{"id":6652,"date":"2025-05-14T14:09:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/9-must-see-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-philadelphia-this-spring\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T14:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:09:25","slug":"9-must-see-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-philadelphia-this-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/9-must-see-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-philadelphia-this-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Must-See Art Exhibitions to See in Philadelphia This Spring"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An installation view of \u201cKelly Kozma: Watch Me Backflip\u201d at Paradigm Gallery + Studio. Courtesy of Paradigm Gallery + Studio<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The city of brotherly love and sisterly affection is ready to greet art lovers with a heated exhibition season that not only raises questions but answers them, too. How do archaeologists preserve ancient Assyrian artifacts in the current conflict and destruction? Find out at the Penn Museum. How did two paintings by Paul C\u00e9zanne, in the collections of the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, cause a huge media kerfuffle? How do contemporary artists turn fabrics and recycled everyday materials into large installation art? How did Asian American artists and activists use art to voice their resilience? We at Observer are a curious bunch, and the following art exhibitions in Philadelphia did much to slake our thirst for knowledge.<\/p>\n

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\u201cKelly Kozma: Watch Me Backflip\u201d<\/h3>\n

Paradigm Gallery + Studio, through June 1, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWatch Me Backflip<\/a>\u201d is a solo exhibition featuring the work of mixed-media and fiber artist Kelly Kozma<\/a>. It uses repurposed material to show the significance and interconnectedness of small interactions within the broader environment. The artist has created a massive 22-foot circumference installation of 35,000 hand-stitched circles\u2014a cosmic work titled Iguana & Myrrh, Magma & Reef.<\/em> Objects like greeting cards, packages, clothing and threads become part of large-scale, colorful patterns. Engaged in minimal-waste practice, Kozma also utilizes materials like paper scraps and loose threads for the works in the show, which displays more than twenty mixed media works as a large assemblage. Here, her stitches create threads between the people in her life and the objects she interacts with to remind audiences of the dangers of overconsumption and emotional apathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoft\/Cover\u201d<\/h3>\n

The Fabric Workshop and Museum, through August 17, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSoft\/Cover<\/a>\u201d explores how artists utilize fabric and screenprinting to create objects whose significance lies in their relation to the human body. Drawing on the connection between textiles and other disciplines, such as fashion and architecture, the exhibition shows new and rarely displayed works from The Fabric Workshop and Museum\u2019s collection\u2014each created by artists-in-residence in collaboration with FWM\u2019s Studio team. Inspired by some of FWM\u2019s earliest residencies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, \u201cSoft\/Cover\u201d celebrates artists who have created everything from everyday workwear to costumes but also expanded beyond garments to design bedding, umbrellas, furniture and large-scale installations. Eight new resident artists were commissioned for the exhibition to further expand the Workshop\u2019s history and mission: to open pathways for these artists\u2019 ideas, introducing new materials and forms to their evolving practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreserving Assyria\u201d<\/h3>\n

Penn Museum, through February 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

As one of the world\u2019s first empires, Assyria, as an ancient civilization, is unique in that it still has a profound influence on Iraq\u2019s cultural identity. While ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) actively attempts to erase and distort this part of history, this exhibition shows how Iraqi archaeologists, with support from Penn archaeologists and international partners, are reclaiming and protecting their cultural and artistic heritage during and after conflict. Centered on the recently excavated Mashki Gate in Nineveh, Iraq\u2014a monumental Assyrian site destroyed in 2016\u2014the exhibition highlights touchable 3D replicas of Assyrian reliefs on view alongside sixteen artifacts from the Penn Museum\u2019s Near East collection. \u201cPreserving Assyria<\/a>\u201d is on view in the Merle-Smith Galleries on the Lower Level, in harmony with the museum\u2019s permanent Middle Eastern collection.<\/p>\n

\"Installation\"Installation
An installation view of \u201cPreserving Assyria\u201d at the Penn Museum. Courtesy of Penn Museum<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Battle of the Bathers\u201d<\/h3>\n

Barnes Foundation, through September 15, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Albert C. Barnes, whose collection forms the basis of the Barnes Foundation, purchased The Large Bathers<\/em> in 1933. This masterpiece is the crown jewel of his collection of more than 50 paintings by the French painter Paul C\u00e9zanne. Four years after the purchase, however, a public feud erupted when the Philadelphia Museum of Art acquired another version of the Bathers.<\/em> The quality of each work was scrutinized while the press hurled itself into the controversy. \u201cThe Battle of the Bathers<\/a>,\u201d which features archival letters, clippings and photographs, traces Dr. Barnes\u2019 purchase of his Large Bathers<\/em> to explore its clash with the PMA in the media and expose the heated tensions that gave rise to the strife.<\/p>\n

