The question of self-discovery will be expressed through Penn State student artwork with the opening reception of American Identity: Coming Into Focus exhibition tonight.

A guest speaker and live music will also be featured at the show, which will take place in the Willard G. Rouse III Gallery in the Stuckeman Family Building. On April 2, the exhibition will be divided and placed in residence cultural lounges and will remain there until April 27.

Unique from many on campus art exhibitions, this show was completely student-organized by the group Identity Through Art, which was formed to put the show together.

Identity Through Art Project Director Anthony Le (junior-landscape architecture) said there are about 20 pieces in the gallery, including paintings, photography, drawings and sculptures. All artworks submitted had to address the theme of what it means to be American.

"Basically this is my crazy idea from over the summer, and so I've been overseeing every single part of it," he said. "Topics such as homosexuality, Islamic Middle Eastern culture and visual identity were addressed through the pieces."

Betsy Yaros (senior-photography) said she chose to submit a piece because she was interested in the topic questions.

"Mine was in response to the same-sex marriage topic, and it's entitled 'The Lemmings,' " she said. Yaros created her work by setting up a scene in her apartment with photographs and paper that she photographed. Figures such as President George W. Bush, Rene Portland and Pope Benedict XVI are in a kitchen scene with a same-sex wedding cake.

Yaros said this was one of the most interesting and professionally organized campus exhibitions she's ever been part of.

"In other exhibits, the topics are pretty general, but this is pretty direct. I felt like I was able to respond to a topic and present my message," she said.

Elody Gyekis (junior-painting) addressed the topic of beauty norms in America with her piece "The Value of Skin."

"My piece is fairly large -- it's 5-feet tall and 4-feet wide and made of paper, and there are all these different square pieces together in natural tones," she said. "On each piece of paper there is a painting of a nude figure but they are painted with instant tanners and bleach."