Carrying the Unseen- Portraits of the Invisible Burdens MFA Thesis Exhibition
"Carrying the Unseen presents large-scale portraits of composure under strain. The figures appear controlled, even stable—but the surface refuses to hold. In many works, weighted forms emerge from the body, forcing invisible pressures into view. In others, disruption occurs through fragmentation, erasure, and mark-making. These works don’t illustrate burden; they make it unavoidable, turning the portrait into a site where what is usually hidden can no longer stay contained.
Event Name: Carrying the Unseen. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A sepia-toned promotional poster featuring a detailed portrait of an older man with a gentle smile, wearing a wide-brimmed bucket hat and a patterned garment. The artwork has a soft, textured, almost charcoal-drawing style. Large text across the top reads “Carrying the Unseen,” with smaller text above it saying “Portraits of the Invisible Burdens.”
In the lower portion, event details appear: “MFA Thesis Exhibition,” “Artist: Adwar Oguttuh,” and an Instagram handle “@adwar_art.” Additional text announces… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Dancing on Strings MFA Thesis Exhibition
Dancing on Strings explores rhythm as a visual language of identity. Rooted in his Ghanaian heritage and shaped by his experience as an immigrant, Botchway translates patterns of sound, memory, and movement into ceramic form. Through sgraffito, he carves layered surfaces to reveal intricate, rhythmic markings inspired by Akan symbolism and textile traditions. Though silent, the works function like visual scores—inviting viewers to “hear” through looking and to trace rhythm through the body. The exhibition reflects on the gap between visibility and understanding: what it means to be seen, yet not fully known. Botchway’s work positions rhythm as both a cultural inheritance and a tool for navigating and reshaping identity across spaces.
Event Name: Dancing on Strings. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A clean, modern exhibition poster with a light gray background and bold blue typography. At the top, the artist’s name, “Robert Botchway,” appears in spaced-out black letters. Below it, large blue text reads “DANCING,” with “on strings” written in a flowing script overlapping the word.
A blue banner across the middle reads “MFA THESIS EXHIBITION.” Beneath it is a centered image of a colorful sculptural artwork featuring abstract, organic shapes in bright blue, orange, yellow, and green, with circular ope… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
Carrying the Unseen- Portraits of the Invisible Burdens MFA Thesis Exhibition
"Carrying the Unseen presents large-scale portraits of composure under strain. The figures appear controlled, even stable—but the surface refuses to hold. In many works, weighted forms emerge from the body, forcing invisible pressures into view. In others, disruption occurs through fragmentation, erasure, and mark-making. These works don’t illustrate burden; they make it unavoidable, turning the portrait into a site where what is usually hidden can no longer stay contained.
Event Name: Carrying the Unseen. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A sepia-toned promotional poster featuring a detailed portrait of an older man with a gentle smile, wearing a wide-brimmed bucket hat and a patterned garment. The artwork has a soft, textured, almost charcoal-drawing style. Large text across the top reads “Carrying the Unseen,” with smaller text above it saying “Portraits of the Invisible Burdens.”
In the lower portion, event details appear: “MFA Thesis Exhibition,” “Artist: Adwar Oguttuh,” and an Instagram handle “@adwar_art.” Additional text announces… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Dancing on Strings MFA Thesis Exhibition
Dancing on Strings explores rhythm as a visual language of identity. Rooted in his Ghanaian heritage and shaped by his experience as an immigrant, Botchway translates patterns of sound, memory, and movement into ceramic form. Through sgraffito, he carves layered surfaces to reveal intricate, rhythmic markings inspired by Akan symbolism and textile traditions. Though silent, the works function like visual scores—inviting viewers to “hear” through looking and to trace rhythm through the body. The exhibition reflects on the gap between visibility and understanding: what it means to be seen, yet not fully known. Botchway’s work positions rhythm as both a cultural inheritance and a tool for navigating and reshaping identity across spaces.