\"The\"The
The main room of the Barnes collection in 1942. Photograph by Angelo Pinto, courtesy of the Pinto family. Photograph Collection, Barnes Foundation Archives<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Quest for Truth in the Idea of the Garden\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Charles Addams Fine Arts Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, through June 8, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Co-curated by professor and artist Ken Lum<\/a> and scholar Xianghua Liu, this international touring exhibition showcases contemporary artworks rooted in the transformation of traditional garden culture. Featuring contributions from thirty renowned contemporary artists as well as faculty and students from Minzu University of China\u2014the nation\u2019s leading institution for minority groups\u2014the exhibition celebrates artistic innovation and the pursuit of knowledge. The selected works explore how minority cultures creatively respond to the environmental challenges of the modern world. Despite its somewhat unwieldy title, \u201cThe Quest for Truth in the Idea of the Garden: China Garden Cultural Contemporary Art International Tour Exhibition<\/a>\u201d aptly draws from both Eastern and Western religious traditions and philosophical views of nature to showcase the deep interconnection between eternal concepts, the cosmos, the Earth and human culture.<\/p>\n

\"Xianghua\"Xianghua
Xianghua Liu, Recumbent Travel<\/em>, 2024; installation photography, 60 x 50.6 inches. Courtesy of Xianghua Liu<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 124th Annual Student Exhibition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, through June 1, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Experience the creative energy of the next generation of artists in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts\u2019 124th Annual Student Exhibition<\/a>\u2014a showcase of work by graduating MFA, post-baccalaureate, certificate and BFA students. The ASE is more than just an exhibition\u2014it represents a milestone in these artists\u2019 journeys as they step into professional practice and contribute to Philadelphia\u2019s vibrant cultural landscape. For collectors, art lovers and first-time buyers, it offers a unique opportunity to discover and acquire original works by some of the most promising emerging talents. Featuring hundreds of works across painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and illustration, the exhibition is entirely curated, installed and managed by the students themselves and reflects the institution\u2019s deep commitment to equipping students with the artistic and professional skills needed to thrive. One look and it\u2019s clear these young artists are ready to leave their mark on the art world.<\/p>\n

\"Annual\"Annual
Viewers at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts\u2019 Annual Student Exhibition. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cCrescendo: How Art Makes Movements (1981-1999)\u201d<\/h3>\n

Asian Arts Initiative, through June 28, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCrescendo: How Art Makes Movements (1981-1999)<\/a>\u201d is a historical survey of multidisciplinary art projects that intersected with Asian American social movements between 1981 and 1999. Drawing inspiration from jazz and improvised music from the Black Arts Movement, the show attempts to redefine the presence of Asian Americans beyond the politics of representation. The exhibition\u2019s title is a metaphor for the growing sociopolitical activism of the \u201980s and \u201990s, when Asian American artists thrived with major achievements in the creative arts through collaborative explorations, and the show has three sections focused on different collective projects: Asian Improv aRts\/Records, the Afro Asian Music Ensemble and the East Side Band.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoom: Art and Design in the 1940s\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Philadelphia Museum of Art, through September 1, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Philadelphia Museum of Art\u2019s newest exhibition dives deep into the art and design of the World War II and post-war years, when major changes in politics, science, economics, industry and arts and culture occurred in the wake of global catastrophe. In this period of turmoil, artists brought new ideas to their work across media\u2014from fashion and textiles, craft and design to printmaking, drawing, photography, painting and sculpture. \u201cBoom: Art and Design in the 1940s<\/a>\u201d is a testament to the creative spirit that flourished despite the restrictions and adversity of the era and showcases art from across the decade, with works drawn entirely from the museum\u2019s permanent collection.<\/p>\n

\"Designed\"Designed
Crist\u00f3bal Balenciaga, Woman\u2019s Evening Ensemble: Dress, Overdress, Bustle, and Petticoat, Spring 1951, Silk taffeta with applied pleated silk organza, cotton piqu\u00e9. Gift of John Wanamaker, Philadelphia, 1951. Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Shape of Light: Form and Shadow in Motion\u201d<\/h3>\n

Stanek Gallery Philadelphia, through June 28, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Shape of Light: Form and Shadow in Motion<\/a>\u201d invites viewers to experience the dynamic interplay between form and light. Featuring works by Roger Chavez<\/a>, Barbara Fisher<\/a>, Leah Kaplan<\/a> and Michael Quadland<\/a>, the show brings together a diverse range of media to examine how light both animates and alters our perception of form. Through themes of transformation and transition, the artists explore the dramatic tension between light\u2019s illuminating force and shadow\u2019s defining absence.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Nine<\/p><\/div>\n