Outstanding representative contemporary fine art gallery with some abstract shows recently. Great,…read morehonest, reliable service in this Philadelphia institution. You do have to search for the door to the second floor of this well lit gallery on 16th Street near Sansom Street.

I come here all the time for First Fridays and it's honestly one of my favorite small museums in…read morePhiladelphia. The fact that it's generally free makes it even better. What I really appreciate is how often they rotate the exhibits on the first floor. It gives you a reason to keep coming back because there's usually something new to see. The second floor houses the permanent collection, which is thoughtfully curated and showcases just how creative artists can be when working with wood and natural materials. The pieces range from traditional woodworking to contemporary art that really pushes the boundaries of what you expect from the medium. Some are incredibly intricate, others are playful, and some are just plain impressive. It always makes me stop and look a little longer than I planned. The gift shop is also dangerous for my wallet. It's filled with beautiful handcrafted wood pieces, jewelry, home goods, and small art objects that feel more like gallery pieces than souvenirs. Every time I walk through, I find something I want to take home. If money were no object, I'd probably buy half the store. The staff are consistently friendly and welcoming too, which adds to the experience and makes the space feel approachable. It's definitely a niche museum, but that's exactly what makes it special. There aren't many places dedicated to this kind of art, and it's fascinating to see how artists transform wood, fiber, and other natural materials into something completely unexpected. Always a fun visit and one of those hidden gems I find myself coming back to again and again.

The Museum for Art in Wood in Old City is a fun little museum. It's free to visit (although they…read moresuggest a $5 donation), so it's great short stop if you're in the area. It is - as the name suggests - a museum dedicated to art made from wood. There are bowls and vases and sculptures and trinkets and furniture and more. Some of the pieces are beautiful. Some of the pieces made me laugh or smile. And they have a great shop. But since the museum is small and free, I'd suggest popping into the museum, not just the shop. A quirky little art museum, worth fitting into your Old City itinerary if you need a break from revolutionary history, early American history, and the Constitution!

Worth the stop as it's always free admission. Admittedly I did not do my research and was unaware…read morehow small the space is. It's two rooms with rotating exhibitions. No permanent gallery. The current exhibition on Shaker furniture was interesting, but I can see how it's not for everyone. I appreciate what they're doing at the ICA, I just wish there was a bigger permanent collection on display. Shoutout to Juno the welcoming cat.

The Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia - ICA is a…read morelaunchpad for contemporary art and ideas. ICA is on site at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania. We stopped by on our visit to the University of Pennsylvania to specifically see the Joanna Piotrowska: unseeing eyes, restless bodies We didn't think we would spend as much time as we did here, and I loved both of the exhibits. There are two gallery spaces, the first one held "Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard", with the curator and several artist being from Texas. I'm not sure I loved it because there was a Texas connection and also Baltimore screen art, but I really enjoyed art from a yard perspective. Fun contemporary art and a Koons piece. The second story held the second exhibit: Joanna Piotrowska: unseeing eyes, restless bodies. She's a Ukrainian artist, and I really thought it was going to be something different but it was a really cool exhibit. I have never seen carpet and space used this way before and her art evoked both fear and whimsy and awe. I love this museum and the fact that it's really quaint - obviously the experience you're going to have here depends on what exhibits are showing, but I had a great time here overall. It's completely free so if you're ever by the University of Pennsylvania, I highly recommend you stop by.

The center city tour was great! Sandi was great!! We've been center city locals for five years and…read morewe wanted to learn about the murals around us. We hit a bunch of murals in 1.5 hours, and some of them I'd never seen! 10/10 tour service. 10/10 selection of tours. Reasonable cost for the tour. We'll be doing more!

Among other things, Philadelphia is a city of public art. I could not help but spot sculptures and…read morestatues here and there, but it was this particular mural - six stories tall - that really drove it home. There have been plans for an office/mixed use tower in the parking lot that faces this mural but for now, we have the opportunity to take it in entirely. Wow, there's some detail here and a story. If you're passing near, I suggest you stop and check this one out near 150 North Broad Street. [Review 18311 overall - 603 in Pennsylvania - 1833 of 2022.]

