Musselman Library Exhibits

Majestic Theater

A Moveable Feast: The Art of Robert Patierno is now exhibiting in the Majestic Gallery.  Patierno is an internationally renowned printmaker, draftsman, and painter whose strongly graphic and powerful works have been exhibited throughout the United States and across Europe.

Featured image:
Gourds with Cat
watercolor

“Art making is my attempt to make order of chaos, so in this sense, my work is observational in nature. What I perceive must be simplified, readjusted, and then the personal image surfaces, disinterested to a large degree. I think that any subject looked at with a careful mind’s eye, becomes significant. The Art object itself is not as important to me as the resulting conversations that occur with my audience.

“Within the process of the relief print, I find limitations that inspire me. No matter how many blocks I print, I expect the print image to be direct and maintain clarity. The traditions of the block print help me maintain control of my ideas.

“In painting and drawing, I find a spontaneous confrontation with the medium.” --Robert Patierno

Fishpond
watercolor

Nursery Tree
woodcut

Visitors to the exhibit interested in purchasing a Patierno work may inquire at the front desk of the Majestic.

Library Apse, Main Level

Explore the artwork of First Nations artist, Carl Beam, exhibited in Musselman Library, main level apse.

Beam was one of Canada’s most ground-breaking Indigenous artists and the first contemporary Indigenous artist whose work was acquired by the National Gallery of Canada.*

From 1989 to 1992, Beam created a series of juxtaposed images called The Columbus Suite that intentionally coincided with the 500th anniversary of Columbus arriving in the Americas. These juxtapositions address the legacy of European colonization in the Americas, personal and tribal references, and treatment of the environment.

The works will be exhibited now through June 2022.

Featured image:
Carl Beam
"Sitting Bull and Whale"
1990
etching on Arches paper
Gettysburg College Fine Arts Collection

*Southcott, Mary E., "Carl Beam".  In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published December 20, 2011; Last Edited January 27, 2021.  https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/carl-beam

Main Level Window Bays

The posters in this series focus on parts of the Gettysburg College story that have been minimized or neglected altogether in previous histories – particularly with respect to underrepresented groups, issues, and activisms. Based on sometimes incomplete sources, they represent imperfect knowledge and are not comprehensive. They are a beginning, not an ending.

For that reason, we invite your feedback – corrections, additional information, people and events not pictured. We also invite contributions of relevant documents, photos, etc. to the College Archives, or via our digital repository, “What We Did Here: Activism at Gettysburg College.”

The story of change at Gettysburg is being written every day. You can help write it!

Additional resources:

• Gettysburg College: A Diversity Story: library-supported student project on the diversification of Gettysburg College
• This is Why We Fight: Student Activism at Gettysburg College: library-supported student project on student activism at Gettysburg College
• College and Community in Adams County: examines the evolution of service partnerships between Gettysburg College and the local community

Library Stair Tower Gallery

How do you move an academic library? With 1,350 campus volunteers “walking” the books!

On April 22, 1981, faculty, staff, students and even College President Charles Glassick carried the entire collection of 180,000 books from the old Schmucker Library across the campus to Musselman Library. This exhibit’s images tell the story.

Forty years later, Musselman Library’s collection has expanded to include formats never dreamed of in 1981, when desktop computers were new and ebooks and databases were the realm of science fiction.

Join Musselman Library in celebrating its 40^th anniversary. This exhibit is also available to view online.

Library Main Level

Humans have been gazing upon the stars since ancient times. Musselman Library’s Stargazing exhibit takes you from Mayan astronomers in 3114 BCE, to Gettysburg College’s first observatory and guest registry of 1874, to the present day selection of Special Collections “heavenly” rare books, many formerly in the collection of Laurence Marschall, Professor of Physics, Emeritus. The Stargazing exhibit, located in five display cases on the main level by the apse, will be available to view now through the end of December 2021.