The Palmer Museum of Art will hold a discussion-based workshop titled "Revolutionary Women Artists" at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

The event is being co-sponsored by Penn State's Hillel, The Commission for Women and The Center for Women's Studies.

"The goal of this event is to empower men and women so that they can become revolutionary individuals," said Allison Ungar, Women of Hillel chair.

Ungar became involved with women's event programming through her involvement with Women of Hillel, and she has chaired the club for two years.

"Allison really pulled together this event," said Jeffrey Eisenstat, who serves on Hillel's Board of Directors. "The workshop will work directly with students, including showing them artwork around the museum, but the event is open to the public."

The event will be lead by Micaela Amato, a women's studies and art professor.

"I will be discussing the idea of Jewish women artists as revolutionary thinkers and how they changed 20th-century art," Amato said.

Amato will be discussing renowned artists such as Gertrude Stein, Sonia Delaunay, Meret Oppenheim, Claude Cahun, Maya Deren, Eva Hesse and Nancy Spero, to name a few.

"I am careful not to stereotype Jewish artists, women artists or Jewish women artists," Amato said. "I don't believe in biological determinism; there are many artists who have made huge innovations."

Themes that will be discussed in the workshop are universal and not restricted just to Jewish women artists.

"It will focus on questions like: What can art be? What should it be? What is a revolutionary act? And who in your life has been revolutionary in thoughts or actions?" Ungar said.

Amato will also discuss Meyer Schapiro, professor at Columbia University and a 20th-century historian.

"Meyer addresses the 20th-century experience about anxiety, identity and selfhood, which is quintessentially Jewish and quintessentially modern," Amato said.

Amato said that she relates personally to the theme of the reconciliation between the self and history.

"My own work is interdisciplinary, intermedia and many other things," she said. "It reflects the nature of my own ambiguities, not only as a woman, but also as a Jewish artist myself."

Amato said there is no need to RSVP since the event is free and open to the public.

"Regardless of your experience in art and art critique, this will be an interactive workshop that anyone will enjoy," Ungar said.