The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State will open a major exhibition of American art this week to launch a yearlong celebration of the museum’s 50th anniversary.
“An American Place: Selections from the James and Barbara Palmer Collection” opens on Saturday and will be on view through April 24 as the centerpiece of the museum’s jubilee year.
Highlighting a century of American art from post-Civil War years through the Civil Rights era, the exhibition features 59 paintings, works on paper and sculptures from the bequest of philanthropist Barbara Palmer, who died in 2019.
“We are proud to present this major exhibition devoted to the signature collection of American art assembled by our great benefactors the late Barbara and James Palmer,” Erin M. Coe, director of the Palmer Museum of Art, said in a news release. “This collection will shape, even define, the museum’s presentation of American art for generations to come.”
Over more than 30 years, the Palmers assembled a nationally renowned collection that includes a broad range of American art and artists.
The title of the exhibition comes from pioneering photographer Alfred Stieglitz’s “An American Place,” one of several galleries he established to support a group of modernist American artists for nearly two decades in the first half of the 20th century.
The show includes works by artists Thomas Anshutz, Milton Avery, Romare Bearden, Thomas Hart Benton, Charles Burchfield, Paul Cadmus, Mary Cassatt, Frederic Edwin Church, Charles Demuth, Arthur Dove, Robert Gwathmey, Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, Martin Johnson Heade, Robert Henri, Winslow Homer, Jacob Lawrence, Seymour Lipton, George Luks, John Marin, Alfred Maurer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Theodore Robinson, Charles Sheeler, John Sloan, Joseph Stella and George Tooker.
“’An American Place’ tells the story of the coming of age of American art and the search for an authentic aesthetic rooted in America,” said Joyce Robinson, the museum’s assistant director who curated the exhibition.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m. For more information, visit palmermuseum.psu.edu.
Other 50th Anniversary Exhibitions
• “A Way Through: Abstract Art of the 1940s,” opened Jan. 15 and explores the decisive leap from figuration to abstraction in New York through a selection from the Palmer’s own collection and of major works on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is one in a series of American art exhibitions created through a multi-year, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art as part of the Art Bridges Initiative.
• “Printmaking in the Age of Dürer,” opened Jan. 18 and takes a rare look at the expressive achievements in the medium of printmaking by German Renaissance artist and worldwide name Albrecht Dürer, along with some of his students and contemporaries. Among the works on view is Dürer’s Lamentation (c. 1498-99), the first work of art acquired for the museum using funds provided by its Friends membership group.
Related Programs:
In observance of its 50th anniversary, the Palmer Museum will host a number of programs and events related to the collection and “An American Place” designed to inspire and bring together the Penn State and regional community. From gallery activities, performances and workshops to talks, tours and virtual programs, the Palmer’s anniversary offerings will seek to make connections and foster conversations.
• Museum Conversation: A Curator’s Perspective on “An American Place”
Wednesday, Feb.2, 4 p.m.
Joyce Robinson, assistant director
Join the exhibition curator for a closer look at “An American Place: Selections from the James and Barbara Palmer Collection.”
Registration Link: https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__yIOzlBwR3GkTQEhetFUBQ
• Gallery Conversation: Diverse Voices at the Palmer
Thursday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m.
Victoria Kenyon, graduate assistant
As part of Art After Hours, discover artists in the Palmer’s collection who found success while pushing through oppressive cultural structures.
• Art After Hours: Black History at the Museum
Thursday, Feb. 24, 5-8 p.m.
Celebrate Black History Month and learn more about Black artists represented in the museum’s permanent collection. Enjoy a variety of gallery and artmaking activities inspired by these artists and designed to foster individual differences.
• Museum Conversation: Winslow Homer and “An American Place”
Wednesday, March 2, 4 p.m.
Adam Thomas, curator of American art
Take a deep dive into the work of Winslow Homer, one of the foremost painters in 19-century American art.
Registration Link: https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__wVH7CVpTTOnMItDvHd3cg
Art After Hours: Penn State Creates
Thursday, March 24, 5-8 p.m.
The Palmer Museum celebrates creativity across the University with a second annual virtual student exhibition, Penn State Creates. Join us for an in-person reception for student participants and hear comments from creators.
• Museum Conversation: The Enduring Legacy of “An American Place”
Wednesday, March 30, 4 p.m.
Erin Coe, director
Joyce Robinson, assistant director
Trained art historians, curators and museum professionals share the exceptional impact of the works in An American Place on the Palmer Museum’s permanent collection.
Registration Link: https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VlwReUn1SGuwcTHdIwYThw
• Art After Hours: Party on the Plaza
Thursday, April 21, 5-8 p.m.
The Palmer welcomes the community to celebrate its 50th anniversary at a party on the plaza, with music, performances, art activities, refreshments and a festive atmosphere. Sponsored in part by the Art Bridges Initiative
This spring, the Palmer invites community members to reflect on their memories and experiences at the museum by recording a short video of their “Palmer stories,” which will be shared with the community during the remainder of the year. Additional events held throughout the year will include a student-centered birthday bash during Art After Hours, a celebratory gala organized by the Friends of the Palmer on May 21 and a community-wide paint out at the Arboretum in the summer. Additional information will be forthcoming on the museum’s website.
