Woskob Family Gallery

Address: 146 S Allen St, State College, PA 16801

Hours: Fridays, 12:30–5:00 PM

Contemporary Arts & Culture

The Woskob Family Gallery is a contemporary art space in downtown State College that brings a cohesive and carefully curated program of exhibitions and events to central Pennsylvania. Run by Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, the gallery serves as a laboratory for exploring how the arts can catalyze creative placemaking.

The gallery’s mission is to forge new relationships between the university and local communities, increase the perception of downtown State College as a cultural destination, and spark new creative enterprises. Through partnerships with the borough, local government, and arts and cultural organizations, we seek greater local investment in arts and culture projects.

The gallery is generously supported by the Borough of State College.

The Woskob Family Gallery receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Upcoming

Brian Alfred's published book set on a wood table alongside a Pauperio cookie container and a succulent planter.

BOOK CONVERSATION

Thursday, November 7 | 4PM

Join us for a conversation between Brian Alfred, Associate Professor of Art, and B. Stephen Carpenter II, Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Dean in the College of Arts and Architecture, about Professor Alfred's book, Why I Make Art: Contemporary Artists' Stories About Life & Work (Atelier Éditions, 2022). Light refreshments to follow.

Hands-on History: The Experience of Braiding a Lost Inca Rope

November 15–17 | 9AM–8PM

Join us at the gallery and become part of a unique collective experience to remake an enormous Inca rope lost to time. Visitors can work alongside Kyle Marini, Art History Ph.D. candidate, to braid segments of this forgotten rope while reconnecting with Inca craftsmanship.

To fully appreciate the process and contribute meaningfully to the reconstruction, we recommend dedicating at least an hour to braiding your segment of the rope. This will allow you to immerse yourself in the ancient making process and engage with fellow participants.

All participants will be acknowledged when the rope is installed in the gallery during an exhibition opening in January 2025. Join us in weaving the past into the present!

Current Exhibitions

Composite image of a three-part illustration; (top) a person with their arms outstretched, with many moths flying around them in the background. Middle: Blue circular streaks around a black void. Bottom: A close-up of the top image individual with their eyes closed, with moths in the background.

CARETELLING: STORIES TO SUSTAIN OURSELVES

September–December 2024

Caretelling: Stories to Sustain Ourselves is a group exhibition exploring storytelling about our relationships of care through collaborative and participatory art making, video installations, and graphic narratives. Stories are the most basic way to care for one another. By telling stories, the human experience becomes something shared and by sharing we lift each other up, sustaining ourselves and our humanity. Contributors and events are a part of a collaboration involving Penn State’s College of Arts & Architecture, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and Graphic Mundi, an imprint of the Penn State University Press.

Learn More

PATTERNING WITH HEAT AND WATER: KNITTED RESPONSIVE TENSION STRUCTURES

September—December 2024

Responsive textiles are materials that transform based on environmental cues, using either sensors and microcontrollers or the natural properties of the materials themselves to communicate information or alter their surroundings. The exhibition showcases two phases of work on tensioned, knitted textile tubes, completed 11 years apart by Davis and Dumitrescu. The earlier phase features white textiles that use microcontrollers attached to sensors to alter the fabric’s properties in response to electrical current or heat. The new phase, still in progress, explores the use of water to dissolve yarn and open the textile. These tubes embody an innovative approach using architectural materials that are ephemeral and respond to the environmental conditions.

Learn More

Large-Scale, Site-Specific Installations

Call for Artists

Woskob Family Gallery announces an open call for artists to submit proposals for large-scale, site-specific installations to be displayed in our downtown contemporary art gallery. We welcome a diverse range of artistic mediums, including 3D and 2D work, digital projections, and light installations.

After reviewing the information below, if you have any questions, would like to view the space or review its floorplan, or require further information, please don't hesitate to contact the gallery director, Zsuzsanna Nagy, at woskob@psu.edu.

Works must be large-scale and site-specific, taking into consideration the unique dimensions and characteristics of our gallery space. Our gallery features tall, large windows that flood the space with natural light. Additionally, the gallery boasts expansive wall surfaces. A prominent staircase allows viewers to experience the artwork from different vantage points.

(Our main wall is about 23 ft. long, the ceiling height is about 21 ft. at its highest, and the main windows are about 13 ft. tall and 5 ft. wide.)
Installations that hang from the tile ceiling must be lightweight.
Artists are encouraged to consider the street audience as the primary viewers of their work.
Selected artists will receive an honorarium to support the production of their work. Additional funding may be available for materials and shipping costs.
The gallery will provide technical support and equipment (such as a lift and tools) to assist with the installation process. Artists are responsible for ensuring their work can be safely and securely installed within the gallery space.
In addition to the exhibition, selected artists will have the opportunity to participate in an artist talk and lead a workshop for community members, fostering dialogue and engagement with their work.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: artistic merit, conceptual strength, technical execution, site-specificity, and relevance to the gallery's mission of sparking dialogue through contemporary art. Proposals that demonstrate engagement with social or cultural themes will be given priority.
Selected artists will be notified via email to further discuss their proposals.

There is no application fee, and the deadline is rolling. Artists may submit their proposals at any time.
Proposals should include a written description (maximum 500 words) outlining the concept,materials, and installation process, accompanied by 3-5 visual aids (sketches, renderings, or photographs of previous work). All materials should be compiled into a single PDF document.
Please email your proposal to zzn24@psu.edu, including "Large-Scale Installation Submission" in the subject line.