Your Complete Guide to the Arts in Rittenhouse Square

Your Complete Guide to the Arts in Rittenhouse Square

  • Douglas Pearson
  • 08/18/22

The elegant community of Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, has a ton of heart, history, and unique experiences to offer, whether you’re looking for charming local shops and boutiques, eclectic dining experiences, or artistic and cultural exhibits to explore.
 
If you’re searching for Rittenhouse Square homes for sale, you need to check out the vibrant art scene in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. Philadelphia’s neighborhoods feature incredible art galleries, and Rittenhouse Square is no exception. Here are some of the best art galleries and spots to visit in Rittenhouse Square.

Works on Paper

Founded in 1995 at 1611 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, the Works on Paper art gallery works with both international and local artists spanning multiple generations. The gallery also exhibits emerging artists and sells the popular street artist Stikman’s powdered steel sculptures. The gallery is open to the public every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Works on Paper is also well-known for its Contemporary Blue Chip prints, and the gallery produces various editions. If you’re looking for Rittenhouse Square real estate and seek some amazing art in the neighborhood, look no further than Works on Paper.

Philadelphia Art Alliance

internal photo of the Philadelphia Art Alliance with floral decorative art on the walls
Photo Courtesy of Philadelphia Art Alliance’s Facebook
 
Founded in 1915, the Philadelphia Art Alliance is dedicated to advancing and appreciating innovative contemporary design and craft, as well as inspiring the dynamic interaction between international artists and audiences in a setting of aesthetic and historical significance.
 
The alliance’s gallery exhibits change every few months, and the gallery presents a seasonal schedule of both entertaining and educational public programs, including family-friendly events, musical performances, and lectures. They even offer a year-long Art Alliance Writers’ Workshop, where up-and-coming authors take part in a series of advanced courses to improve their craft and earn a Creative Writing certificate.
 
Throughout the past century, the Philadelphia Art Alliance has hosted exhibits by some of the best figures in the performing, literary, and visual arts, including Horace Pippin, Henry O. Tanner, Andrew Wyeth, Antonio Gaudi, Walter Gropius, Ernest Withers, Weegee, Man Ray, E.E. Cummings, Robert Frost, W.H. Auden, Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, and Merce Cunningham. From sculptures, abstract or landscape paintings, drawings and photography, collages, and material art to immersive visual and auditory art installations, the Philadelphia Art Alliance has seen it all.

FrameWorks Studio and Gallery

woman working on a frame at FrameWorks Studio of Philadelphia
Photo Courtesy of FrameWorks Studio and Gallery’s Facebook
 
Founded in 1978, FrameWorks Studio and Gallery has served Rittenhouse Square and the surrounding area for over 40 years. The studio and gallery was originally called the Framer’s Workroom, but the space now provides both rotating exhibits and complete custom picture framing with all kinds of beautiful design options, from shadow boxes, matte backings, and metal and wood frames to acrylic glazing and glass display cases. They also offer photo restoration services, plaquing, and consultations. FrameWorks Studio and Gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed on Sundays. The gallery is great for kids, accepts credit cards, and offers street parking.

The Print Center

If you are looking for Rittenhouse Square homes for sale and want to find a historic print gallery in the neighborhood, check out The Print Center. Founded in 1915 as The Print Club, this non-profit art gallery was one of the first places in the United States dedicated to print appreciation. The gallery moved into the historic 19th-century carriage house in 1917, where it remains today.
 
The Print Center now represents print in many forms, including photography and printmaking. The Print Center donated its print collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1942 and continues to add to the print collection through publications and purchase prizes. The Print Center also offers an Artists-in-Schools program for youths who want to learn about design and artistic techniques for photography and printmaking.

Perry Milou Studios

Perry Milou Studios is a must-see and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you’re willing to head over to Bristol, Pennsylvania, from Rittenhouse Square. The uniquely creative artist Perry Milou creates a mix of pop culture and contemporary art as a tribute to celebrities, Americana, art icons, portrait art, food art, and global icons. Milou paints in a hybrid style, seamlessly combining a pop composition technique with the illustration. The artist also draws on various artists for inspiration, including Wesselman, Lichtenstein, and Warhol.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists

tiled floor in progress near a window with paintings on the wall at The Center for Emerging Visual Artists
Photo Courtesy of The Center for Emerging Visual Artists Facebook
 
The Center for Emerging Visual Artists has been dedicated to advancing, nurturing, and cultivating the careers of artists in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood for the past 39 years. The center aims to engage the public in the local art scene more fully and expands opportunities to connect with and discover art through community-building initiatives and city-wide programming. The center’s services are meant to raise the profile of professional artists in Philadelphia, foster innovation and artistic experimentation, and show how artistic communities foster economic development and boost cultural tourism. They also display city-wide exhibitions to showcase the talents of local artists and host Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, where you can get a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of nearly 300 artists.

Dolan/Maxwell

exterior view from across the street of the Dolan Maxwell gallery, next to
Photo Courtesy of Dolan/Maxwell’s Facebook
 
Located in a former carriage house in Philadelphia just west of Rittenhouse Square, Dolan/Maxwell is internationally renowned in the field of contemporary and modern visual art. Founded in 1984 by Margo Dolan and Peter Maxwell, the gallery specializes in works on paper and fine prints by artists from the 1930s to the modern day. Dolan/Maxwell emphasizes Modernist works from the Works Progress Administration era, international contemporary artists, art by African Americans, the New York School, and Europe and Atelier 17, as well as a selection of paintings and sculptures to fit the theme.

Ursula Hobson Fine Art Framing

Founded in 1986, Ursula Hobson Fine Art Framing is dedicated to providing the best design solutions for all of your framing projects. You need to make an appointment, but highly skilled staff members complete all the framing work with particular attention to conservation and museum-quality framing designs. They also offer shadow box solutions, sculpture mounting, and paper or painting restoration services. The fine art framing shop accepts credit cards and offers bike parking, street parking, and validated parking for added convenience.

Dane Fine Art

If you are searching for Rittenhouse Square homes for sale and looking for the best place to purchase and sell fine art in the neighborhood, then look no further than Dane Fine Art. Located at 116 South 19th Street, this art gallery and fine art marketplace offer incredibly limited edition pieces by Blue Chip artists like Andy Warhol, Degas, Rockwell, Renoir, Picasso, Keith Haring, and Roy Lichtenstein.
 
Dane Fine Art gives sellers the highest fair market value prices and provides buyers with a great selection, secure transactions, reliable provenance, and the best possible pricing. Plus, if you’re an artist yourself, Dane Fine Art has a consignment program you can check out.

Collectible Art Gallery & Framing

Photo Courtesy of Collectible Art Gallery & Framing
 
Located at 2044 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, this art gallery and framing service provider offers custom framing, canvas solutions, original art, and printing at the best prices. Collectible Art Gallery & Framing also provides photo restoration, where they repair old faded and cracked photos, and the art gallery sells custom promotional products, including mugs, coasters, placemats, magnets, and more. The art gallery is open to the public Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
If you are impressed and intrigued by the variety of artistic offerings in the Rittenhouse Square area and are looking for a new place to call home, reach out to trusted Rittenhouse Square real estate agent Douglas Pearson for guidance. As a leading agent on the Philadelphia real estate scene, Douglas and his team are ready to help you find a well-designed, artistic home that checks all your boxes.



Work With Douglas

With decades of sales and marketing successes behind him, Doug Pearson is a leading Realtor in the greater Philadelphia area and a top salesperson in Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty. He has extensive experience selling new construction and land along with estate homes, city condominiums, and investment properties.