Palmer Museum highlights treasure trove of Art Nouveau works in major exhibition

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Visitors who are tired of the grey winter doldrums might want to head to the Palmer Museum of Art for a vibrant new special exhibition, "The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art," which will run through May 11.

Drawn from the rich holdings of the Chrysler Museum of Art’s Walter P. and Jean Chrysler collection, "The Triumph of Nature" opened Feb. 15 and showcases more than 120 glittering Art Nouveau objects — including furniture, paintings, sculpture, mosaics, posters, Japanese prints, lamps, jewelry and glass — that introduce the exuberant, radical, international Art Nouveau style and its celebration of beauty, nature and innovation to art and nature lovers alike.

According to Charles V. Hallman Senior Curator Patrick McGrady, who oversaw the presentation of the exhibition at the Palmer, "'The Triumph of Nature' provides an opportunity for individuals across campus and throughout the Centre Region to view selections from one of the country's most comprehensive collections of Art Nouveau objects. “Visitors will be amazed by the far-reaching role this new aesthetic played in determining artistic and cultural expression throughout Europe and the United States during the latter years of the 19th century,” he said. 

"The Triumph of Nature" celebrates the florid, languorous curves, natural motifs, and refined elegance of Art Nouveau furniture, glass, and other works that have entranced collectors and museumgoers since the apex of this brief but intense movement around the turn of the 20th century. This exhibition will introduce a new generation to Art Nouveau’s luminous innovations and artistic triumphs, enticing visitors once more into the nature-inspired havens of ornate beauty, all orchestrated over a century ago by visionary designers, just before the First World War ushered in a stark new reality. 

“The exhibition is a visual delight, whether you’re experiencing Art Nouveau for the first time or as fan of 'Downton Abbey,' 'Antiques Roadshow,' or the finely crafted objects by Louis Comfort Tiffany and other Gilded Age artists,” said Interim Director Joyce Robinson. “We hope visitors will be transported by this journey back in time to a world of splendor and elegance inspired by the sinuous and luminous forms of the natural world.” 

"The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art" will be on view at the Palmer Museum through May 11. The exhibition is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. Support for this exhibition is provided in part by Palmer Museum of Art Sandstone Members Sally and Richard Kalin.

A companion publication of the same title will be available in the Museum Store. 

For more information about this spring’s special exhibitions at the Palmer Museum, visit the website at palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Related Programs 

• Drop-in Tour: Art + Nature — Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m., start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby — Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide.
• Art After Hours: Out with the Old, in with the Nouveau  — Thursday, Feb. 27, Free, drop-in, 5 to 8 p.m., Event Space and Galleries —Escape the wintery cold and enjoy nature indoors at the museum with special exhibition "The Triumph of Nature!" Join staff from the Palmer, Arboretum, and Herbarium to connect art and flora and fauna through a gallery talk on Art Nouveau, art-making activities inspired by botanicals, a self-guided tour linking plants with collection objects, and more. Light refreshments will be provided. This and other Thursday late-night programming is made possible by the generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
• Gallery Talk: The Triumph of Nature — Thursday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m. during Art After Hours, Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Galleries and Jason D. Kogan Gallery — Enjoy an in-depth engagement on special exhibition "The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art" with Patrick McGrady, Charles V. Hallman Senior Curator.
• Creative Studio at the Palmer: A Nouveau Day for Sketching — Thursday, March 6, Free, drop in, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Mimi Barash Coppersmith Studio Classroom — Get creative, connect with others, move your hands, and take time to relax and rejuvenate through art-making processes. Hosted by museum educators, interns, or guest artists, these sessions will focus on the practice of creativity, exploring artistic mediums, and making personal connections rather than on final products.
• Drop-in Tour: Art, Nature, and Memory — Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m., start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby — Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. 
• Family Day: Art in Bloom — Saturday, April 12, 1 to 4 p.m. — Visitors of all ages will enjoy gallery activities and art-making opportunities related to the special exhibition, "The Triumph of Nature."
• Drop-in Guided Tour: Earth Day: Art in Bloom — Saturday, April 26, 2 p.m., start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby — Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. 
• Drop-in Tour: Nature & Art — Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m., start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby — Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. 
• Drop-in Tour: A Nouveau Day for Mothers — Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m., start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby — Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide.
• Drop-in Guided Tour: Art in Bloom — Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m., start in the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Lobby — Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide.

About the Chrysler Museum of Art

The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of America’s most distinguished mid-sized art museums, with a nationally recognized collection of more than 35,000 objects, including one of the great glass collections in America. The core of the Chrysler’s collection comes from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., an avid art collector who donated thousands of objects from his private collection to the museum. The museum has growing collections in many areas and mounts an ambitious schedule of visiting exhibitions and educational programs each season. Visit chrysler.org.

About International Arts & Artists 

International Arts & Artists in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally, through exhibitions, programs, and services to artists, arts institutions, and the public. Visit artsandartists.org.  

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 Penn State’s 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 Museum of Art 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 ten winners in the national USA Today 10Best contest for Best New Museums of 2025.