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Yes, This Is The Man Who Inspired 'Rocky'

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A Spectacular Celebration Of American Art

As the nation approaches its 250th (we're called it the SemiQuin, for short) Philadelphians are being treated to a spectacular celebration of American art billed as A Nation of Artists at two renowned museums, The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Two great venues, one epic exhibition spanning over 300 years and featuring more than 1,000 works -- this is for all Americans and all who love America!

This show is nothing short of breathtaking and it's loaded with the greatest American names of art history: Benjamin West, the Peales, the Wyeths, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Alexander Calder, John Sloan, Georgia O'Keffe, Thomas Hart Benton, Winslow Homer, Grandma Moses, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock, Ben Shahn, Frederick Remington, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Horace Pippin, Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns, Stuart Davis, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Maxfield Parrish and many more. It's staggering -- a visual feast you're unlikely to encounter again. It runs through July 5 at the Museum of Art and through September 5 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Below are some of the photos we captured from the show:

Try This, And Enjoy The Magic!

Press the play triange, then stare only at the top circular pattern for 20 seconds. The, scroll down and look at Van Gough's Starry Night.

A great way to see Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is to stare at the center of the spiral for 20 seconds and then look at the painting.

Why Starry Night was so famous: https://t.co/P8BvRGohvu pic.twitter.com/OEvZpFb6Ti

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) May 25, 2026

US Art Gets New Retrospective In Philly!

Highlighting the richness and diversity of American art, A Nation of Artists (opening on April 12) will trace the evolving story of American creativity across three centuries, featuring works of art from the Philadelphia Museum of Art collected over the past 150 years and the Middleton Family Collection, one of the country’s most significant private holdings of American art. 

Presented chronologically around distinctive themes, the exhibition explores art making of all types, from ceramics to wood carving and painting to fashion, and includes works by Indigenous, African American, and historically underrepresented artists who have shaped the nation’s visual culture.

The exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will collaborate with a simultaneous presentation at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Historic Landmark Building in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Across the two museums, A Nation of Artists will feature more than 1,000 works, including more than 120 iconic paintings and decorative arts from the Middleton Family Collection. Together, these works will offer fresh perspectives on the evolving story of American art and experience.

At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, A Nation of Artists will include the early American realism of Charles Willson Peale, the impressionist elegance of Mary Cassatt, the expressive intensity of Horace Pippin, and the glowing color of Mark Rothko, all shaped by the crosscurrents of cultural exchange, historic events, and imagination.

Through acclaimed masterworks and surprising discoveries, visitors will trace the evolution of American identity and visual culture.

Philly Museum Presents Workshop Of The World!

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is pleased to announce Workshop of the World: Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia, a landmark exhibition set for July 5 – October 18, 2026 exploring the region’s distinctive contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as its enduring influence upon contemporary makers.

A highlight of PMA’s 150th anniversary year, the exhibition will reveal how industrial Philadelphia shaped the achievements of artists, designers, and manufacturers following the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, through more than 250 objects, including ceramics, furniture, metalwork, textiles, and stained glass as well as paintings, drawings, and printed works.

Hooray! Our Museum OF ART Is Back Again!

A very special message from the Philadelphia Museum of Art:

Art sparks conversation, and few cities care more deeply than Philadelphia.

We’ve been listening and considering. Many of you told us how much you missed our original name, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and how excited you are about the reimagined griffin logo.

So, as described in today’s press release (link in bio), we’re returning to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 
Some changes you’ll notice soon, while others will take some time. And yes, we may have some discounted merch along the way.

 
We appreciate your feedback, your patience, and most importantly, your love for our museum.

 
Come visit soon, join us for Pay What You Wish Friday Night on February 6, and welcome back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Mikie -- And The 'Follow The Furrow' Challenge

As Mikie Sherrill begins her term as Governor of New Jersey, keep an eye out for that furrowed brow. You're likely to see it more than you might imagine.

And keep in mind that few facial expressions pack as much intrigue as this subtle crease between the eyebrows that says more than words ever could. It’s often seen as a signal of intensity, but don't be fooled for its meaning stays elusive: a passing thought, quiet anger, hidden doubt, or calculated performance? From ancient art to modern memes, this tiny muscle twitch has fascinated us for centuries.