Event Name: Dancing on Strings. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A clean, modern exhibition poster with a light gray background and bold blue typography. At the top, the artist’s name, “Robert Botchway,” appears in spaced-out black letters. Below it, large blue text reads “DANCING,” with “on strings” written in a flowing script overlapping the word.
A blue banner across the middle reads “MFA THESIS EXHIBITION.” Beneath it is a centered image of a colorful sculptural artwork featuring abstract, organic shapes in bright blue, orange, yellow, and green, with circular ope… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
Carrying the Unseen- Portraits of the Invisible Burdens MFA Thesis Exhibition
"Carrying the Unseen presents large-scale portraits of composure under strain. The figures appear controlled, even stable—but the surface refuses to hold. In many works, weighted forms emerge from the body, forcing invisible pressures into view. In others, disruption occurs through fragmentation, erasure, and mark-making. These works don’t illustrate burden; they make it unavoidable, turning the portrait into a site where what is usually hidden can no longer stay contained.
Event Name: Carrying the Unseen. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A sepia-toned promotional poster featuring a detailed portrait of an older man with a gentle smile, wearing a wide-brimmed bucket hat and a patterned garment. The artwork has a soft, textured, almost charcoal-drawing style. Large text across the top reads “Carrying the Unseen,” with smaller text above it saying “Portraits of the Invisible Burdens.”
In the lower portion, event details appear: “MFA Thesis Exhibition,” “Artist: Adwar Oguttuh,” and an Instagram handle “@adwar_art.” Additional text announces… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery.
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Dancing on Strings MFA Thesis Exhibition
Dancing on Strings explores rhythm as a visual language of identity. Rooted in his Ghanaian heritage and shaped by his experience as an immigrant, Botchway translates patterns of sound, memory, and movement into ceramic form. Through sgraffito, he carves layered surfaces to reveal intricate, rhythmic markings inspired by Akan symbolism and textile traditions. Though silent, the works function like visual scores—inviting viewers to “hear” through looking and to trace rhythm through the body. The exhibition reflects on the gap between visibility and understanding: what it means to be seen, yet not fully known. Botchway’s work positions rhythm as both a cultural inheritance and a tool for navigating and reshaping identity across spaces.
Event Name: Dancing on Strings. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A clean, modern exhibition poster with a light gray background and bold blue typography. At the top, the artist’s name, “Robert Botchway,” appears in spaced-out black letters. Below it, large blue text reads “DANCING,” with “on strings” written in a flowing script overlapping the word.
A blue banner across the middle reads “MFA THESIS EXHIBITION.” Beneath it is a centered image of a colorful sculptural artwork featuring abstract, organic shapes in bright blue, orange, yellow, and green, with circular ope… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required.
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
Carrying the Unseen- Portraits of the Invisible Burdens MFA Thesis Exhibition
"Carrying the Unseen presents large-scale portraits of composure under strain. The figures appear controlled, even stable—but the surface refuses to hold. In many works, weighted forms emerge from the body, forcing invisible pressures into view. In others, disruption occurs through fragmentation, erasure, and mark-making. These works don’t illustrate burden; they make it unavoidable, turning the portrait into a site where what is usually hidden can no longer stay contained.
Event Name: Carrying the Unseen. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A sepia-toned promotional poster featuring a detailed portrait of an older man with a gentle smile, wearing a wide-brimmed bucket hat and a patterned garment. The artwork has a soft, textured, almost charcoal-drawing style. Large text across the top reads “Carrying the Unseen,” with smaller text above it saying “Portraits of the Invisible Burdens.”
In the lower portion, event details appear: “MFA Thesis Exhibition,” “Artist: Adwar Oguttuh,” and an Instagram handle “@adwar_art.” Additional text announces… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery.
