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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

Juneteenth 2023: Threading the Fabric of Freedom | June 16-21, 2023

June 16 | 5-8 PM Opening Reception

The second annual Juneteenth Exhibition will open on Friday, June 16. 2D and 3D works, photography, and crafts focusing on freedom, unity, equity, and peace. Curated by Dr. Grace Hampton.

Current 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. Inspired by traditional Chinese art (calligraphy, poetry, painting, and architecture), Mengqi constructed a surreal and poetic futuristic spectacle.

From global warming and habitat destruction to overfishing and the introduction of invasive species, human activities profoundly impact nature. Behavioral changes are often a species’ first reaction to a change in environmental factors to increase the chances of surviving and reproducing.

The installation features large-scale fish made from bamboo splits and mulberry paper using a traditional Chinese lantern-making technique, hanging along with painted silk fabric strips representing birch forests. The flower petals further emphasize the withered destiny of fish living under deteriorating conditions.

The tragic yet romantic presence of fish in such seemingly impossible surroundings alerts people to the forced migration experienced by animal species due to human-caused climate change.

 

Born in Kunming, China, Mengqi Xu is currently an assistant teaching professor and an artist at Penn State. Mengqi works in 2D and 3D art, including sculpture, jewelry, and photography. Her design pieces focus on telling a story and connecting with the viewer on a personal level. She obtained her BFA degree in industrial design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her MFA degree in sculpture at Penn State.

 

a light installation featuring huge fish and silk trees

Past Exhibitions

Marian Bailey: patterns of a life

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.

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Naomi Reis: Talisman for Unknown Territories

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.

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Tactile Perceptions, Two Interactive Installations

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.

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Nichole van Beek: Grow Forward Together

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.

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Stacy Levy: When Art Works

Stacy Levy: When Art Works

The screened videos (Mold Garden and Tide Flowers) show two installations by Pennsylvania-based environmental artist Stacy Levy.

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Alex Russell: kaleidoscope answers

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.

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Dana Lynn Harper: Field Guides

Dana Lynn Harper: Field Guides

Field Guides is playful and boisterous exhibition exploring the artist’s belief of spirit guides.

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Woskob Family Gallery front

Learn More

We are located on Allen Street in downtown State College, in the Penn State Downtown Centre Theatre.

 

Hours: Fridays 12:30-5 PM

 

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