by The William Penn Foundation to increase the visibility of local artists. Alice Beamesderfer coordinated the juried exhibition, and eligible Philadelphians were encouraged to submit entries. Eight cash prizes were awarded by the jury, and a full-color catalogue documented the works featured in the Dorrance Galleries at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania hosted the first and third exhibitions.