The new Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. View from the Overlook Pavilion in the Arboretum. Architect: Allied Works. Rendering: Courtesy of MIR.

Penn State’s Art Museum at the Arboretum

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From the Director

For nearly 50 years, Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art has been dedicated to celebrating art and educating a broad and diverse public. As plans progress for the new Palmer Museum, we are mindful of how we can advance the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service in bold new ways and serve students and the public as never before.

This significant building project presents a unique opportunity to create a cultural center for the twenty-first century and to elevate Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art as one of the leading academic facilities of its kind. The new facility will greatly expand access to the museum’s growing collections in an exceptional setting while offering innovative and engaging experiences for our students, the community, and visitors from around the world. The new museum will allow us to display a larger portion of our expansive permanent collection, feature new galleries and exhibition spaces, and incorporate innovative ways for our visitors to experience the arts.

The location at The Arboretum at Penn State will also provide greater visibility for the museum, offer unique visitor experiences, and easier access to parking. Together, the enhanced spaces and increased accessibility will allow the Palmer Museum and the Arboretum to better fulfill their educational and service missions.

We would not have the opportunity to build a new art museum at Penn State without the commitment and generosity of the University, our alumni, and friends. The growth of our collections through philanthropy means that we have more to share with our community, and the enthusiastic response of audiences and donors to our programming demands more additional and improved space for a wide range of interdisciplinary education and events. We look forward to your continued support to make the goals for our new museum possible.

To learn more about supporting Penn State’s new Palmer Museum of Art, contact Robin Seymour or see our Support page on this site.

I look forward to seeing you at the museum soon and often.

Director, Palmer Museum of Art
Associate Clinical Professor, College of Arts and Architecture

About Erin Coe

Enid Hennessy Schneider Galleries in the new Palmer Museum of Art. Architect: Allied Works. Rendering: Courtesy of D-Render.

Enid Hennessy Schneider Galleries in the new Palmer Museum of Art. Architect: Allied Works. Rendering: Courtesy of D-Render.

Erin Coe is the director of the Palmer Museum of Art. Since her appointment in September 2017, she has established the vision and strategic direction of the Palmer Museum of Art including its collection and exhibition program, and she oversees the planning and implementation of the museum’s mission and goals. She is at the forefront of the University’s proposed initiative to construct a new art museum at the Penn State Arboretum.

Coe is the former director of The Hyde Collection, an accredited art museum and historic house located in the Capital Region of New York State. As executive director of The Hyde, she focused on improving the museum’s accessibility, community engagement, visitor and donor experience. To this end, she led a major capital project that included a renovation and expansion of the museum’s 1989 wing. Moreover, she secured a significant gift of Post-war Modern art that resulted in the addition of a new gallery dedicated to Modern and Contemporary art that opened in June 2017.

Stay Informed

The new Palmer Museum of Art presents an excellent philanthropic opportunity for alumni and friends who share our institution’s belief in the power of art, nature, and education to transform lives and communities. For more information, contact:

Robin Seymour (1998 M.A. Art History), Director of Major Gifts
College of Arts & Architecture
The Pennsylvania State University
107 Borland University Park, PA 16802
814-863-7751 (office) | 814-883-3108 (cell)

If you’d like to be added to a mailing list for updates on this project, please add submit your name and email address, and we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop on this exciting project.