Historical Underpinnings Philosophers like Socrates and Moses in Michelangelo’s sculpture seem to wear furrowed brows as badges of moral weight and intellectual struggle. Is it the face of wrestling with big questions—or does it signal big troubles ahead?

Literary Power Shakespeare gives Hamlet a furrowed brow for existential torment. To be or not to be? In Frankenstein, Victor’s deepening creases mirror his descent into obsession. The brow becomes shorthand for inner conflict no dialogue can fully capture.

Theater and Film Laurence Olivier’s scheming Richard III, Bogart’s weary Rick in Casablanca, Daniel Day-Lewis’s ruthless Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood—all use the furrowed brow to telegraph menace, regret, or ruthless focus. It’s silent suspense in close-up.

Pop Culture Batman broods with a perpetual furrow. The “thinking” emoji 🤔 and viral celeb clips turn it into instant shorthand for sarcasm, skepticism, or feigned “deep thoughts.” And comedians like the Three Stooges, Jerry Lewis and Mel Brooks have used it to mock intellectuals.

What It Really Signals (Especially in Power)

• Politicians: LBJ's furrowed brow and narrowed eyes made people wonder what he might be scheming; Obama’s used furrowed crisis speeches in the hopes of projecting calm gravitas; Nixon’s sweaty, furrowed 1960 debate look arguably cost him the election—nerves on display.
• Business Leaders: Do Elon Musk’s furrowed interviews suggest intense innovation… or high-stakes strain? A CEO’s brow in the boardroom could mean foresight—or simply bluffing to hide uncertainty.  

The furrowed brow can be genuine stress or  performance art: empathy theater, authority flex, or mask for vulnerability.

It endures because it’s ambiguous by design. It invites us to project our own assumptions onto someone else’s face. In leaders, artists, and everyday people alike, this single crease remains one of humanity’s most mysterious—and most revealing—tells.

Is Sherrill troubled by something? Does she harbor secret doubts? Is she stalked by some Big Question? Or is this learned performance art designed to signal intensity while masking vacuity? Stay tuned!

Video: Christmas At The Trump-Kennedy Center

Wednesday was a magical night at the Trump Kennedy Center!

🎄We started with our inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting in the Hall of States, complete with a joyful visit from Santa Claus. 🎅 The ceremony was led by our President, Ambassador Richard Grenell, and Secretary of… pic.twitter.com/vBBhBssmSf

— The Trump Kennedy Center (@kencen) December 19, 2025

Art Museum To Celebrate Rocky And Famed Statue!

The Philadelphia Art Museum is pleased to announce Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, a landmark exhibition opening in the Dorrance Galleries in April 2026. Organized by guest curator Paul Farber, Director and Co-Founder of Monument Lab and host of the acclaimed podcast The Statue from NPR/WHYY, this exhibition will showcase over 150 works by more than 50 artists and artifacts spanning more than 2,000 years in an investigation of the changing role of monuments across time. 

Blending the worlds of art, sports, and popular culture, Rising Up will take on the life of monuments by exploring the profound meanings and mythologies of the Rocky statue.

Through the lens of the Rocky statue, a monument that is inextricably linked with both the art museum and Philadelphia itself, Rising Up will explore how monuments are made and remade by artists, by communities, and by time, opening the door for conversations on deeper themes of memory, identity, power, and representation in public art. The exhibition will feature work made from antiquity to the present, spotlighting the under told stories around the statue—of Philadelphia’s boxing legends, immigrant neighborhoods, and the fight for the future of public spaces.

Researched for over five years and in development for the last two years, Rising Up will include monumental sculptures, paintings, video performances, film clips, photographs, prints, drawings, new commissions, ephemera, and participatory experiences. Among the featured artists will be Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Delilah Montoya, Tavares Strachan, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol, Carrie Mae Weems, and makers from Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice Program. The accompanying publication, edited by Farber, includes contributions from celebrated Philadelphia artist Alex Da Corte, former Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins, and noted film critic Carrie Rickey.

“The Rocky statue is the most visited and photographed public artwork in Philadelphia, attracting nearly as many annual visitors as the Statue of Liberty,” said Louis Marchesano, the Marion Boulton “Kippy” Stroud Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and Conservation. “Rising Up is an opportunity for the art museum to reframe the narrative around Rocky and the steps, placing it in the context of Philadelphia’s civic and cultural identity. We are thrilled to work with Philadelphia thought leader Paul Farber to approach this topic with criticality and imagination, bringing a fresh take on a storied debate about the role of monuments outside the museum, in Philadelphia, and beyond.”

