WoskobFamily Gallery
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.
Upcoming Events
Student Art Sale
Nov 30, 5-7PM + Dec 1, 5-8PM
During our monthly First Friday event and the previous night, the Woskob Family Gallery will collaborate with clay cOven and the Sculpture Club to host a student art sale in time for the holidays. Discover unique pieces created by student artists and find the perfect handcrafted gifts for your loved ones.
Current Exhibitions
HIGH STRUNG | A sculptural installation by Melissa Forkner Lesher
September–December 2023
Opening Reception: 09/21 | 5-8PM
Using everyday materials, the artist organizes the experienced chaos of mental and behavioral health challenges into delicate, precarious structures. Melissa weaves her creations with precision and efficiency. She carefully assembles small hand-built pieces into larger, meticulously crafted configurations that offer an absorbing experience. Reminiscent of entomological constructions, the gallery’s walls, windows, and ceiling become the canvas for thousands of integrated components.
Melissa Forkner Lesher earned a BFA in painting and drawing from the Penn State School of Visual Arts and an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Currently, she works as an Instructor of Art at Penn State. Lesher has shown her work in several galleries and museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens, the Target Gallery/Torpedo Factory Art Center, the Br. Kenneth Chapman Gallery of Iona University, and the Pajama Factory.
Past Exhibitions
Mengqi Xu: I See Fish in the Somber Woods | 林深时见鱼
I See Fish in the Somber Woods is an immersive light installation that explores the behavioral change and desperate migration of animals to avoid extinction due to climate change.
Marian Bailey: patterns of a life
In this mural piece, Marian Bailey decided to create a new pattern from clothing that she’s bought secondhand.
Naomi Reis: Talisman for Unknown Territories
Consisting of a video, window installation and sculptural objects, the piece addresses our collective anxiety about the future within a warming and divisive global landscape.
Tactile Perceptions, Two Interactive Installations
‘Tactile Perceptions, Two Interactive Installations’ presents the first iteration of works in progress by artists and Penn State School of Visual Arts faculty members Bonnie Collura and Andrew Hieronymi.
Nichole van Beek: Grow Forward Together
Grow Forward Together is a window installation made from kombucha cellulose painted with bio-based inks creating a soft stained-glass effect.
Stacy Levy: When Art Works
The screened videos (Mold Garden and Tide Flowers) show two installations by Pennsylvania-based environmental artist Stacy Levy.
Alex Russell: kaleidoscope answers
“How are you doing?” is a very common question that has become difficult to answer since the pandemic began upending our lives in 2020. This installation, kaleidoscope answers, is an attempt to respond to that question.
Dana Lynn Harper: Field Guides
Field Guides is playful and boisterous exhibition exploring the artist’s belief of spirit guides.
Learn More
We are located on Allen Street in downtown State College, in the Penn State Downtown Centre Theatre.
Gallery Manager: Zsuzsanna Nagy
Email: zzn24@psu.edu
Hours: Fridays 12:30-5 PM
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