On the day of the dedication ceremony for the Tyler School of Art building, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts retaliated in the “art war” that was initially instigated by Tyler students.

During the night of March 17, Tyler students declared war on the four other Philadelphia art schools (Moore College of Art, the Art Institute, the University of the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts) by placing large scale Trojan horses inside each the school’s buildings, with this note:

"Within the tides and ideals of their own foundations, four rivers have been flourishing in the city of Philadelphia. The fifth river had existed within close proximity until now. Its channel has been rerouted to flow abreast the others and encroach on their territory. We, the students of Tyler School of Art, have been rerouted and relocated. However, our waters are as steady and strong as they have ever been.

Four gifts have been constructed ending the age of silence. As Apollo lifts the sun on the morning of March 18, 2009, these four gifts will be illuminated. On this morning we … declare war against thee and stand by our gates at full attention waiting for the battle to begin."

The response from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts was on display on the first floor of the building during the dedication ceremony. A life-sized Helen of Troy statue stood atop the Trojan Horse which had been reconstructed as a chariot. The note read:

Dear Temple School of Art,

We regret to inform you that your recent submission of “Trojan Horse” was not selected for our museum collection. We are returning your artwork in its entirety along with some slight modifications.

We have added a cast of Helen of Troy to illustrate how once again beauty defeated the beast.

Only time will tell who the true victors of this art war” will be, but for the past 200 years this has been our city. Nevertheless, welcome to Troy.

Whoops…Philadelphia.

Now let’s get back to studying art, not war.

Love, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

As Tyler student Alyssa Brubaker recently told The Temple News, “It’s all positive. We’re not trying to bash anyone and say ‘Tyler is the best.’ We’re trying to open up a dialogue with the other schools.”