Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu

The 2023 Patricia Yahn Spring Student Art Show is now open for the Behrend community. 

Since 2016, the Patricia Yahn Student Art Show has been the main sector for Behrend students to showcase their creative output. Taking place in Kochel’s Art Hallway, this year’s exhibit was first opened on April 4. Since then, the pieces, both physical and digital, have been on display and will continue to do so for the remainder of the semester. 

The namesake of the art show, Patricia “Pat” Yahn, was an accomplished artist hailing from the Erie area. Her earliest works were commercial pieces on display in downtown Erie at the Trask department store and the iconic Boston Store. 

Patricia and the rest of the Yahn family have been important figures in the growth and development of the Behrend campus. One of their largest contributions has been the Yahn Planetarium. Originally titled the Erie Planetarium, the 55-seat astronomy theater was moved to Penn State Behrend in 2014 and expanded with support from the Yahns. It was renamed to honor the Yahn family.

For generations, Yahn mentored and supported younger artists. Continuing this support, she created endowments for Penn State Behrend and Mercyhurst University. Said endowment came as a gift in 2016 from Patricia and her son, Greg, to improve and expand the annual student art show at Penn State Behrend. In honor of Patricia’s support, one of her watercolor pieces has continued to be on display in Kochel Art Hallway.

Twenty physical and ten digital art pieces are on display in this year’s art show. Located throughout the hallway are various signs detailing the excellent artists on display. A large television in the hallway displays the digital artwork running on a loop. 

The Student Art Show is a great place to stop and relax during the busy final month of the Spring semester. Take some time to admire the work of exceptional artists in the Behrend community.