BREANNA HANLEY/THE EXPRESS Pictured in no particular order are Michele Crowl, Eva Pell, Joyce Robinson, Eric Spielvogel, Scott Tiffany, Denise Sticha, Bonnie Goble, Judy Dombrowski, Beth Schwartz, Pam McCloskey, Deborah Cleeton, Carl Inglesby, Lori Fisher and Commissioners Amber Concepcion, Steven Dershem and Mark Higgins.

BELLEFONTE — February 28, 2023 is Museum Advocacy Day in Centre County, and many representatives from local historical, art and science museums spoke at the Centre County Commissioners meeting.

The first individual to speak was Eva Pell, Chair of Discovery Space. Discovery Space is an interactive science center located in State College.

“In my last paid position as undersecretary of science for the Smithsonian, we used to worry about reaching the American people. As the largest museum complex in the world we recognized the reality that very few Americans ever got to visit our wonderful museums in their lifetimes,” said Pell.

“We pondered how the organization could bring the Smithsonian’s assets regarding science, history, art and culture to the American people. When I came home to Centre County and learned about Discovery Space, what it was doing and the 26 counties being served by the organization, I knew immediately that this was one way to solve that problem… Discovery Space and the Rivet are wonderful examples of how acting locally can have a tremendous impact on a region and its citizens,” said Pell.

Discovery Space’s mission is to provide engaging experience with science and technology that spark curiosity and creativity. It is a growing science center full of interactive exhibits and hands-on programs intended to provide informal science education, especially in STEM, in a fun learning environment.

The Rivet, which is a new branch of Discovery Space, is a community workshop and makerspace that aims to “connect materials, people, ideas and the means for anyone to make anything.”

“I’m so excited that we have this kind of program in our community. When you have a membership to Discovery Space, that allows you entrance to other science museums across the country,” said Vice-Chair Amber Concepcion.

The next individual to speak was Joyce Robinson, Assistant Director at the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State.

Palmer is the largest art museum collection between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and is considered the most significant academic art museum in the state.

The museum provides an accessible cultural resource for Penn State students, faculty and scholars as well as any visitors from the region.

“Museums are economic engines and community anchors… This is a pivotal moment of transition for the Palmer. Last year, we celebrated our 50th anniversary — 50 years of free admission entry, 50 years of vibrant exhibitions and education programs and 50 years of fulfilling the university’s land grant mission of teaching, research and public service,” said Robinson.

The Palmer Museum of Art is also constructing a new museum within the Arboretum at Penn State, replacing the current building. This new facility will be larger and feature education spaces, a teaching gallery, event spaces and almost twice the exhibition space of the current museum to allow for expanded public access to the growing collection. It is set to open in Spring 2024.

Scott Tiffany, Library Director at the American Philatelic Society, was one of two representatives for the American Philatelic Society who spoke. He gave background on the Society.

APS has members in more than 110 countries and is the largest non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world. The Society was founded in 1886 and serves collectors, educators, postal historians and the general public by providing many types of programs and services.

Their mission is to promote stamp collecting for people of all ages, represent the United States in the world body of philately, assist members in acquiring and disposing of philatelic materials and offer services to its members and philately in general to enhance the pleasure and friendliness of stamp collecting.

Eric Spielvogel, Director of Education for APS, gave a brief overview of their newest exhibit, “A Philatelic Memorial of the Holocaust.”

“(We started it) around four or five years ago and it’s just about to open,” said Spielvogel, “We plan to have a private opening for the Jewish community in April or May, and in June we’ll be having a public opening.”

“We used postal history material — actual mail that was sent to and from the ghettos and extermination camps in Europe — to accompany a timeline of Nazi crimes in the 1930s through 1945. The pieces of mail are, in some cases, the only surviving evidence of a victims life and death during the Holocaust,” said Spielvogel.

The exhibit also includes 11 million stamps collected by students in a Massachusetts school. Each stamp represents a victim of the Nazi regime. The exhibit is most appropriate for ages 12 and up, and focuses on not only remembrance and education, but also on empowering future generations to recognize and oppose hatred of all kinds.

Centre County Library & Historical Museum had many of their administration in attendance to talk about their mission.

The Library & Historical Museum comprises three library locations, the historical museum and their bookmobile. They’re a free community designation that provides books, information, internet access and technology resources to preserve Centre County’s heritage and promote a lifetime of reading and learning.

“The building is a 200+ year old house. In addition to holding the administrative offices for the Centre County Library & Historical Museum, it also houses our genealogical collection and county records that pre-date the record storage here at the county offices,” said Denise Sticha.

Sticha also gave a shout out to the other members of her team in attendance; Bonnie Goble, Judy Dombrowski, Beth Schwartz, Pam McCloskey, Deborah Cleeton and Carl Inglesby.

“Having grown up in this area… I don’t know that you can pick one (museum) apart from the other. That’s what makes Centre County a special place,” said Commissioner Steven Dershem, “That’s what (enriches us and) makes Centre County an amazing place to come and visit.”

The final museum representative in attendance was Lori Fisher, one of the Directors of the Bellefonte Art Museum.

The Bellefonte Art Museum is located at the Linn House — which was built in 1810 and is listed in the National American Buildings Survey and on the National Historic Registry.

They’re a non-profit arts organization located in historic downtown Bellefonte. The museum aims to showcase and sell works by local artists, and provide enrichment by displaying art from around the world along with local art. They have seven galleries that rotate on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

It also features an Underground Railroad exhibit, as a remembrance of the role of the region in the operations of the Underground Railroad.

“We have a partnership that we started a year ago with The Makery of State College… We can provide a sister studio in our museum to provide art for families — children and families can come in and co-create together. We have self-led activities that we change each month. It’s a great way to bring families together and allow them the opportunity to create their own piece of art to take home,” said Fisher.

“The Commissioners would like to thank all of the museums in Centre County for improving our quality of life, showing us art, preserving our history and all of the other great things for the children,” said Chairman Mark Higgins.