Between the years 1979-1998, Paul Cava owned and operated the Paul Cava Gallery in Philadelphia. The gallery was a unique showcase for cutting edge photography, painting and sculpture. Cava brought to local and national attention a number of important emerging and, at times, controversial photographers. Exhibitions included works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Deborah Turberville, Ray Metzker, Joel-Peter Witkin, Lynn Davis, Marsha Burns, John Pfahl, Jock Sturges, Sally Mann, Lee Friedlander, Irving Penn, John Divola, John Wood and Richard Misrach.
 

The gallery also showcased and premiered work by such painters as Philip Guston, Francesco Clemente, Sean Scully, Tom Nozkowski, Catherine Lee, David Row, Jannis Kounellis, Mel Bochner, Susan Rothenberg, Nino Longobardi, Fulvio Testa, and Robert Morris to name some of the more well known.

Since 1998 Cava has been dealing privately in vintage and contemporary photography, publishing catalogues and original photographic portfolios and pursuing his own work as a fine artist.