50^th Annual Academy of Notre Dame Annual Fine Art Show & Sale Features More Than 100 Local Artists

by Melissa Jacobs

After a two-year absence, Academy of Notre Dame Annual Fine Art Show & Sale returns Jan. 28 – Feb. 5 with an amazing array of work from more than 100 local artists. In 2021 and 2022, the show was held online because of COVID closures. This year’s Notre Dame art show will also be accessible online. But organizers hope that art lovers will return to the school’s lush Villanova campus to view the work in-person – and celebrate the show’s 50^th anniversary.

Back in 1973, a group of students’ parents started the Notre Dame art show to raise cultural awareness – and money – for the school. Founded in 1856, the all-girls, independent Catholic school’s scenic campus in Villanova includes a stately mansion, the perfect setting for an art exhibition.

And this is a sizeable exhibit, says Christa Amos, who co-chairs the 2023 Notre Dame art show with Kelly Sweeney. “We have more than 1,200 pieces in this year’s show,” says Amos, a well-respected artist and ND parent. “Oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, wood, glass, metal; we have work in almost every medium and in a variety of sizes and price points. There is something for everyone.”

Over its 50 years, the Notre Dame art show has become one of the most prestigious on the Main Line. There isn’t a call for entries or submission process. Instead, the ND show committee conducts studio tours and regularly visits local shows, then invites artists to participate and exhibit their new work.

To mark the show’s 50^th anniversary, the committee selected 10 featured artists instead of its usual one. The featured artists included Rachel Brown, Valerie Craig, Shawn Faust, Liz Finley, Gretchen Fuss, Susan O’Reilly, Elisabeth Olver, Elizabeth Sabine, Genevieve Snyder, and Jeannie Wolfington.

Inspiring students and raising funds for the school are the show’s goals, but only 35% of sales go to the school while 65% goes to the artists. “We have always wanted to support the artists that make our region so rich – and beautiful,” Amos says. “Collectors come here to make purchase the new work of their favorite artists.”

The show opens with a preview party on Friday, Jan. 27. Tickets are required and can be purchased at this link. From Jan. 28 – Feb. 5, gallery hours are 10 am – 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and 2 pm – 5 pm on weekdays by appointment only.

Visit Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, 560 Sproul Road, Villanova.

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Want more stories about local artists? Read about Downingtown’s LivNSol, Philadelphia’s Alloyius Mcilwaine, and The Art Trust in West Chester.

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