Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation

PAFA's concentration in Animation offers students an opportunity to explore the ever-expanding world of this art form.

Our unique program connects PAFA's world-class undergraduate training in studio arts with moving imagery and narrative storytelling, emphasizing experimental fine art-based approaches to animation, including stop-motion and 2D animation techniques. The program also provides students with professional training on the latest digital platforms and techniques, preparing them for career paths in the animation industry.

PAFA has a long history with moving images that can be traced back to the institution's earliest days with founder Charles Willson Peale's "moving pictures". PAFA's narrative painting tradition laid the groundwork for many alumni to explore kinetic and time-based artforms, including pioneering experimental animator Mary Ellen Bute (1906–1983) and award-winning filmmaker and artist David Lynch. Lynch created his first moving work, Six Men Getting Sick, as a student at PAFA. This tradition continues to the present day, and PAFA offers video and moving image courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level, with numerous students and faculty working in various forms of time-based media.