Palmer Museum announces call for juried exhibition to celebrate America’s 250th

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Palmer Museum of Art in the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State has announced a call for entries for a juried exhibition marking the United States' 250th anniversary next year. "Dreaming American Futures: Invitational 250" will run from summer through fall of 2026 and will be open to submissions from all Penn State students, faculty and staff, including Commonwealth Campuses; Penn State alumni who reside in the state of Pennsylvania; and local artists (18 or older) who live within a 50-mile radius of State College. 

The Palmer has a long history of organizing special exhibitions featuring the work of visual arts faculty.

“In the spirit of democracy, we’re excited to open the call for entries to Penn Staters across campus—and indeed the commonwealth — as well as local artists in our community,” said Joyce Robinson, interim director of the museum. 

The museum is inviting submissions that address one or more of the following themes related to the upcoming 250th celebrations: activating change, bridging the divide, the pursuit of happiness, and a more perfect union. 

According to Robinson, the themes emerged from community input solicited during a summer 2025 installation in the Jason D. Kogan Gallery featuring a small selection of objects from the permanent collection connected to moments from U.S. history and familiar visual emblems of democracy and the nation. In "Shaping American Histories, Dreaming American Futures," visitors were asked to reflect on America’s past, present and future. 

In thinking about the past, visitors were most interested in telling the success stories of our nation (the fight for democracy, civil rights advances, historical figures of note) as well as the “true histories” of more difficult subjects. Visitor thoughts about the present centered on opinions related to current events (immigration, education, health care, environment) in addition to calls for empathy, kindness and unity. Visions for the future carried present concerns forward, with an urging toward social and economic progress and an end to polarizing political division. 

Museum educators sorted through approximately 500 responses, distilling visitor reflections, interests and concerns into the four forward-looking themes that will shape the juried invitational exhibition. 

“The voices of our visitors played a vital role in shaping these themes, and their ideas will continue to inspire our work as we look ahead,” said Bronwyn Flemming, educator for public programs. 

Information about entering the exhibition will be available on the museum’s website in mid-November. There is no entry fee. Digital submissions (up to three works) will be due Feb. 15, 2026; accepted artists will be notified by March 15, 2026; and the exhibition will be on view at the Palmer from June 13 to Nov. 29, 2026. Artists are expected to deliver works in person or via mail to the museum in early May 2026. 

Submitted works can be two-dimensional (paintings, photographs, works on paper, original prints), three-dimensional (sculpture), or new media (generated by digital technologies); must have been completed in the last 18 months; and must be delivered ready to display. Applicants must provide a short artist statement explaining how the works relate to the themes of the exhibition. 

In keeping with the democratic vision of "Dreaming American Futures," a jury of five individuals will adjudicate the submissions: Folayemi Wilson, artist and associate dean for access and equity, College of Arts and Architecture; Janine Yorimoto Boldt, curator of American art at the Palmer; Philadelphia artist and Penn State alumnus Roberto Lugo, Penn State class of 2014, master of fine arts; Lori Fisher, director of the Bellefonte Art Museum; and Malavi Suresh, Penn State class of 2028, Palmer undergraduate curatorial intern. 

As a companion to the invitational exhibition, a selection of “community picks” will be presented in the Greider Family Gallery from July 5 to Dec. 13, 2026, featuring works on paper from the Palmer’s permanent collection that connect with similar themes. Museum educators will begin engaging the community in early 2026 to vote on objects to include in this related exhibition.  

A variety of public programs will be organized to engage the community around the 250th invitational exhibition and the national celebration of the anniversary. In addition to talks by invitational artists, popular programs at the Palmer such as Art After Hours, Community Day, and Guided Tours will explore themes of democracy, civic engagement and “dreaming” the futures of America. 

About the Palmer Museum of Art 

The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State is the largest art museum collection between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and the most significant academic art museum in the state of Pennsylvania. A key element of Penn State’s land-grant mission of teaching, research and public service, the museum is a vital and accessible cultural resource for students, faculty and scholars, as well as for all visitors to and from the entire central Pennsylvania region. Through its world-class objects, programs and outreach, the free museum is a welcoming, inclusive and vibrant forum for authentic arts experiences and cultivates meaningful dialogue about today’s most potent ideas and pressing concerns.

An expansive 21st-century teaching museum, the Palmer is a beacon for advancing the arts and humanities on Penn State’s University Park campus and throughout its diverse communities. The Palmer is dedicated to catalyzing groundbreaking research, scholarship and publications and providing impactful, object-based learning for Penn State and K-12 students. The Palmer’s rewarding and thought-provoking exhibitions and programs promote visitor participation, belonging and discovery. In January, the Palmer was voted one of 10 winners in the national USA Today 10Best contest for "Best New Museums of 2025."