Education
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Requesting a Tour of the Palmer Museum of Art
Guided tours of the Palmer Museum of Art are available for school, university, and community groups of ten or more people. Entrance to and tours of the museum are free of charge. Information about parking is available by calling Penn State’s Transportation Services Parking Office at 814-863-7021.
We are happy to assist you in planning your visit to the museum. You may schedule a tour of the Palmer Museum of Art by calling the museum at 814-863-9188 or e-mail Curator of Education Dana Carlisle Kletchka at dck10@psu.edu. Please contact us at least two weeks in advance of your visit with the following information:
- Name of school/course/organization
- Name, phone number, and e-mail address of contact person
- Number and grade level (if applicable) of members in the group
- Desired date and time of tour
- Topic of tour (see Palmer Tours for more information)
- Any accessibility needs of members of the group
- Whether or not a visit to the gift shop will be part of your visit
If you must cancel a tour for any reason, please notify the museum immediately. If the State College Area School District closes due to inclement weather, the museum will also cancel school tours.
Tours at the Palmer
Building Blocks: Elements of Art - Learn the six elements of art through observation and discussion of paintings, masks, pottery, and sculpture. (Grades K-3)
Telling a Tale: Stories in Art – Search for narrative elements in paintings and sculpture that communicate a story or make a statement. (Grades 3-6)
Early America on Canvas – Discover American artistic traditions from the early 1800s, including portraiture, landscape, and still life. Includes several artists and subjects from Pennsylvania. (Grades 5-Adult)
Contemporary Art: View the New – Observe and discuss artworks that reflect tremendous changes in the philosophy and production of art during the last twenty-five years. (Grades 9-Adult)
Palmer Museum of Art: Highlights of the Collection – Encounter art in the Ancient, Asian, Contemporary, and European & American collections. (Grades 7-Adult)
Architecture of the Palmer Museum – View and discuss the historical, decorative, and aesthetic aspects of architecture at the Palmer Museum. (Grades 7-Adult)
Educators may also request a tour of individual galleries, including:
- Ancient to Sixteenth c. (Ancient–Sixteenth c. European)
- Baroque Art (Seventeenth c. Northern and Southern)
- Asian Art (Japanese, Chinese, Korean)
- Nineteenth-Century American Art
- Twentieth-Century American Art
- Contemporary Ceramics (Danish, English, Japanese)
- Or Special Exhibitions, which rotate approximately nine times per year
Guidelines for Visiting the Palmer Museum of Art
Thank you for scheduling a tour at the Palmer Museum of Art! We welcome the opportunity to introduce your group to our collections, special exhibitions, and unique architecture. In order for you to make the most of your visit, we ask that you review the following information. Every staff member at the Palmer works diligently to create a pleasant experience for museum visitors, but we cannot do it alone. Observing the following guidelines will ensure a successful museum visit.
Before the visit
Teachers and group leaders may do several things to facilitate a group visit:
- Schedule your visit at least two weeks in advance for a docent-guided tour, one week for a self-guided tour.
- Divide students into even groups of 10-15 students per group before arriving at the museum. Please ask students to stay in their groups.
- Provide each student with a name tag printed with his or her first name.
- When scheduling a tour, let us know if you have students or guests that require accommodations due to a disability or if they are planning to visit the gift shop as part of the visit.
Museum Etiquette
Please observe the following policies while visiting the museum:
- Please refrain from touching art or glass cases. Skin oils can seriously damage paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
- Leave umbrellas and backpacks in the coatroom or lockers near the security desk.
- Photographs of the permanent collection are permissible without the use of a flash.
- All food items (including gum) should be disposed of before entering the galleries.
- All students should stay with their groups in the museum galleries and gift shop.
Busses/Parking
The most convenient place to drop off groups is the bus stop next to the museum
on Curtin Road. Most campus parking lots are open for free visitor parking
on weekends. Lots are restricted Monday through Friday. Day permits may be
purchased at the University Parking Office in Eisenhower Parking Deck on
Shortlidge Road, at information booths located on campus, or at the Centre
County Visitors Center on Park Avenue, next to Beaver Stadium. For group
or special needs parking, call the parking office at 814-865-1436.
Thank you for reviewing these guidelines. Please contact the museum at 814-863-9188 or e-mail Curator of Education Dana Carlisle Kletchka at dck10@psu.edu with any questions.
Friends of the Palmer Museum Print and Drawing Study Club
Eh! bien en regardant ce tableau de près on finit par y dècouvrir
des qualitès, on voit que la couleur est bonne, 1865, lithograph,
by Honore Daumier (French, 1808-1879). Gift of the Walton J. Lord Estate.
There are still a few spaces available in the new Print and Drawing Study Club. Take a closer look at prints, drawings, photographs, and other works on paper in the museum's collection. A series of programs held each year will offer club members an in-depth introduction to the myriad of processes and techniques involved in printmaking, drawing, watercolor, and photography through a close examination, led by the museum's director and curators, of the Palmer's rich collection of works on paper. Members will additionally be afforded the opportunity to meet artists and dealers, visit print studios, and participate in special trips to view collections and special exhibitions.
Participation in the Print and Drawing Study Club is open to all members of the Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art. Pre-registration is required. Call 814-863-9182, or e-mail Ali Bradley (abradley@psu.edu) for more information.
Annual registration: $45.00/person; $80.00/couple (in addition to regular Friends' dues). Space is limited. To register, please call 814-863-9182.
Teacher Workshops
The curator of education offers K–12 educators from Central Pennsylvania and surrounding areas the opportunity to become familiar with works of art and themes from the permanent collection, learn procedures for scheduling student trips to the Palmer Museum, and exchange ideas for incorporating the museum into their curricula in ways that meet state and national standards. Generally held by request on school in-service days, these workshops last from two to four hours and are catered specifically to the interests of and requirements for each group.
Get Involved - Become a Docent!
Docents are a vital part of the educational mission of the Palmer Museum of Art. They are volunteer educators who provide tours of the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions to a vast public audience. Docents facilitate personal interaction, education, and enrichment between museum visitors and artwork. They develop expertise through ongoing training, research, and continuing education.
Qualities that make a great docent are: the ability to communicate effectively with others, a warm and friendly attitude, a commitment of the time and effort, and a sincere interest in art history and art education.
Docent training for candidates is held on Monday mornings in the Palmer Lipcon Auditorium beginning in September and ending in December. Training consists of in-depth discussion of the permanent collection and architectural aspects of the building, tour techniques, communication methods, age-appropriate concepts for touring, and questioning strategies. Texts for the class include a notebook with relevant articles and information as well as Penn State and Palmer Museum publications. Active docents are provided with training for special exhibitions and continuing education sessions throughout the academic year.
All docents are required to be members of the Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art. All volunteers must adhere to the museum’s mission and policies. An application for membership is available from the Dana Carlisle Kletchka, curator of education, at dck10@psu.edu or by calling 814-863-9188.
Listserv Sign-up
To receive notifications of upcoming programs and events, subscribe to our monthly listserv. Please e-mail Dana Carlisle Kletchka at dck10@psu.edu with your name and e-mail address.
