Screenprint of a group of women in colorful coats, masks, hoods/hats, and teal aprons with a ghosted image of another woman behind them with arms up holding a protest sign. The phrases, “Homenaje a Dolores Huerta: 1965,” “Women’s Work is Never done,” and “California Broccoli Harvest: 1995” are written in gray at the left, bottom, and right margins.

America Works: Building and Sustaining the Nation

September 26 - December 13, 2026

Barbara and Lee Maimon Teaching Gallery | Level 2

America Works: Building and Sustaining the Nation traces the deep connections among work, power, and nation-building in the United States. The exhibition takes a broad approach to the experience of work, including historically unfree labor, traditionally visible work in manufacturing and the service industry, as well as less recognized, unpaid care work. A selection of diverse objects highlights how working conditions have differed by race, gender, and immigration status, while exploring the culture and politics of working people. Ultimately, America Works addresses how changes in technology, law and policy, and activism on the part of workers have impacted labor dynamics throughout history.

This exhibition is curated in collaboration with professors Kate Ragon, Carla Lima Aranzaes, and Arthur Matthews from Penn State’s School of Labor and Employment Relations in the College of the Liberal Arts. Organized by the Palmer Museum of Art.