UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Palmer Museum of Art is excited to present "From Your Town to Ours: Pennsylvania Prints from the O’Connor-Yeager Collection Revisited," which will be on view at the Palmer Museum of Art June 4 through Aug. 11.
Early in 1980, the Palmer Museum of Art, then known as the Museum of Art, presented an exhibition of prints from the collection of John C. O’Connor, ’42, and Ralph M. Yeager, ’38. The 82 lithographs, intaglios and — somewhat contrarily — watercolors featured in the show were already quite familiar to many of the exhibition’s visitors; they had been selected from among the hundreds of works on paper that hung on the walls of The Tavern on College Avenue in downtown State College, a favorite eating establishment founded by O’Connor and Yeager in 1948 while both were pursuing graduate degrees at Penn State.
Six years later, in 1986, the museum acquired the O’Connor-Yeager collection. A number of the prints have since been included in smaller exhibitions, however "From Your Town to Ours" will be the first time in more than 30 years that the full scope of the objects originally decorating The Tavern will be represented. The majority of the sheets on display offer panoramic vistas of Pennsylvania cities and villages, immensely popular during the latter half of the 19th century, for which the collection is perhaps best known. Soaring and at times stunning images of the state’s major metropolitan areas, such as Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Reading, and Philadelphia, abound; however, also included are views of smaller towns that, here in central Pennsylvania, are just as well known, places like Altoona, Tyrone, Bellefonte, Clearfield and Lewistown. Complementing these bird’s-eye spectacles is an array of images documenting the history of Pennsylvania, depictions ranging from the founding of the state by William Penn to the burning of the Cumberland Valley railroad bridge at Harrisburg and the catastrophic Johnstown Flood.As delightful as the dinners John O’Connor and Ralph Yeager once served their customers at The Tavern, "From Your Town to Ours" also offers museum visitors a veritable feast, but for the eyes — as one of the essays in the 1980 exhibition catalogue put it, “a pictorial travelogue of communities throughout the Quaker State.”EXHIBITION RELATED EVENTS12:10 p.m. Friday, July 12Gallery Talk: "From Your Town to Ours: Pennsylvania Prints from the O’Connor-Yeager Collection Revisited"Patrick McGrady, Charles V. Hallman Curator10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 20,Workshop for Children and Youth: My Town: Special Spaces and Places in Central Pennsylvania"From Your Town to Ours" includes scenes from towns all across Pennsylvania. The prints often depict government and private buildings, local landmarks and the daily activities of residents. Participants in this workshop will look closely at the prints to discover their unique features, discuss the things that make their own town special, and utilize monotype and relief techniques to produce a set of personalized printed postcards. Facilitated by art educator Sue Uhlig. Recommended for ages 5 to 8.
A parent or adult learning partner is encouraged to accompany young attendees; participants should wear appropriate clothing for working with materials. Workshops are free, but participants must preregister by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10Workshop for Children and Youth: Paper Play with Pennsylvania LandscapesThe exhibition "From Your Town to Ours" includes a variety of beautiful Pennsylvania vistas to spark your imagination and encourage creativity. Working with art educator Heather Rayius Ramsay, participants will cut, fold and glue flat sheets of paper and transform them into three-dimensional cut paper landscapes. Recommended for ages 12 to 15.
A parent or adult learning partner is encouraged to accompany young attendees; participants should wear appropriate clothing for working with materials. Workshops are free, but participants must preregister by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10Workshop for Adults: Mapping My PennsylvaniaInspired by the panoramic and bird’s-eye views of Pennsylvania towns and cities in "From Your Town to Ours: Pennsylvania Prints" from the O’Connor-Yeager Collection Revisited, participants will use photographs, memory, and observation to create a map of a personally significant location in Pennsylvania. Participants are encouraged to bring along photographs of a favorite location in the state; they can then choose from a selection of images of local landmarks to create a monoprint that will incorporate both past and present in a one-of-a-kind map. Facilitated by museum educator Lillian Lewis.
Workshops are free, but participants must register by contacting the curator of education at 814-863-9188 or dck10@psu.edu. Space is limited, so register early.WPSU: "Our Town": Did you know that WPSU-TV has filmed more than 70 episodes of "Our Town," the show that reveals the people and places of central Pennsylvania through the lenses of local residents? WPSU joins the Palmer Museum of Art in celebrating local communities by airing episodes of "Our Town" during our presentation of "From Your Town to Ours: Pennsylvania Prints from the O’Connor-Yeager Collection Revisited." Visit http://www.wpsu.org/tv/programs/ourtown or check your local listings for special "Our Town" screenings.All gallery talks begin in the galleries unless otherwise noted. A greeter will be available in the lobby to direct visitors to the appropriate gallery for all noontime events. Workshop participants should meet in the lobby. For more information on scheduled events, call 814-865-7672. The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State is located on Curtin Road and admission is free. 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. The museum will be losed Thursday, July 4.The Palmer Museum of Art 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 the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.The Chevron Corp. is proud to be the Palmer Museum of Art’s major corporate sponsor.Children’s and family programs are partially funded by the James E. Hess and Suzanne Scurfield Hess Endowment for Art Education in the Palmer Museum of Art and the Ruth Anne and Ralph Papa Endowment. All other programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art unless otherwise noted.Also on view at the Palmer Museum of Art this spring are "Suspended Contemplation: Drawings and Watercolors by Leon Kelly," continuing through Aug. 11, and "La Manière Anglaise: Mezzotints from the Permanent Collection," continuing through Aug. 25.For more information or to request images, please contact Jennifer Feehan, coordinator of membership and public relations, at 814-863-9182 or jenfeehan@psu.edu.