As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, one exhibition places the next generation at the center of the story of art in America: A Future of Artists.  

A Future of Artists at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) features work by Philadelphia-area teens who are responding to themes in the landmark exhibition A Nation of Artists, presented jointly by PMA and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in partnership with The Middleton Family.

A Constellation of Experiences 

Working alongside local teaching artists Jenna Avellino, Andrew Christman, Cindy Lozito, and Tad Sare, the teens created artwork through four workshop-based projects. There were also six art history students from Tyler School of Art and Architecture who played a key role in the exhibition, serving as mentors for the high schoolers and helping contextualize their artwork through interpretive wall text.  

Beyond showcasing student work, A Future of Artists serves as a meeting of community, institutional, and intergenerational perspectives—culminating in a "constellation” of experiences, as Adrienne Justice, Associate Director of Teen Programs at the PMA, would say. Justice played a fundamental role in bringing the project together alongside Caro Thomas, Coordinator of Teen Programs. 

“The initial idea for teens was to deepen their art and museum education while putting them in dialogue with curatorial concepts,” Justice said. “It was also important to us that the high schoolers be able to connect with the students from Tyler to envision the next step of their academic career. We also wanted to give the Tyler students access to a professional museum project; the museum benefits from their voices bringing more authenticity into our project.” 

Collaborating with the Tyler Students 

Joseph Kopta, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Art History at Tyler, was instrumental in getting Tyler students involved, describing early iterations of the project as inextricably tied to the 250th.  

“The project really grew out of a conversation with Adrienne,” said Kopta. “It started about a year ago. We were thinking about how we might best mark the 250th anniversary of America in a meaningful way. The result was extremely generative for everyone involved.” 

The six Tyler students mentored by Kopta, Griffin Cutler, Jay DaCruz, Gabriela Podlesny, Virginia Edwards, Audrey Esty Howerin and Izzy Coopersmith, attended the workshops, interacted with the workshop instructors and played a vital role in helping the high schoolers engage with the history of American Art.  

“I attended several workshops and got to work with the students directly. I think all of the instructors did a great job making the workshops feel like the students were all in it together,” said Coopersmith. “Another aspect was helping students talk about their process. I saw that in all the workshops—talking through the students’ artistic choices and why they made them. It was nice to see how invested these students were in building their voices as artists. It will serve them well if they go on to college, especially if they go to Tyler.” 

While each Tyler student crafted interpretive wall text for their respective workshop, Coopersmith authored the introductory wall text for the entire showcase. Narrative text is essential to an exhibition, yet it is difficult to do well. It serves as an entry point for audiences, conveying the exhibition's themes, goals, and objectives while still leaving room for audience engagement. 

"Good interpretive writing doesn’t just explain. Rather, it opens the work up to interpretation,” said Kopta. “There's a fine balance that we train our students to achieve in providing information while also allowing readers to make their own interpretations. In this instance, our students were in the room speaking directly with the teen artists as they were creating. That proximity really shaped the quality and authenticity of the writing that our students provided.” 

Reflections from the Instructors 

Cindy Lozito, illustrator and instructor leading the “A City of Artists” workshop, commended the Tyler students for being thoughtful collaborators and translating the high schoolers’ diverse experiences into narratives audiences could connect with.  

"The Tyler students really did capture the spirit of the project, which isn't so easy to do because this project has all of these different aspects,” Lozito said. “There's a lot to capture, and I felt like the Tyler students did a wonderful job of helping people understand what this exhibit was about.” 

Andrew Christman, visual artist and instructor of the “Spirit of Place” workshop, had similar takeaways from interacting with both the high schoolers and Tyler students.  

“Without doubt, Audrey, Jay, and the Tyler students were amazing. They brought a whole other level to the project,” he said. “I'm so blessed to be part of this because it was created with such intention.” 

Reflections from the Tyler Students 

Looking back on the workshops, Audrey Esty Howerin and Virginia Edwards spoke to the project's mutual impact. Working with the high schoolers reminded Howerin and Edwards of their own development as artists and individuals.  

“I loved that this project was not only a collaboration between art institutions and generations, but also a connection between the past, present, and future,” said Howerin. “Going to the workshops and drawing with the teens brought me back to my high school art classes; seeing the talent and passion in the students made me excited for the future of the arts in America.” 

“The final project from the ‘Character Design’ workshop captures the spirit of community perfectly,” said Edwards. “Although each teen’s character was distinct, they came together to form a single cohesive work of art. Their work and attitudes have given me a new sense of positivity towards the future of art making in this country.” 

Coopersmith had a similar takeaway upon reflecting on the “Spirit of Place” workshop: 

“Andrew has a great perspective on how the students engage with the artwork,” she said. “I think he was really influential to the students, especially in getting them to explain their creative decisions. Overall, I think that each work had a very personal link to each student.” 

Inspiring Hope 

In seeking an answer to what the future of art in America might look like, A Future of Artists instead cultivated something rarer: hope. Teaching artists, coordinators, Tyler faculty and students each expressed confidence that, despite rapid technological change and the ever-shifting cultural trends of the digital age, art remains essential to shaping individual identity and building community. More importantly, the exhibition proved that the next generation of artists is not only ready but eager to carry the legacy forward. 

"Working with this new generation of artists has been an incredible experience,” said Jay Dacruz. “Through each of the workshops, the teens were challenged to put their works in conversation with the great American traditions on view in A Nation of Artists. It's institutions like the PMA and Tyler School of Art and Architecture that continue to allow Philadelphia to push artmaking to new heights.” 

A Future of Artists will be on display now until August 28, 2026. To learn more, visit: www.philamuseum.org.