Philadelphia Traction Company
Joshua Koffman is an artist who lives, studies, and works in Philadelphia. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Koffman upholds the rich tradition of figurative sculpture, not simply through his own work, but also through a variety of creative ventures that actively engage the sculpture community. His sculpture is featured nationally in public and private collections and can be seen regularly in Philadelphia’s F.A.N. Gallery.
Koffman is a co-founder of The Philadelphia Traction Company, a collaborative workspace and art center in West Philadelphia. Drawing on the collective ambition of six professional sculptors, the facility was established in 2007 to serve as a hub for the diverse work of its founders, who represent a broad spectrum of form, expression, and technique.
In addition to casting and producing his own sculpture, Koffman casts and fabricates artwork for other artists, art institutions, and conservators. His mastery of the technical aspects of lost wax casting enriches his process as he translates the aesthetic of fellow sculptors into large and small installations across the country.
As a professor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Koffman instructs courses ranging from Head Structure to Relief Composition and Figure Modeling. An active member of Philadelphia Sculptors, he is a well-known participant in the Philadelphia art scene, recognized for his support and mentoring of emerging artists.
Koffman’s outreach extends to his home studio in Center City, Philadelphia, where he holds weekly figure modeling sessions to bring together colleagues and contemporaries for regular, disciplined study.
Koffman approaches every aspect of his career as a living dialogue between himself and the artistic community in which he is immersed. His artistic efforts are undeniably influential, and his work, in both literal and figurative forms, has profound impact on all who experience it.
BackgroundRaised in southern California, Koffman was captivated by Renaissance art at an early age. He pursued a formal education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, earning a BA degree in Fine Art. Desiring advanced training, Koffman then studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he currently teaches in the undergraduate curriculum.
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