“I am honored to curate this exhibition in my hometown at this moment of cultural urgency and much-needed public discourse,” said Paul Farber. “The steps outside the museum are a site of pilgrimage and the ultimate people’s pedestal. Rising Up asks why millions of people each year visit a statue of the most famous Philadelphian who never lived as a way to better understand our complex and vital relationships to our public monuments.”

Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the premiere of the Academy Award-winning Rocky film, as well as Philadelphia's hosting of World Cup matches and Semiquincentennial activities, Rising Up will be supported by an opening pay-what-you-wish weekend program and an expansive calendar of community engagement opportunities.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the announcement of the historic Rising Up exhibition in 2026 at the Philadelphia Art Museum,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “This show is a testament to the vitality and passion of Philadelphia’s arts, culture, and sports communities. Rising Up explores the city’s relationship to its many statues, the artists who create them, and the many neighborhoods where these statues exist. It is more than timely as we approach our monumental Semiquincentennial year.”

A Visual Journey Into The SURREAL World!

Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100 currently on view at the Philadelphia Art Museum features approximately two hundred works by more than seventy artists associated with the international Surrealist movement. We recently toured this exhibition and it can only be described as an unforgettable visual journey of the mind that can be alternately strange, haunting, disturbing and captivating.

The world "surreal" is tossed about a lot this days but until your've studied the surrealist movement of the art world, you haven't a clue as to what the word really means, how it came about and how it's been popularized. 

The Philadelphia Art Museum is be the only U.S. venue for this show following distinct iterations at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which launched this project to celebrate Surrealism’s centenary, and three other European museums. Philadelphia Art Museum highlights  include works by Miro, Dali, Magritte and other masters of the genre. 

We took some photos, featured below. The show continues through February 16.

A Dazzling (But Fleeting) Array Of Priceless Art!

Right now at Sotheby's spectacular new Manhattan headquarters in what was once the Whitney Museum, you can find one of the greatest collections of art treasures in the world with rarely seen works by Picasso, van Gogh, Klimt, Warhol, Gaugin, Matisse, Basquiat, Kahlo, Dali, Ernst, Magritte, Monet, Rothko, Miro, Nevelson and many more. 

Many of these seemingly priceless works (they'll all soon be auctioned off for zillions of dollars) are from the collections of Leonard Lauder and Cindy and Jay Pritzker. The scope and breadth of these collections is nothing less than dazzling. We walked through this extraordinary exhibition yesterday, arriving before a long line began to form outside Sotheby's. 

What's the rush? These masterpieces will all be gone by next Saturday, November 22. They will all be sold to the highest bidders and most if not all of them will fall back into private hands, perhaps never to be seen again.

Just for you, we took some photos. Enjoy!

Who Was Maria Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci ?

Maria Teresa Cafarelli de Francisci was an Italian-American woman best known as the wife and muse of sculptor and coin designer Anthony de Francisci, creator of the famous U.S. Peace Dollar. Born Maria Teresa Cafarelli in Italy, she immigrated to the United States as a child, growing up in New York amid a large community of fellow Italian immigrants. She was one of the first Italian-American women to graduate high school.

Her poise, classical features, and serene expression made her the ideal model for her husband’s artistic work. In 1921, when the U.S. Mint commissioned Anthony de Francisci to design a new silver dollar symbolizing peace after World War I, he turned to Maria Teresa as the inspiration for Liberty’s face. Though not an exact likeness, her image—radiant, youthful, and dignified—became one of the most iconic in American numismatics.

Maria Teresa and Anthony shared a lifelong devotion to art and each other. Her quiet grace and enduring image helped define a symbol of American hope and renewal that still resonates today through the Peace Dollar’s enduring legacy.

This is part of our continuing daily series spotlighting famous Italian Americans as part of Italian American Heritage Month.

Biased: YES, The Smithsonian IS Out Of Control!

President Donald J. Trump is right: the Smithsonian Institution is out of control. As it increasingly prioritizes exhibits that undermine our values and rewrite the American story through a lens of grievance and exclusion, the Smithsonian’s embrace of woke ideology distorts history and erodes public trust.   Here are some of the many, many examples:

The National Museum of African American History and Culture debuted a series to educate people on “a society that privileges white people and whiteness” — defining so-called “white dominant culture“ as “ways white people and their traditions, attitudes, and ways of life have been normalized over time” and portraying “the nuclear family,” “work ethic,” and “intellect” as white qualities rooted in racism. The campaign featured content from hardcore woke activist Ibram X. Kendi.

