Palmer Museum of Art

06/20/2026

Join us Thursday, July 2 for an all-day 250th celebration! 🎆

250 Community Day: We the People spotlights our juried invitational exhibition, “Dreaming American Futures,” now on view through Sunday, November 29. 🇺🇸

🌱 Arrive at the Overlook Pavilion at 11 a.m. for a 250 Plant Walk led by The Arboretum at Penn State program coordinator and “Dreaming American Futures” artist, Rebecca Horwitt.

🌭 From noon to 4 p.m., enjoy complementary hot dogs from Brown Dog Catering, ice cream from the Penn State Berkey Creamery, and cookies from the Penn State Bakery.

📜 At 1 p.m., reflect on 250 years of the United States with historical declarations read by community leaders, Palmer staff, and others.

🎨 At 6 p.m., engage with local artists and thinkers during a special community reading and gallery conversation in “Dreaming American Futures” to explore themes of change, connection, happiness, and the ongoing work of building a more perfect union.

All day long:

🖼️ Explore the Invitational, which features works by Penn State students, staff, faculty, and alumni as well as local and regional artists.

🧑‍🎨 Get creative with art-making activities in the Event Space and the Mimi Barash Coppersmith Studio Classroom.

🥨 Enjoy snacks and light refreshments.

In the spirit of freedom, parking will be free all day! 🚗

To find full information and a complete schedule of events, visit our programs page.

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth from the Palmer! ❤️💛💚

As a reminder, we are closed today, Friday, June 19, for the holiday.

06/18/2026

06/17/2026

The Palmer Museum of Art will be closed on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.

Thank you for understanding!

06/16/2026

“As a cancer survivor, I spent part of my treatment in a wheelchair. Though my experience was temporary, I met many whose chairs were permanent companions. I was inspired by their resilience and spirit. Their wheelchairs, often customized and personalized, became expressive extensions of identity and strength.

I completed this painting at the end of my treatment as a tribute to those resilient souls. In the painting the figure in the wheelchair faces an open space, void of structures and obstacles, a clean slate for reinvention. The extended right foot touches the ground, anchoring the figure in reality while suggesting hope and forward movement.”

- Chet Davis, artist featured in "Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250," on view through Sunday, November 29. 🇺🇸



🖼️ Chet Davis, "Reinventing," 2025, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36 inches

06/13/2026

“I am honored to be included in 'Dreaming American Futures.' My work of people holding one another begins with a simple gesture, yet for me they speak urgently to this moment. A hug is not spectacle; it is trust, tenderness, and the willingness to lower our defenses and recognize one another’s humanity. In a time when division is loud, I return to this quiet act of care. Before we can imagine a more perfect union, we must first learn how to hold one another with dignity, compassion, and love.”

- Tulu Bayar, artist featured in "Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250," open today!



🖼️ Tulu Bayar, "Let’s Hug #2," 2025, From "What We Hold Together" portfolio, Archival pigment print on handmade silk paper, 6 x 8 inches, L2026.24.1

🖼️ Tulu Bayar, "Let’s Hug #3," 2025, From "What We Hold Together" portfolio, Archival pigment print on handmade silk paper, 6 x 8 inches, L2026.24.2

06/11/2026

The Palmer Museum of Art will close early at 4 p.m. this Saturday, June 13, for a private event.

Thank you for understanding!

06/10/2026

This Saturday, June 13, juried exhibition “Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250,” opens at the Palmer Museum of Art. 🇺🇸

🎨 Meet the works of 50 artists, including Penn State students, faculty, and staff; alumni who reside in the state of Pennsylvania; and local artists who live within a 50-mile radius of State College.

🗽 Reflect on the past, present, and future of the United States with works that address the following forward-looking themes: Activating Change, Bridging the Divide, Pursuit of Happiness, and A More Perfect Union.

💭 Dream about American futures with us through works that explore common threads of family memories, historical legacies, the American Dream, freedom of speech, the fragility and beauty of democracy, and cultural identities enriched by a long history of immigration.

🗓️ Mark your calendars for Thursday, July 2, for a free, all-day celebration surrounding the 250th with ongoing activities from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find more information and the full schedule of events on our programs page: https://palmermuseum.psu.edu/programs/250-community-day-we-the-people/

Organized by the Palmer Museum of Art. Support for this exhibition is provided in part by Palmer Museum of Art Sandstone Members Benson and Christine Lichtig and Sally and Richard Kalin and the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State.