I visit museums without pre-conceived notions, reading reviews generally after the fact. PAFA --…read moreas it's known -- is a good one. Founded in 1805 the academy is the first school and museum of fine arts in the United States. The historic landmark building is closed for renovations with three stories of exhibits now housed in their Hamilton Building (which is NOT named for Alexander!) Several things impacted me: the galleries are wide open, light and airy. A pleasure to walk through. A number of items from the Atwater Kent collection -- formerly the Philadelphia History Museum -- are on display. The diverse collection ranges from baseball, department stores (Wanamakers, anyone?), civil rights ... the list goes on. There is student and alumni art for sale and casts of Greek and Roman antiquity located in an active student workspace. As with most museums, exhibits change. The gift store with its friendly proprietor, is as good as any I've been to. A beautifully curated collection, and after Thanksgiving, I believe everything is discounted 30% for the holidays.

The PAFA collection in the renovated 1800s building is amazing!! We really enjoyed the extensive…read moregalleries

This is another fun gallery to go to when doing First Friday in Old City. the only flaw to it…read morehowever is the fact that it's on the second floor of a building and it has the worst set of thin stairs to climb before you get there. it can also be pretty small and packs up fairly quickly. But once you overcome these burdens you will come across some exceptionally diverse pieces of art. It mostly has graffiti style art, or styles that come pretty close to it. But it also has a good and inexpensive jewelry table on most occasions, as well as a DJ. And if you come early enough you may very well find a good spread of vegetables, and boxes of wine!

When we were on the way to the Clay Studio to top of our arts crawl my crew and I noticed another…read morenew gallery, so naturally we stopped in to check it out. To be honest I liked I liked the space itself (and the food spread) better than the art. But at least it kept it ecletic. Dalet had a good balance between paintings and photography which could be great down the line. The theme of the exhibit was "The Scent Of A Woman", But even though it was a theme that McThrill is usually guilty of being quite fond of, the art in itself. When I scoped out the featured painter the work struck me as being familiar, and it turned out it used to be one of my favorite artists who used to own his own gallery at least 5 years ago. Either my tastes have evoled as I've gotten more seasoned to the crawl, or his style as dwindled (I'm going with a little of each), because his style just didn't grab me as much as it used to. The Photographer they featured was pretty uninteresting. Their work featured the juxtaposition between a mannequin and a live model who were sporting the same clothing and spread out in the same backyard. It didn't grab me per say, but at least it inspired me to do something similar while utilizing the juxtaposition between Aaron O. and Domokun (http://www.curiosite.com/scripts/news/ennews.php?frmIdPagina=10103) Art aside the space itself was pretty impressive. It was pretty huge and spread out, leaving room for plenty of art. They had one back room that served as a sitting lounge, and another that hooked up an epic cheese filled food spread. So it can definitely house a lot of potential, especially since this was just the first exhibit. *Epic side rant of the the last two new reviews* what's with new Art Galleries skimping out on their web design? I complained about Salt doing it, and it looks like Dalet isn't any different. At least Salt had a little bit of information though, while Dalet's page is just very purple.

Out of all the stops I made this first Friday, I liked Dalet Art Gallery the best. As I explained…read moreto my wife, I like art to be edgy. I find art that doesn't cause controversy boring. I loved this gallery. The inside space unique and beautiful. The majority of the paintings displayed that night were in testament to the female form and were all very well done. I ESPECIALLY liked the beautiful topless girl (painted) displaying herself in the back of the gallery. She was beautiful...and super edgy.

This is a very nice space in the 'Arts District' of Philadelphia. During the course of the year…read morethey hold several 'Opening Receptions' for past, current and new artist. Many of the pieces of art are deep and meaningful without be too 'abstract'. Unfortunately I'm a regular working person and I cannot afford art with the average cost of $1500. There are some less expensive items and prints if you are short on cash, but nevertheless they are a very interesting gallery to visit. When you visit you are greeted with a warm welcome and assistance with any questions you may have. Additionally there are several art programs, classes and workshops offered by Brandywine. If you love art make this a stop on your rounds. The building is located next to the world renowned Clef Club and near many dining options. So stop by checkout some art, go next door to listen to a set and treat yourself to dinner. I will be worth it!