about

Alyssa Khalifa (b. 1996, Michigan) is a mixed-media artist based in Philadelphia, PA. She obtained her BFA in painting and sculpture from Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, MI) in 2019 and MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Philadelphia, PA) in 2022. Her figurative work establishes multicultural and queer representation from an identity-based lens and gaze.

 Khalifa has participated in numerous local and regional exhibitions. In addition to her exhibition work, she has over seven years of experience teaching various audiences. Her teaching background includes instructing people with disabilities at the non-profit organization "Artists Creating Together", working with undergraduate students as a Teaching Assistant at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and leading multiple painting and drawing courses for PAFA's pre-college summer programs. Khalifa currently teaches full-time in Philadelphia and is actively developing an art curriculum for high school students in urban education. In addition to her teaching experience, Khalifa has been awarded scholarships and grants, including the Hilda E. Bretzlaff 2018, Hazel Scholarship Prize 2021, and Fine Art Venture Fund 2022.