Penn State Plans New Art Museum at the Arboretum

Penn State is planning to construct a new University Art Museum to be located at the Arboretum and replace the Palmer Museum of Art.

University trustees on Friday approved the selection of Allied Works as architect to design the proposed new, approximately 68,000 to 73,000 square feet museum. The proposed location is at an open space along Bigler Road near the entrance to the Arboretum, across from the Lewis Katz Building and adjacent to the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens.

Some of Allied Works previous projects include the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. According to a university news release, the firm ‘is known for architecture that is inspired by, and responsive to, nature and place, including carefully curated campus environments.’

The Palmer Museum on Curtin Road will remain and be repurposed as a student-focused space, with a task force determining how it can best be utilized. The bronze lion paws will also remain in their current location at the entrance to the Palmer Museum building, which opened in 1972 and received significant additions and renovations in 1993.

The new museum will not bear the Palmer name, a decision made at the suggestion of the museum’s late namesake benefactor Barbara Palmer. The Palmer name and legacy, however, ‘would still have a prominent place in the new facility,’ according to the university.

Showcasing Penn State’s growing collection of art, which currently counts 9,300 objects, and providing new space for cultural activities, the proposed new museum would have an expanded gallery and exhibition space, offer more learning and creative opportunities and have areas for events and gatherings. It would continue and expand ‘the Palmer Museum’s role as a cultural, educational and scholarly resource for the Penn State community and visitors.’

The Palmer Museum is the largest art museum between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and the largest academic art museum in Pennsylvania. 

A projected budget for the new museum of $71.1 million, funded by Penn State’s five-year capital plan, could increase to $85 million with philanthropic support. Final plans and costs will be subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

“The new art museum would allow us to advance Penn State’s teaching and research mission while serving as the cultural gateway to the University,” Erin M. Coe, director of the Palmer Museum of Art, said in a statement. “The new facility would greatly expand public access to our growing collections in an exceptional setting while offering innovative and engaging experiences for our students, the community, and visitors from around the world.”

Construction is expected to begin in late 2020 with completion in 2022. 

The museum could be the first part of a larger ‘cultural district’ in the Arboretum area, a concept first proposed by Penn State President Eric Barron in 2016. According to construction management bid documents for the museum, that district could also include ‘a new interdisciplinary STEM museum, along with related public amenities such as performance spaces, education center, planetarium and a conservatory,’ in a series of ‘connected or semi-connected’ buildings.

One key goal for the new museum is to complement, and create minimal disruption to, the Arboretum. Kim Steiner, professor of forest biology and director of Arboretum, said the museum will help fulfill the vision for the Arboretum.

“This project would fulfill our long-standing vision of the Arboretum as a venue for the arts as well as a place of beauty and education about the natural world,” Steiner said. “The Arboretum is already one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the area. With this inspired partnership, I expect us to develop into a regional and national destination.”