As a City of firsts, it should come as no surprise that the nation’s first art school and museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), was founded here in 1805. Thanks to PAFA and many other fine arts schools located here, we continue to be a leading art center with abundant opportunities for young artists to exhibit their work today.

From galleries to museums, the city’s art scene is thriving year-round, but September is an especially exciting time thanks to the annual Fringe Festival, which we just featured on the blog here. With hundreds of performances and exhibitions happening across the city, it’s the perfect backdrop for an art crawl.

For this guide, we explored every corner of the city to bring you a compendium of some of Philly’s best art galleries and museums. This isn’t a complete list with every gallery in the City, but it’s a great place to start exploring Philadelphia’s art scene.

Center City

Locks Gallery, 600 S Washington Square, is located in a historic building next to the Hopkinson House. It was founded in 1968 and originally located at 1800 Chestnut St The gallery represents the leading contemporary artists of the mid to late 20th century, including Willem de Kooning, Frank Stella, and Louise Nevelson. For over 50 years, it has shown nationally renowned artists, with a strong focus on women. Recent exhibitions have featured John Moore, Beverly Semmes, and Dona Nelson. Upcoming exhibitions from October 3 to November 15, 2025, include Pat Steir and Jane Irish, the latter known for Renaissance-style ceiling paintings.

Morton Contemporary, 115 S. 13th St., is located in a storefront in the heart of Midtown, just a few steps from El Vez. However, its art is priced for Philly’s top law firms and luxury condo owners.  They are currently featuring the American debut exhibition of French artist Moogly titled “The Light Side.” The show features semi-abstract portraits of animals called ‘Humanimals’, with complex human-like expressions that convey optimism, curiosity, and deeper emotions

James Oliver Gallery, 723 Chestnut St., 2nd Fl, is a contemporary loft-style art gallery in the heart of the historic area, above Morimoto Restaurant. Currently on view through Sept. 27th: “Out of Line,” a three-artist exhibition focusing on contemporary loft-style art.

The Print Center, 1614 Latimer St., features photography and printmaking exhibitions, publications, and educational programs.

Old City

Larry Becker Contemporary Art, 43 N. Second St., exhibits abstract and conceptual contemporary art. They are currently exhibiting “New Moon to New Moon,” a late summer group exhibition running from August 23 through September 20, 2025. This exhibition features abstract and conceptual contemporary art. Visits are by appointment during this period, with regular gallery hours resuming in autumn. To schedule a viewing, visitors are encouraged to call the gallery and leave a message for an appointment. 

Pentimenti Gallery, 145 North Second Street, specializes in contemporary art. The exhbit “Unspoken Language of Colors” is running from September 12 to November 1, 2025. This group exhibition features works by Sarah Amos, Matthew Colaizzo, Claire Downes Whitehurst, and Jacob Feige. The show explores the quiet and evocative power of color as a means of communication beyond words, inviting viewers to consider the emotional, cultural, and perceptual stories that color conveys

Paradigm, 12 N Third St., previously located in Bella Vista, exhibits contemporary artwork by emerging and mid-career artists from around the world in its 5-story building. 

Cherry Street Pier Gallery, 121 N. Columbus Boulevard, presents exhibitions by their artists-in-residence 7 days a week, year-round. “In Plain Sight,” presented by Visit Philly. This colorful 10-foot-tall sculpture celebrates the strength, visibility, and diversity of the TQ+ community and serves as a reminder of Philadelphia’s ongoing support for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors. It is on display throughout September 2025. 

Muse Gallery, 52 North Second St., is an artists’ cooperative dedicated to promoting its members’ artistic expression through abstract and conceptual forms.

South Philly

Pageant Soloveev, 607 Bainbridge Street, specializes in contemporary art. Opened in 2004 by artist Daniel Dalseth, the gallery exhibits contemporary art from emerging and nationally acclaimed artists. An exhibition titled “Fire Museum Presents Family Underground / Fursaxa / Heavenly Bodies” is scheduled through September 18, 2025. 

Third Street Gallery, 610 S. 3rd Street, has been an artist-run cooperative since 1978. Artist receptions are held on the 4th Friday of the month. They have two solo shows running from September 5 to 28, 2025: “Drawings of Humans” by Matthew Schley and “Still Painting After All These Years” by Carol Albrecht. Schley’s work centers on figure studies that evolve into layered visual stories with playful decorative elements and unexpected text. Albrecht’s show reflects on the persistence of painting and creative expression over time. 

Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catherine St, presents faculty and student exhibitions, photography shows, and its annual Wind Challenge featuring 9 artists.

Blah Blah Gallery, 907 Christian St., focuses on early-stage and mid-career women and non-binary artists. Exhibits are primarily centered around two-person shows. The current exhbiti “The Blossoming of Aspartame” by Gabrielle Constantine is currently running from August 8 to September 14, 2025.

