Artist, Educator, Author, Curator

Al Gury is Chair of the Painting Department of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

A painter, educator, writer and curator, Gury received his BA in fine arts and humanities from Saint Louis University, a Certificate of Art from PAFA, and an MFA from the University of Delaware.

He is a recipient of the Cresson Traveling Fellowship and numerous grants and awards for painting and arts education, and was designated a master teacher by both The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and American Artist Magazine.

A painter of the figure, landscape, still life and portraits, Gury is represented by F.A.N. Gallery in Philadelphia. His paintings have been exhibited, among other places at the National Academy of Design in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Capitol in Washington D.C., Washington and Lee University, the University of Pennsylvania and galleries across the country.

Gury is a contributing editor for Per Contra-The International Journal of Arts, Literature and Ideas, and a contributor to a variety of publications internationally, including American Artist Magazine and Artists and Illustrators Magazine in the UK. Also, he has written two books, one on the history of color in painting and one on the history of direct painting techniques: “Alla Prima-A Contemporary Guide to Direct Painting,” Random House, 2009, and, “Color-It’s Traditions and Practice in Painting,” Random House, 2010. He is currently writing a book on the history and practice of drawing.

A longtime advocate of social justice, Al is a supporter, volunteer and foster parent for PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society.