When the founder of Saint Vincent, Father Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., arrived in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1846, he set out to establish a monastery and school that would be immersed in the arts. Envisioning the arts as having the same status and support as science and religion, Wimmer immediately began to assemble artists, teach students, and collect art. As a result, over the past 170 years, Saint Vincent has acquired more than 4,000 works of art of cultural and historic significance. For more than 60 years, the College has maintained a public art gallery for the cultural edification of its students and the greater community; featuring both rotating and permanent collection exhibitions with several thousand visitors each year.

On November 17, 2021, Saint Vincent began a new chapter in its long history of support for the arts with the dedication of a recently expanded exhibition space. Located inside the Dale P. Latimer Library, the Verostko Center for the Arts serves as a creative crossroads, featuring rotating exhibitions culled from Saint Vincent’s impressive permanent collection while also showcasing the work of emerging artists whose work investigates the issues and questions of our contemporary time. Building on the legacy initiated by Wimmer’s bold vision, Saint Vincent continues its commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, creativity, inquiry, and contemplation.