UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Palmer Museum of Art announces the temporary closure and upcoming reinstallation of the museum’s first floor Harold L. and Edythe B. Tonkin Gallery. The Tonkin gallery will be reconfigured to display pieces from the museum’s expanding studio glass collection, as well as highlights from its existing world-class ceramic collection. The phased reinstallation will begin with the closing of the gallery on Oct. 9 and with the goal of reopening to the public by Dec. 8.
The reinstallation will unfold in two stages. Phase one will unveil a rich variety of glass vessels by Lino Tagliapietra, Marvin Lipofsky, Dante Marioni, Dale Chihuly, and other studio glass luminaries. The full breadth of the museum’s ceramic collection—from ancient Korean, Chinese, and Andean to contemporary Danish, English, Japanese, and American works—will be featured in the latter phase, slated for completion by the end of the fall semester.
“The museum’s collection of studio glass has grown considerably in the last five years through the generosity of several major gifts,” said Palmer Museum director Erin M. Coe. “We are thrilled to provide this opportunity to share outstanding examples of contemporary studio glass with the public while continuing to present our international ceramics collection.”
Donors such as Susan Schwartz, Audrey and Norbert Gaelen, Earl K. Shreckengast and Julia K. Muller, and Bette and Arnold Hoffman have gifted significant pieces of studio glass, which have greatly expanded the museum’s holdings in this area. The Palmer curators are re-envisioning the Tonkin Gallery, which has showcased the museum’s impressive ceramics collection for more than two decades, by placing these new acquisitions on public view on a more permanent basis.
About the Palmer
The Palmer Museum of Art on the Penn State University Park campus is a free-admission arts resource for the University and surrounding communities in central Pennsylvania. With a collection of 9,000 objects representing and spanning a variety of cultures and centuries of art, the Palmer is the largest art museum between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Areas of strength include the museum’s collection of American art from the late 18th century to the present; prints and photography; Old Master paintings; ceramics and studio glass; and a growing collection of modern and contemporary art. The museum presents 10 exhibitions each year and, with 11 galleries, a print-study room, a 150-seat auditorium, and an outdoor sculpture garden, the Palmer Museum of Art is the leading cultural resource for the region.
Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, and 6 to 9 p.m. every third Thursday. The museum is closed Mondays and some holidays.
The Palmer receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
For more information on the Palmer Museum of Art or for the calendar of upcoming events, visit palmermuseum.psu.edu.