Fall programs
Art After Hours
The Palmer's popular evening program for Penn State students moves to a remote format during the fall, with two "live online" events. Each of these programs will offer a variety of experiences, such as virtual talks, student-led discussion panels, art-related games, and creative making activities. Check the Palmer's website as more information and scheduling becomes available for each program.
Art, Museums, and Social Justice: Sept. 24, 6-8 p.m. — Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/98533967506
Halloween at Home: Museum House of Horrors: Oct. 29, 6-8 p.m. — Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/92172330290
INSIGHT: Museum Conversations
Join Palmer Museum staff, Penn State students, and special guests "live online" for this series of lively conversations about the inner workings of an art museum. These webinars will feature questions and interviews of staff posed by museum interns and graduate assistants. Participants will also be able to join the conversation and gain more insight into museum practices. Program recordings will be posted for later viewing on the Palmer's YouTube channel.
Museums and the Myth of Neutrality: Thursday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m. — Join museum educator Brandi Breslin and Keri Mongelluzzo, a doctoral candidate in art history, for an introduction on how museums support systems of power and oppression within the broader culture. Learn about steps the Palmer is taking to reflect on this history and take action toward anti-oppressive practices. Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/98533967506.
Discover the Palmer Museum of Art: Sunday, Oct. 4, 3 p.m. — Join museum staff, graduate assistants, and interns for an introduction to the Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State's premiere visual arts resource for students, faculty, staff, and the local community. Discover the rich and varied ways that students work and learn at the museum, and enjoy a glimpse of the galleries, an introduction to the various collection areas, and an in-depth look at a few selected works of art. Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/98539154325.
A Day in the Life of a Museum Director: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 4 p.m. — Palmer Museum Director Erin Coe joins student interns for a discussion about what it's like to lead a university art museum. From strategic planning and capital projects to collections development and exhibition planning, and so much more, gain insight into the breadth and depth of a museum director's role, responsibilities and expertise. Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/93213335181.
Tales from the Museum Crypt (aka Strange Discoveries in Art Storage): Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m. — Celebrate Halloween at home and enjoy a peek into the dark recesses of art storage at the Palmer with museum registrar Beverly Sutley and longtime graduate assistant Keri Mongelluzzo. Find out what odd, creepy or surprising objects can be found in the museum's collection and storage facilities. Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/92172330290.
So, You Want to Buy a Print?: Thursday, Nov. 12, 4 p.m. — Enjoy this introduction to assessing and evaluating prints presented by Patrick McGrady, the Palmer's Charles V. Hallman Senior Curator. Discover details about different printmaking techniques that experts look for when considering prints for the museum's collection. Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/99504256964.
How Exhibitions Are Made: Thursday, Dec. 3, 4 p.m. — Ever wonder about the process of curating an exhibition? Join the Palmer's assistant director, Joyce Robinson, and museum educator Brandi Breslin as they discuss key elements of exhibition planning such as defining goals, developing checklists, creating programs, and managing installations. Link to join: https://psu.zoom.us/j/92103082947.
Museum Sketchbook Series
Each of these nine videos, created and hosted by Penn State student interns, highlights an artist in the museum's collection. A brief introduction to the artwork leads to a creative prompt that encourages participants to explore artmaking through simple, low-stakes, sketchbook activities. Videos were created for summer 2020 programming and will remain available via YouTube throughout the current academic year to support teachers, families, and anyone looking for creative inspiration. Generous support for this project is provided by Art Bridges.
Video links:
Museum Zoom Tours
For Penn State instructors interested in providing a synchronous experience for remote classes, Palmer Museum staff or volunteer educators are available to present an introduction to the museum via an illustrated lecture. This in-depth presentation will highlight a selection of works of art from the museum’s permanent collection with guided discussion. To schedule a Zoom tour for October to December 2020, contact the museum educator, Brandi Breslin, at bgb56@psu.edu.
Online Art Club
Children and families can stay active with the Palmer through art-making videos and periodic "live online" art club meetings. Distribution of art supplies will support all planned activities for four to six videos and two Zoom-based meetups. Activities will begin in September, so check the Palmer website for updates regarding art supply registration, online club meetings, and video release dates. Until then, enjoy activities and videos already available on the Palmer's YouTube channel. Generous support for this project is provided by Art Bridges.
Palmer in Your Pocket
Beginning in late September, get ready to like, friend, and follow the Palmer's social media accounts to find short videos created by Palmer student interns that feature collection highlights, art trivia, food for thought, museum tips and tricks, and similar "light fare" designed to provide a fun or restorative art break.
Virtual Tour – African Brilliance and the Purpose of Art
This interactive virtual tour accompanied the Palmer's spring 2020 special exhibition, “African Brilliance: A Diplomat's Sixty Years of Collecting,” and will remain available throughout the current academic year. Explore the exhibition installation, images of selected works, videos for guided viewing, and related art-making activity suggestions. Use your mouse or touch screen to click the navigational buttons included throughout the presentation to move through the tour. (Note: using the Chrome browser may optimize your experience). Tour link: African Brilliance and the Purpose of Art.
Virtual Tour – Women in Art: Activism + Resistance
This self-directed, interactive, online tour features a selection of objects by female artists in the museum's collection. In celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, this tour highlights artists working in a variety of mediums during the 20th and 21st centuries who have contributed to political, social, and cultural change. Generous support for this project is provided by Art Bridges. Link: Virtual Tour – Women in Art: Activism + Resistance.
Virtual Tour – Who Am I? Art and Identity
This self-directed, interactive, online tour features a selection of objects from diverse areas of the museum's collection, related through a common exploration of personal or cultural identity. Suggested lessons and discussion prompts will help support teachers in integrating the tour into class curriculum. Generous support for this project is provided by Art Bridges. This tour is expected to be published by the end of September; check the Palmer's website for an access link.
About the Palmer Museum of Art
The Palmer Museum of Art on the Penn State University Park campus is a free-admission arts resource for the University and surrounding communities in central Pennsylvania. With a collection of 9,850 objects representing a variety of cultures and spanning centuries of art, the Palmer is the largest art museum between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Areas of strength include the museum’s collection of American art from the late 18th century to the present, Old Master paintings, prints and photography, ceramics and studio glass, and a growing collection of modern and contemporary art. The museum presents 10 exhibitions each year and, with 11 galleries, a print-study room, a 150-seat auditorium, and an outdoor sculpture garden, the Palmer Museum of Art is the leading cultural resource for the region.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and some holidays and is temporarily closed until early 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Palmer receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
For more information on the Palmer Museum of Art or for the calendar of upcoming events, visit palmermuseum.psu.edu.
About the new University Art Museum at Penn State
Penn State and the Palmer Museum of Art are planning to construct a new University Art Museum located in The Arboretum at Penn State. With nearly twice the exhibition space of the Palmer, new classroom spaces and a teaching gallery, flexible event spaces, and on-site parking, this building would dramatically enhance the museum’s capacity to offer educational and enrichment opportunities for visitors of all ages. It would be integrated with the Arboretum, inspiring collaboration and creating a unique nexus of art, architecture, and natural beauty. And like the Palmer Museum of Art before it, it will depend upon visionary philanthropy from the Penn State community. Learn more at artmuseum.psu.edu.