Teen Sketch Exhibition and Reception at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

June 2026

Over the past few months, Teen Sketch students worked with three professional artists creating works of art inspired by American artists in the Philadelphia Museum of Art's A Nation of Artists Exhibition.

Artist Jenna Avellino lead five workshops challenging students to reimagine urban landscape while addressing the large ideas of the works of art featured in A Nation of Artists. The series began with students photographing a view of their local landscape that they could translate into a personal quilt. They chose fabric and fibers and intertwined waterways and buildings through texture, color and form.

Artist Cindy Lozito led character design workshops and explored how American artists conveyed individual characters in works in A Nation of Artists. The students created characters rooted in their own interests and experiences which were featured in a collaborative mural.

Artist Andrew Christman inspired teens to discover that a landscape can exist in abstraction. During trips to Philadelphia parks and historic sites, students sketched local landscapes and thought about how to express the spirit of place.

On June 7, with a packed house of family and friends, the program celebrated the exhibition of the student artwork in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) Learning and Engagement Center. A panel of student artists talked about their inspiration and experiences in the program, and guided visitors through the exhibition. The student work will remain on display at the PMA through August 2026.