Friday, May 8, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Dancing on Strings MFA Thesis Exhibition
Dancing on Strings explores rhythm as a visual language of identity. Rooted in his Ghanaian heritage and shaped by his experience as an immigrant, Botchway translates patterns of sound, memory, and movement into ceramic form. Through sgraffito, he carves layered surfaces to reveal intricate, rhythmic markings inspired by Akan symbolism and textile traditions. Though silent, the works function like visual scores—inviting viewers to “hear” through looking and to trace rhythm through the body. The exhibition reflects on the gap between visibility and understanding: what it means to be seen, yet not fully known. Botchway’s work positions rhythm as both a cultural inheritance and a tool for navigating and reshaping identity across spaces.
Event Name: Dancing on Strings. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - VARTS. Categories: Campus - University Park, Open to the Public, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): A clean, modern exhibition poster with a light gray background and bold blue typography. At the top, the artist’s name, “Robert Botchway,” appears in spaced-out black letters. Below it, large blue text reads “DANCING,” with “on strings” written in a flowing script overlapping the word.
A blue banner across the middle reads “MFA THESIS EXHIBITION.” Beneath it is a centered image of a colorful sculptural artwork featuring abstract, organic shapes in bright blue, orange, yellow, and green, with circular ope… Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Visual Arts Building- Zoller Gallery. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required.
Friday, May 8, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
DMA Final Recital: Bryan O'Lone, piano
Event Name: Bryan O'Lone Recital. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - MUSIC. Categories: Campus - University Park. Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Esber Rehearsal Hall. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required. AA - Ticketed Event? Free Admission. AA - Will you be using piano? TRUE. AA - Livestreamed Event? FALSE.
Friday, May 8, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
UP: Music I 121 Esber Rehearsal Hall.
Stuckeman School Undergraduate Commencement Reception
All Stuckeman School undergraduate students who are graduating are invited to the school's Commencement Reception at 4 p.m. May 9 in the Stuckeman Familiy Building Jury Space. Families are welcome.
Event Name: Stuckeman Commencement Reception. Organization: UP - School - Stuckeman. Categories: Campus - University Park, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): Blue promotional graphic for “Stuckeman School Graduation Celebrations” listing two events in the Jury Space: Saturday, May 9, Undergraduate Student Reception, 4–6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 10, Graduate Student Luncheon, 12–2 p.m. RSVP by May 1 to ea117@psu.edu with number of guests. Penn State Stuckeman School logo appears at the bottom. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required.
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Stuckeman School Graduate Student Commencement Luncheon
All Stuckeman School graduate students that are graduating are invited to the school's Graduate Commencement Luncheon at noon on May 10 in the Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space. Families are welcome. Please RSVP by May 1 to eal17@psu.edu.
Event Name: Stuckeman Graduate Commencement Lunch. Organization: UP - School - Stuckeman. Categories: Campus - University Park, College - Arts & Architecture. Event Image's Description (Alt Text): Blue promotional graphic for “Stuckeman School Graduation Celebrations” listing two events in the Jury Space: Saturday, May 9, Undergraduate Student Reception, 4–6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 10, Graduate Student Luncheon, 12–2 p.m. RSVP by May 1 to ea117@psu.edu with number of guests. Penn State Stuckeman School logo appears at the bottom. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required.
Sunday, May 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Guest Artist Masterclass: Roberto Fabbri & Alessandro Minci, classical guitar
Event Name: Guitar GA Masterclass. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - MUSIC. Categories: Campus - University Park. Ticketed Event? Free Admission. Livestreamed Event? FALSE. Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Recital Hall. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required. AA - Ticketed Event? Free Admission. AA - Livestreamed Event? FALSE.
Monday, May 11, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
UP: Music I 130 Recital Hall.
Guest Artist Recital: Roberto Fabbri & Alessandro Minci, classical guitar
Event Name: Guitar GA Recital. Organization: UP - Dept - A&A - MUSIC. Categories: Campus - University Park. Ticketed Event? Free Admission. Livestreamed Event? FALSE. Location Details (Venue Name/Virtual Platform): Recital Hall. AA - Admission Type: Free, no registration or ticket required. AA - Ticketed Event? Free Admission. AA - Livestreamed Event? FALSE.
Monday, May 11, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
UP: Music I 130 Recital Hall.