Da Vinci Art Alliance, 704 Catherine Street, is an artist collaborative founded by Italian Immigrants in 1931. They are currently showcasing several exhibitions through September. These include the 2025 Kathryn Pannepacker Fellowship Exhibition featuring the work of Yaqeen Yamani and Kalena Marshall Garcia, as well as a DVAA x Cultureworks juried exhibition running through December 9, 2025, curated by Nicole Sansone Ruiz and Temi Loye. Additionally, there is a solo exhibition by Lucy H West at Atria, open until September 10. Ongoing is a thoughtful installation titled “A Permeable Backyard Mosaic” by Nancy Agati.

Kensington/Fishtown

Box Spring Gallery, 1400 N. American St., #100C, opened in 2024 and presents a wide range of art and design by local artists.” Architecture in Abstraction,” running from September 11 to October 4, 2025 is the current exhibit. The show presents creative photography that abstracts familiar architectural subjects and has an opening reception on September 11 from 6-9 pm.

The Clay Studio, 1425 N. American St., was founded in 1974 and features current and permanent exhibitions by regional ceramicists in its beautiful new building. Shop online for unique earthenware.

Fjord, 1720 N. 5th Street, G7, is an artist-run contemporary exhibition space featuring emerging and established artists. The current exhibition at Fjord Gallery, located at 1720 N. 5th Street, G7, is a three-person show selected from their 2025 Open Call. This exhibition runs from August 16 to September 27, 2025, and features work by emerging artists curated by Fjord members. The opening reception was held on August 16, 2025. Fjord is an artist-run contemporary exhibition space open on Saturday afternoons only.

Wexler Gallery, 1811 Frankford Ave., opened in Old City in 2000, moved to Manhattan, and re-opened in Fishtown. This is where you will find high-end craft, design, and fine art. The current exhibit  “Art in Continuous Evolution” is running through September 12, 2025.

Northern Liberties

Fleisher Ollman Gallery, 915 Spring Garden St., Suite 215, specializes in the exhibition of exceptional self-taught and disabled local and internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. They participate in the Outsider Art Fair held in NYC.

Chinatown 

Vox Populi, 319 North 11th St., 3rd Fl., is an artist collective presenting contemporary art. Founded in 1988, artist receptions are free and open to the public on the first Friday of each month. The current exhibition at Vox Populi Gallery is a two-person show opening on September 5, 2025, featuring Rex Delafkaran, one of the 2025 Artists in Residence. The exhibition titled “STAND-INS (rehearsal)” includes a month-long residency culminating in a solo show. 

Fuller Rosen Gallery, 319 N 11th St., Unit 3-I, was founded in 2018 as an artists’ collaborative exhibiting regional, national, and international emerging artists who address urgent, contemporary issues. The current exhibition at Fuller Rosen Gallery is “Tower of Babel” by Cassie Renée peña, running from August 1 to September 14, 2025. There is a September First Friday Reception for this show on September 5, 2025, from 6 to 8 pm.

Manayunk

Cerulean Arts Gallery, 1355 Ridge Ave., was founded by two PAFA graduates in 2006 and features paintings, prints, and crafts by area artists. Currently closed for summer break. Upcoming exhibition, The Resonance of Place, features work by landscape artists Beverly Benson and Mark Bockrath in oil and pastel. 

Gross McCleaf,123 Leverington Ave., is located in The Mill Studios, one of the premier art studios in Philadelphia. This is the third location for the distinguished 55-year-old gallery, which opened in 1970 at 1713 Walnut.

Art Museums

PAFA, 118-128 N. Broad, is undergoing renovation in the main building, known for its Early American paintings, while contemporary exhibitions continue to be held in Hamilton Hall. Closed Mon-Wed.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, offers Pay-What-You-Wish admission on the first Sunday of the month, which does not include special exhibitions. Explore the new lower level designed by Frank Gehery, view the current exhibit Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s, and take the free trolley to the exhibitions across the street in the Perlman Building. Museum admission includes the Rodin Museum.

Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, 118 S. 36th Street, is located on Penn’s campus and presents dazzling exhibitions with free admission at all times. The current exhibition runs through December 7th and features a retrospective of Black artist Mavis Pusey, showcasing her bold geometric abstractions through paintings, prints, and archival materials that illuminate her powerful vision and lasting impact.

Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, presents the internationally acclaimed Alfred Barnes Collection of French Impressionists, rivaled only by the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Plus African Art, Antiquities, and contemporary exhibitions. The current exhibit at the Barnes Foundation is “Matisse & Renoir: New Encounters at the Barnes,” which is on view through September 8, 2025. This exhibition features 34 paintings from the Barnes’ collection, exploring the creative development and connection between Henri Matisse and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. 

This September, First Fridays return to Old City, Fishtown, Kensington, and Cherry Street Pier. It’s the perfect excuse to gallery-hop and enjoy a meal at a local spot along the way! Pair that with a Fringe Festival show or two, and you’ll have the ultimate Philly arts weekend.