Company Profile
Susquehanna Art Museum
Company Overview
For 22 years and counting, the Susquehanna Art Museum has provided a forum for innovative, relevant and engaging art exhibitions and experiences that foster creative exploration, collaboration and community engagement. As central Pennsylvania’s only dedicated art museum, SAM mounts exhibits that reflect the diverse cultural heritage of the community as well as a wide range of aesthetic interests. The main galleries feature artworks of nationally and internationally recognized artists. The DOSHI Gallery for Contemporary Art, which has a rich history in the Harrisburg community, spotlights the works of more than 110 regional artists annually.
Inspiring and enriching lie at the heart of SAM’s innovative cultural arts program, the VanGo! Museum on Wheels. Reaching 20,000 students each year, VanGo! brings original works of art to students who otherwise lack such opportunities and provides an incredibly entertaining, educational and powerful program that connects the visual arts and academics. VanGo! teaches all children that creativity lies within every human being, and provides a forum for further development of important problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
SAM is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring visitors of all ages to become more familiar with; knowledgeable of and appreciative of the art and culture that surrounds them. Educational programming is developed to enhance and enrich the visitor experience, providing a wide variety of classes, lectures, workshops, discussions, critiques and more for adult learners. SAM's kid’s art programs explore drawing, painting, sculpture, art history and art appreciation and provide a unique educational experience where students can learn from original works of art in a museum setting.
SAM takes pride in its many accomplishments and is eager to fulfill a longstanding goal: its own space, a 21st century museum facility worthy of SAM’s exhibition standards that would enable the institution to mount several shows simultaneously, expand its programming and pursue accreditation through the American Association of Museums (AAM). Now SAM, Harrisburg’s only museum devoted exclusively to art, stands ready to ensure that the Capital Region can enjoy masterpieces from a host of world-class collections. Not only will SAM finally have a permanent home that can meet the American Association of Museum’s accreditation standards, but plans include state of the art…
• Display and Education galleries featuring interactive exhibits and multimedia stations to engage visitors of all ages;
• Gallery and classroom spaces to accommodate artists-in-residence, student exhibits, arts programming, instruction, and artist education and career development;
• Community facilities, including space suitable for lectures, film screenings, and multimedia presentations and meeting rooms
The new SAM will also include a museum store and events center to complement the visitor experience while providing earned income for the institution. SAM plans to expand its virtual programming offerings as well, for example, creating distance learning programs and using its website to provide content to educators, parents, children, and anyone interested in the arts. With its new role will come attendant increases in SAM’s operating budget and staff roster.