September 25, 2019
Stuckeman School professor's two passions on display in Woskob Family Gallery
![Alec Spangler walks towards the camera from the back of the gallery with students working on his wall drawing on either side of him.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/larch_1912_spanglerwalkingthroughwoskob.jpg)
The final drawing expresses the incredible complexity and scale of what lies beneath our feet and the unique underlying features that help make our region’s landscape special.” – Alec SpanglerThe goal of this art installment is to bring the State College community together and to discuss the uniqueness of Centre County’s geology. “I don’t have a background in geology or earth sciences but I wanted to use this project to deepen my understanding of geological principles and to get to know the geology of this area, which I’ve always known is unique and has a lot to do with regional identity,” said Spangler. “As a collaborative project and one that will be shared with the community, it feels like a great way to help others develop a shared sense of place in State College and Central Pennsylvania.” According to Spangler, there were volunteers working on the project from all different departments and areas, which makes the wall installment even more interesting by reaching a broad range of visitors. Trisha Berish, program manager of the Woskob Family Gallery said that Spangler came to her with a unique idea of mixing geography and art, something they had never done before in the gallery. “The drawing symbolizes time and place. It allows viewers to see our local landscape from a new perspective and to contemplate their place within it,” she said. “While we hope this project reaches those from the areas of geography, geology and architecture, we hope those from other fields and the community who live and thrive in this local landscape will come to consider the world from this new viewpoint.” Students that helped with the drawing have diverse backgrounds yet seemed equally excited to participate and lend their points of view to the work. “This project was an excellent example of an accessible, scientific proposal that was executed creatively,” said Sunday Siomades, a geology major at Penn State. “It was an opportunity for artists to learn about the local topography and geology, and for scientists to flex their artistic muscles.” “For me, as someone who enjoys both disciplines, it was truly a golden opportunity to blend my two favorite mediums and I was elated to take part in its creation,” she added. Landscape architecture student Catherine Devereaux saw the project as not only a landscape and piece of geography, but an amazing piece of artwork and a beautiful metaphor. “For me, this project was a form of expression of the beautiful fabric of the landscape that is often unseen or overlooked,” she said. “As a person who loves the less-noticed beautiful phenomena of life, it was amazing to get to participate in a piece that reveals a natural – and sometimes invisible – wonder.”
![Alec Spangler walks towards the camera from the back of the gallery with students working on his wall drawing on either side of him.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_680xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/larch_1912_spanglerwalkingthroughwoskob.jpg)
![The backs of two people looking at the topographic map of the region.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_680xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/larch_1912_spangleropening.jpg)
![Spangler, at left in the background, and the backs of two listening students in the foreground.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_680xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/larch_1912_spanglertalkinginwoskob.jpg)
![Alec spangler and students at left grab brushes and graphite from a table in front of them with a geological map on the wall above it.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_680xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/larch_1912_spanglerworkinginwoskob.jpg)
Schools and Departments:
Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Visual Arts, Stuckeman School
Unit Outreach:
Woskob Family Gallery