Palmer celebrates art and the natural world during annual Community Day Oct. 20

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In connection with Penn State’s Parents & Families Weekend, the Palmer Museum of Art will hold its annual Community Day celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20. This year’s program invites visitors to consider connections between art and the natural world via gallery talks, tours, music and art activities inspired by two still-life exhibitions currently on view at the museum. Cider and cookies will be available.

The Community Day festivities begin on the Palmer Plaza at 11 a.m. with hands-on art-making activities. Visitors will be able to create their own pastel still-life paintings inspired by the Palmer’s special exhibitions "Object Lessons: American Still-Life Painting in the Nineteenth Century" and "A Small Radius of Light: G. Daniel Massad, A Retrospective," a show of illuminating, meticulous still lifes by Pennsylvania artist G. Daniel Massad. Artists from the Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society will provide painting demonstrations between 1 and 3 p.m.

“Community Day is a great opportunity for people of all ages to experience all the museum has to offer,” said Erin Coe, director of the Palmer Museum of Art. “From art-making activities and live music to visiting the galleries and engaging with our collections and special exhibitions, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”

A live musical performance by Harmony PSU, a performing arts club for youth and young adults with and without special needs, will take place at 2 p.m. on the Palmer Plaza.

Throughout the day, the Penn State Student Farm students will be on hand to help visitors root out connections between agriculture, art, and everyday life. Participants can also explore the galleries with museum staff and docents.

Generous support for 2018’s Community Day activities is provided by Art Bridges and the Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art.

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 10exhibitions 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. on Third Thursdays. 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.