By Carmela Cocuzza, Managing Editor ~
As a freshman student at Penn State, I used to visit the Palmer Museum of Art on Curtain Road all the time. I’m a senior now, and when I heard about the relocation and expansion, I was mostly overjoyed and a little melancholy. The Museum plans to relocate directly next to the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens in The Arboretum. With this news, I decided to revisit our beautiful art museum and to learn more about the expansion.
As I walked past the huge paws and into the red brick building, I was overcome with nostalgia. It felt incredible to see my favorite painting still hanging in the very first room of displays. “Forest Scene” by William Trost Richards painted in 1868 is a truly captivating piece I could stare at for quite some time with all of its incredible detailing. 
I think it is my favorite piece — even though it’s a painting, it’s easy to mistake it for a photograph. The amount of detail and care that went into the painting almost transports me.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Simpson, visitor experience manager, who was able to answer all my questions about the new museum facility. While the original opening date was projected for fall 2023, Simpson told me the anticipated date is now 2024, which was a little sad to hear. My little sister is a freshman, so I’ll now have two great reasons to be back in Happy Valley. Not only did Simpson answer my questions, but she got me excited about what’s to come and made me more knowledgeable about this place, which is such a special place at Penn State for me.
Simpson explained how there are so many incredible pieces that have no room to be put on display, saying there are “10,300 objects in total and the number continues to grow.” The relocation will have 71,000 square feet of new space, which is almost double the size of the current museum. We can expect to see twice as much art! She assured me the current building now won’t be torn down, and Penn State plans to repurpose it.
Photo courtesy of Penn State
Students can expect to see a lot of expansion within the same collections and maintained themes of contemporary art, Simpson said. I asked if any student work was ever put on display, and she said some artists were former students, although none are current.
She informed about their “Art After Hours” program, which is a pop-up exhibition they host in the museum where student exhibitions are displayed. The next event will be March 24 from 5-8 p.m., and I am really excited to check it out!
Simpson also said after they transition to the new building, there will be even more opportunities to have events. Students can also expect to see new galleries, courtyards, a merchandise store with a café inside, and even a gateway to the Arboretum. Even with all this exciting news, I was still just most excited and relived when Simpson reassured me “Forest Scene” will still be hanging when I walk into the brand new Palmer Museum of Art.
Carmela Cocuzza is a senior at Penn State majoring in advertising and public relations while also pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship. She is a manager for KLIO and helps a lot in the art genre. She is an artist herself, with a passion for fiction books and listening to music. KLIO is an incredible platform to share work and express all different types of creativity, and she is happy to be a part of it.