Hidden Gems: The Oliver LaGrone Cultural Arts Center at Penn State Harrisburg

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Tucked within the Olmsted Building at Penn State Harrisburg, the Oliver LaGrone Cultural Arts Center is a space where art and community intersect. Serving as both an exhibition space and a community hub, the center offers an opportunity for visitors to engage with history and each other.

The center was originally established as the Black Cultural Arts Center and was launched around the creation of the Black Student Union in 1970. The center served to recognize and honor Black history and offered opportunities for education and connection with the Penn State Harrisburg community. In 1998, it was renamed to honor Oliver LaGrone, an African American sculptor, poet, and humanitarian, who served as an artist-in-residence for 19 Penn State campuses in 1975.

In his role, LaGrone offered lectures, mentored students and highlighted the power of art to speak to issues of identity, justice and belonging. The cultural center aims to continue these themes through exhibitions and artwork, such as a mural painted in 1980 by Toni Truesdale and Penn State students. The mural, titled "Mural of African-American History," showcases generations of notable Black figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., and W.E.B. DuBois.

Visitors to the center also have the opportunity to view art created by LaGrone. Several of his sculptures, including "The Dancer," "Harriet Tubman," and "Dr. Carter G. Woodson," are on display year-round, alongside a bust of LaGrone donated by Penn State Harrisburg alumni.

The cultural center is available for use as a study space or rest stop between classes or on campus visits. The space also can be used for meetings, events and gathering.The Oliver LaGrone Cultural Arts Center is located in Room W132 of the Olmsted Building.

The center's regular hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Visitors can sign in and share the reason for their visit by scanning the QR code posted on the room's door or by visiting the Oliver LaGrone Cultural Arts Center Sign-In Form.