Explore library collections through online and in-person exhibits.
See what's on display and opening soon at library locations across campus.
Exhibit extended through August 29, 2025. This exhibit examines the formation of the university, the debates that divided the school during the American Revolution, and the compromises that reorganized it as the University of Pennsylvania in 1791.
On view through October 2025. Gain insight into Mexican religious folk practices through ex-votos and devotional paintings on medical subjects.
On view through December 15, 2025. View a selection of correspondence between world-renowned contralto Marian Anderson and symphonic composer Florence Price, reproduced from Marian Anderson's personal archive.
Opening August 18. Focusing on the work of the Midwestern Contre Coup Press, founded as the passion project of retired psychologist and self-taught printer Timothy Hawley, this exhibit reveals the craftsmanship and creativity behind modern bookmaking.
Opening September 8. See a selection of posters by prolific artist and Penn alumnus Sam Maitin, whose signature bold colors and playful forms created the backdrop for artistic and civic life in Philadelphia for decades.
Opening October 3. Through the rich and varied Aristotelian materials held in the Penn Libraries' collections, this exhibit explores how perceptions of Aristotle have evolved over the centuries — across cultures, disciplines, and imaginations.
Find displays featuring work by Penn students.
On view through August 2025. Experience fieldwork and research travel of current undergraduate and graduate students as documented through their own lenses.
Interested in curating an exhibit with Penn Libraries collections? Our exhibit program is a collaborative process, made for both seasoned and emerging curators alike.
Anyone can propose an exhibit; no special credentials or Penn affiliation are necessary.
The Penn Libraries Exhibitions Program manages displays across multiple library locations.
The author, artist, and humanitarian Ashley Bryan responded to Civil Rights protests about police bias and brutality in the 1960s with this series of drawings, made from his studio overlooking Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. The signs carried by these protesters speak to today’s issues as well: “Stop Police Brutality Now,” “End Police Bias Now,” “Jim Crow Must Go,” “Freedom Now,” “We Demand Decent Police Now,” and “Justice Now.”
Ashley Bryan—renowned artist, writer, storyteller, and humanitarian—created thousands of drawings, paintings, collages, and linoleum block prints over the course of his long and productive life. This exhibition highlights Bryan’s portrayals of strong and resourceful women in his art. Many of these works were made for books of poetry, including Freedom Over Me, ABC of African American Poetry, and Aneesa Lee and the Weaver’s Gift.
This research portal provides online access to more than 2,500 items from the collection of Marian Anderson, one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. The body of primary sources in the collection — including letters, diaries, journals, interviews, recital programs, and private recordings — spans the Philadelphia-born musician’s six-decade career as an opera singer and advocate for social justice.