UNIVERSITY PARK —Palmer Museum of Art is hosting a special exhibition Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250, on view now through Nov. 29. The major juried exhibition is mounted in response to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and includes artwork from 50 contemporary artists chosen from the Penn State and local communities. The Palmer Museum in the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State is commemorating the yearlong anniversary alongside other arts and cultural institutions all over the country.
“In the spirit of democracy, we wanted to invite artists to submit works that reflect on what life is like in the United States and what futures can unfold here,” said Amanda H. Hellman, Alvin L. and Jean Y. Snowiss Director of the Palmer Museum of Art. “This is the first open-call juried show we’ve had at the Palmer, so we are thrilled to be able to display works made for the people, by the people, in our community this year.”
50 Artists The call for artists included Penn State students, faculty, staff, and alumni who reside in the state of Pennsylvania, as well as local artists who live within a 50-mile radius of State College. Nearly 300 entries were submitted, from which the 59 artworks by 50 artists were selected by a team of jurors. The five jurors included Janine Yorimoto Boldt, the Palmer’s curator of American art; Folayemi Wilson, artist and associate dean for access and equity in the College of Arts and Architecture; Philadelphia artist and Penn State alum Roberto Lugo (’14 MFA); Lori Fisher, director of the Bellefonte Art Museum; and Malavi Suresh, spring 2026 curatorial intern at the Palmer and third-year art history major studying medieval art and architecture from Europe and South Asia.
Four Themes
The selected artworks in the exhibition include paintings, sculptures, ceramics, mixed-media assemblages, photographs, and works on paper from the last two years. Stylistically, the 2D and 3D objects run the gamut from naturalistic realism to full abstraction, but all center around four forward-looking themes relevant to many who call the United States home: Activating Change, Bridging the Divide, Pursuit of Happiness, and A More Perfect
One Shared Nation
Visitors who explore the exhibition can reflect on the nation’s past, examine the present, and imagine future possibilities through both overarching and personal takes on the American experience. Beyond the four themes, common threads that appear in the artworks include family memories, historical legacies, the American Dream, freedom of speech, the fragility and beauty of democracy, and cultural identities enriched by a long history of immigration. Each work also includes a statement from the artist about their art and experience.
Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250 will be on view until Sunday, Nov. 29. The exhibition is organized by the Palmer Museum of Art. Support for the exhibition is provided in part by Palmer Museum of Art Sandstone Members Benson and Christine Lichtig and Sally and Richard Kalin and the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State.
Artists included in the exhibition are Stephen Althouse, Audrey An, Cami Barber, Kumasi J. Barnett, Tulu Bayar, Venus Bayat, Brandon Berrett, Sophie Brenneman, Susan Marie Brundage, Cheryl Capezzuti, Andre Chaszar, Janise Crow (Crow’s Nest Arts), Clara D’Silva, Chet Davis, Caitlin M. Downs, Rachel Duke, Sandy Erwin, Kennedy René Ferguson, Cecil Fish, Madison Flynn, Dotty Ford, Adriana Forsythe, Irwin Freeman, Annette Hestres Garcia, Jackie Gianico, Rebecca Horwitt, Betsa Houshmand, Brooke Hull, Jennifer Kelly, Tae Hee Kim, Doah Lee, Heidi Theresa Manfred, Ilze Martinez, Anna Mavrodieva, John McKaig, Cristin Millett, Zsuzsanna Nagy, Sarah Nelson, Adwar Oguttuh, Daniel Oliva, Stephanie Oplinger, Michele Randall, Cookie Redding, Krishna Schroth, Lelaina Scott, Melissa Stephens, John H. Strother, Roxi Thoren, Angelo Roman Varisano and Furong Zhang.
Drop-in Tour: American Art & Social History
Sunday, July 12 – 2 p.m.
Discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. Each tour explores a theme, lasts about one hour, and includes close-looking through discussion and experiential learning opportunities. Guided tours start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby. Join us for these free drop-in tours. Sign language interpretation for drop-in tours is offered upon request. Interpretation services must be requested in advance and are subject to interpreter availability. Please contact Bronwyn Flemming at bmf5778@psu.edu.
Art After Hours – Block pARTy
July 30 – Free, drop-in, 5–8 p.m.
LEAP across campus to the Palmer Museum and the Arboretum at Penn State for a summer Block pARTy! Participate in art-making activities, explore your world-class art museum and gardens, and learn about other collections on campus with Museum Consortium members. Throughout the night, enjoy live music and refreshments.
Drop-in Tour: American Art of Today
Sunday, Aug.9 – 2 p.m.
Discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide.
Community Artist Conversations: Dreaming American Futures
Friday, Aug. 14 – Free, drop-in, noon and 2 p.m. Join local community artists featured in Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250 for an afternoon of conversations in the special exhibition galleries. Hear directly from participating artists as they share insights into their work, materials, and ideas. Two group conversations will take place with one at noon and one at 2 p.m., each featuring a selection of artists. Drop in for one session or stay for both! This is a unique opportunity to experience the exhibition through local artists’ perspectives.
