Arts and Entertainment

Campus art initiative seeks high-impact locations for site-specific pieces

Keith Lemley, "A Theory of Everything," 2017. Neon and maple, 233 x 114 x 12 in. Commissioned by the Woskob Family Gallery, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, 146 S. Allen St. State College, Pennsylvania. Credit: Cody GoddardAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Campus Arts Initiative is looking for partners on various Penn State campuses to host newly commissioned works of art. The project is partnering host campuses or units with professional local, national or international artists with shared interests, research or ideas.

The mission of the initiative, a pilot project funded through the Strategic Planning Seed Grant Program, is to commission new artwork for places that the Penn State community is in every day.

By 2020, the project is working toward eight site-specific pieces of visual artwork across all Penn State campuses.  

Lindsey Landfried, the curator and senior gallery manager of the HUB-Robeson Center, is working with Ann Tarantino, assistant professor of art and director of the Woskob Family Gallery, to match the artist and their interest to the setting of the host partners.

“We’re interested in specifically working with host locations in order to collaboratively partner artists and hosts to make temporary and meaningful works of art that will be viewed by our students, faculty and staff during their daily experiences,” Landfried said.  

Any campus, service or academic unit can apply to be a host. In choosing the high-impact locations, Landfried and the art project team are making sure the spaces are accessible, regularly used, and currently underserved in housing artwork. After partners are selected, Landfried and Tarantino will work with the hosting partners to create requests for proposals asking interested artists to apply for the opportunities available.  

Landfried said the art displayed in each building will be made in response to the respective setting. Project coordinators will work with the faculty, staff and students to ensure they have input from those in the building and that they have the proper tools to create a landmark message with the art shown.

Potential partners interested in the project can reach out via email to Landfried at lll166@psu.edu or Tarantino at adt116@psu.edu to learn more about the application process. Applications from partners are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 21.

Last Updated September 4, 2018