STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Woskob Family Gallery will host an opening reception for its new exhibition, "Hold(ing) Tight," followed by an affordable art auction, on Thursday, Nov. 29. The reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by a silent auction of artwork by students from Penn State's Drawing and Painting program from 7 to 8 p.m. The events are open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.
"Hold(ing) Tight" will transform the gallery into a place for solace, reflection, regrouping, gathering and planning. During the exhibition, the Woskob Family Gallery will become a community center, sign-making hub, and a nexus for action as yet unplanned. As such, the exhibition space will become an exuberant visual and sensory experience, with artist-created soft furniture for relaxing, paired chairs for one-on-one discussion, and motivational posters for inspiration. The resulting space will be full of visual pleasure and teeming with possibility. The exhibition will be on display from Nov. 29 to Jan. 19, 2019.
Viewers are invited to spend as much time as they wish in "Hold(ing) Tight," joining together as friends or strangers to reflect on the world as they see it and contemplate about what they believe. In a time of political uncertainty, "Hold(ing) Tight" offers a re-imagined “waiting room” in which visitors can escape the busy world in which they are immersed each day. The exhibition will feature work by co-organizers Mark Joshua Epstein and Stina Puotinen, as well as participating artists Diane Exavier, Ruth Freeman, Hein Koh, and Denise Treizman, and a collaboration between Alison Kuo and Williamson Brasfield.
Immediately following the reception, visitors can become an art collector for only $10. Undergraduate students from Penn State’s Painting Club will hold a silent auction of unique paintings and works on paper. At the conclusion of the auction, works will be packed up and sent home with their new owners. The work is affordably priced, with starting bids as low as $10 and no higher than $250.
The Woskob Family Gallery, located on Allen Street in downtown State College, is a space for contemporary art and culture. Ann Tarantino, assistant professor in the Penn State School of Visual Arts, has been gallery curator and director since 2015. During that time, the gallery has transformed into a place where viewers of all ages can find something that speaks to them.