A middle-aged couple stands alone in a giant room with white walls.

The woman's dark curls flop to the side as she tilts her head slightly, examining the Ansel Adams photograph before her.

Leaning closer to her husband, she whispers something that is inaudible from just five feet away.

The spotlights shining from the lofty ceilings above seem to highlight the fact that Gallery II of the Palmer Museum of Art is virtually empty except for the woman in orange and her slightly older companion.

"The trouble is getting people through the door," Joyce Robinson, curator for the museum said.

The Ansel Adams and Edwin Land photograph exhibit at the Palmer ended Sept. 9, and with more than 40,000 students at this university, the majority of students did not even know it was there, Robinson said.

First created in 1972, the museum has numerous galleries and an ever-expanding permanent collection. Thanks to a 1993 renovation, the museum has a 150-seat auditorium and its own gift shop. Yet, the Forum building next door on Curtin Road seems to attract more attention.

"It is a struggle to get out our message," said Jan Muhlert, director of the museum, twirling her glasses in her hands while glancing at Robinson, sitting across the table.

"We want to remind people we are here," she said.

If students want to stop by in between classes, Muhlert said, they are encouraged to remember they don't need to devote a ton of time in the museum and can even come in and find "a quiet corner" to read.

"It's a great place to bring parents," Robinson added.

If students are in search of places to bring relatives other than bars and fraternity houses, the museum promises a parent-friendly atmosphere, although Robinson said her interest has recently been piqued in "cutting-edge contemporary art."

Robinson, who has worked for 10 years as a curator for the museum, blushed while explaining the museum doesn't shy away from work "that is experimental."

Jen Cozad (senior-art history), who has done both work-study and an internship at the museum, said the museum is an escape for her.

The soft-spoken Cozad said -- with passion -- that she wishes more students would take advantage of the museum.

Getting the Job Done

The museum -- with galleries filled with works from the museum's permanent collection -- also offers audiences three "temporary or changing" galleries, said Ronald Hand, the exhibition designer.

"I work with the placement, color, flow of the galleries, graphics, posters and signage. Actually, I do all the work," he said jokingly.

When Richard Hall, the museums's preparator, walks by, Hand points a finger his way.

"No, he really does all the work," he said.

Responsible for the manual preparations, from matting and framing to figuring out how to hang large contemporary works from ceilings, Hall is another vital member of the team.

Together, the museum's staff designs and displays 11 galleries of art.

"We plan very far in the future," Robinson said. "Typically, either a semester to three years in advance for exhibits."

Depending on whether or not exhibits are traveling as shows from other universities or museums or if they are pieces on loan from individuals, the planning is something that takes great commitment.

"Right now, we are looking at 2010," Muhlert added. "We are trying to get more support from corporations."

When it comes to funding, the museum relies heavily on its primary membership group -- Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art.

Muhlert and Robinson said they also have different contributing entities such as university funds, individuals, federal funding agencies and fundraisers.

But Muhlert said it's important to remember that the museum, unlike the performing arts or music venues here at Penn State, doesn't profit from ticket revenue.

"You don't really make money in this business," Robinson added.

Between the shipping of art, the lender's fees and struggles with budget cuts, the idea of profiting in the museum world seems bleak.

Yet, the two women do not seem to mind.

"We're here as a resource, for the community and the college." Muhlert said with pride.

On a Mission

Working closely with the School of Visual Arts, the museum offers not only exhibits that change with each semester, but also musical concerts and even many film series that correspond with different artists and or themes of exhibits.

"We try to complement or add to the array that is already on campus," Muhlert said.

The museum also hopes to incorporate a younger support group as the 12-member staff is working with students like Cozad to develop podcasts that will help people learn about the works of art, Robinson said.

"We believe the students should benefit just as much as we do from their help," Muhlert said. "The education and experience you can have at the museum goes far beyond the lectures."

Cozad explained that much of her work as an intern this past summer dealt with working on developing the podcasts that the staff hopes will eventually serve as "the new wall label."

She said the overall experience of the museum is what attracted her to the museum.

"I've had friends who are not artsy come to check it out. It gives you insight into many fields," Cozad said.

Whether museum-goers are standing in the gallery of contemporary art, staring at Jerry Kearns' 100-by-88 inch acrylic on canvas piece that looks like it popped straight out of Sin City or examining the ancient coin collection, some of which resemble clumps of dirt more than today's penny, the museum has a little something special for everyone.