Arts and Architecture

Exhibit explores creative expressions within the realm of mental health

“In Vulnerability,” an exhibit that features work from three renowned artists, will open on Feb. 9 and run through March 3 in the Woskob Family Gallery.  Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — “In Vulnerability,” an exhibit that features work from three renowned artists, will open on Friday, Feb. 9, and run through March 3 in the Woskob Family Gallery in downtown State College.

Curated by project ieerie, “In Vulnerability” invites audiences to engage with the intricacies of creative expressions within the realm of mental health through works by Peri Law, Kate McCammon and Meg Wolensky

The exhibit will kick off with an opening reception on Feb. 9 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gallery. Following the opening reception, the gallery will be open Fridays, 12:30–5 p.m.

In the profound act of sharing vulnerability, within “In Vulnerability” a transformative journey unfolds, forging connections woven with compassion and empowerment. Each disclosed struggle becomes a thread weaving a narrative that transcends isolation. The three artists reexamine their open and closed wounds, fostering a collective tapestry.

Peri Law reimagines museum objects, capturing intersectionality of multiracial identity, the Asian diaspora and generational memory. Kate McCammon delves into layers of loss, identity and familial narratives with her “Journal Portraits” and Meg Wolensky translates fragments of queer experiences into a vibrant exploration of mental health landscapes.

About the artists

Peri Law is a printmaker and teaching artist living in Philadelphia. Her art is focused on multiracial identity, Asian diaspora, domesticity and multigenerational memory. She is interested in recontextualizing museum objects in contemporary spaces to create humorous connections between her personal life and family’s history.

Kate McCammon was born in the small town of Bridgeport, West Virginia, and raised by two busy doctors in a family of three older siblings, a twin brother and multiple cats. McCammon said she learned early on that she had a knack for creating, a passion for art and a pile of sketchbooks to prove it. Currently living in Philadelphia, she works as PAFA’s (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts) student experience coordinator while maintaining her studio practice. With a rooted painter’s mentality, she is currently working with mixed media and photo collage on a body of work that hits close to home — a series of what she refers to as “Journal Portraits,” which explores layers of loss, identity and familial narratives.

Meg Wolensky (they/she) is a queer nonbinary artist based in Philadelphia. Wolensky performs oil painting as a healing practice as they recover from CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), translating colorful fragments of experiences, memories and dreams into a cohesive whole that is reflective of queer identity. These investigative collage-like paintings layer cross-sections of colorful personal narrative, trompe-l'œil objects and indicators of time as it whips by.

Classes, student organizations and university offices are encouraged to visit the Woskob Family Gallery, a unit of the College of Arts and Architecture. Inquiries can be directed to zzn24@psu.edu. For more information on this and other exhibitions, visit the gallery’s website. Keep up to date with the Woskob Family Gallery by signing up for its Listserv or following on Instagram @woskobfamilygallery.

Last Updated February 6, 2024