This exhibition is a celebration of Pennsylvania artists and the Pennsylvania places that have inspired their work – from rural hamlets to big cities. Artists have always been captivated by the Commonwealth’s natural environment, but they have also found inspiration from the ways in which Pennsylvanians have shaped the world around them through the built environment of home, community, and workplace. These paintings, all from The State Museum of Pennsylvania’s permanent collection, span over a century and a half of history and highlight both the public and private spaces that held meaning for the artists who memorialized them.
The artists represented in Power of Place come from a variety of backgrounds. While some studied abroad or at one of Pennsylvania’s prestigious art schools, others were self-trained and often had direct personal connections to the sites they depicted.
Power of Place Exhibit