As part of its campaign to stop being “wealthy, pale, and male,” the National Portrait Gallery featured a choreographed “modern dance performance“ detailing the “ramifications“ of the southern border wall and commissioned an entire series to examine “American portraiture and institutional history… through the lens of historical exclusion.”   The American History Museum prominently displays the “Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag” at its entrance, which was also flown alongside the American flag at multiple Smithsonian campuses.

The National Portrait Gallery features art commemorating the act of illegally crossing the “inclusive and exclusionary” southern border — even making it a finalist for one of its awards.

The National Museum of African Art displayed an exhibit on “works of speculative fiction that bring to life an immersive, feminist and sacred aquatopia inspired by the legend of Drexciya,” an “underwater kingdom populated by the children of pregnant women who had been thrown overboard or jumped into the ocean during the Middle Passage.”   The American History Museum’s “LGBTQ+ History” exhibit seeks to “understand evolving and overlapping identities such as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer, transsexual, transvestite, mahu, homosexual, fluid, invert, urning, third sex, two sex, gender-bender, sapphist, hijra, friend of Dorothy, drag queen/king, and many other experiences,” and includes articles on “LGBTQ+ inclusion and skateboarding“ and “the rise of drag ball culture in the 1920s.”   The National Museum of the American Latino features programming highlighting “animated Latinos and Latinas with disabilities” — with content from “a disabled, plus-sized actress” and an “ambulatory wheelchair user” who “educates on their identity being Latinx, LGBTQ+, and disabled.”

The National Museum of the American Latino characterizes the Texas Revolution as a “massive defense of slavery waged by ‘white Anglo Saxon’ settlers against anti-slavery Mexicans fighting for freedom, not a Texan war of independence from Mexico,” and frames the Mexican-American War as “the North American invasion” that was “unprovoked and motivated by pro-slavery politicians.”   According to the National Museum of the American Latino, “what unites Latinas and Latinos“ is “the Black Lives Matter movement.”

The National Portrait Gallery commissioned a “stop-motion drawing animation” that “examines the career“ of Anthony Fauci.

The American History Museum’s exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX includes biological men competing in women’s sports and argues in favor of “transgender” athletes competing in sports against the opposite biological sex.   A exhibit at the American History Museum depicts migrants watching Independence Day fireworks “through an opening in the U.S.-Mexico border wall” and says America’s founders “feared non-White immigration.”

The American History Museum features a display that refers to the founding of America as “a profound unsettling of the continent.”   The American History Museum’s “American Democracy” exhibit claims voter integrity measures are “attempts to minimize the political power” of “new and diverse groups of Americans,” while its section on “demonstrations” includes only leftist causes.   An American History Museum exhibit features a depiction of the Statue of Liberty “holding a tomato in her right hand instead of a torch, and a basket of tomatoes in her left hand instead of a tablet.”

The National Museum of the American Latino features an anti-American exhibit that defines Latino history as centuries of victimhood and exploitation, suggests the U.S. is stolen land, and characterizes U.S. history as rooted in “colonization.” The exhibit features writing from illegal immigrants “fighting to belong.” The exhibit displays a quote from Claudia de la Cruz, the socialist nominee for president and a director an anti-American hate group, as well as another quote that reads, “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us.” The exhibit remains prominently featured on its website alongside a quote from the Communist Party USA’s Angela Davis, who was once among the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives.

The National Museum of the American Latino describes the post-Mexican-American War California describes a “Californio” family losing their land to American “squatters.”   The Museum of American Art uses American sculpture “to invite dialogue and reflection on notions of power and identity.”   The American History Museum’s “Upending 1620” exhibit claims Pilgrims are a “myth,” instead framing them as colonizers.   The American History Museum’s exhibit about Benjamin Franklin focuses almost solely on slavery, directing visitors to learn more about his “electrical experiments and the enslaved people of his household,” noting his “scientific accomplishments were enabled by the social and economic system he worked within.”   The National Portrait Gallery was set to feature a “painting depicting a transgender Statue of Liberty” before the artist withdrew it.

The former interim director of the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum declared the museum will be “inclusive” of biological men posing as women.