What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — taking place across the University:
Performances
"Brigadoon" — April 12-23, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage presents Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon."
"Hairspray" — 7:30 p.m., April 14, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Tony Award-winning musical comedy stops at the University Park campus as part of a national tour.
Mwenso and the Shakes — 7:30 p.m., April 19, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. This rescheduled concert will perform "Hope-Resist-Heal: A Celebration of Black Joy."
Josh Gates Live — 7:30 p.m., April 21, Pullo Center, Penn State York. Josh Gates, star of Discovery Channel's "Expedition Unknown," will discuss his television series and answer audience questions.
Lectures
2022 Kenneth Burke Memorial Lecture: Ralph Cintron — 4 p.m., April 14, Hintz Family Alumni Center, University Park campus, and via livestream. Ralph Cintron, author of the book "Democracy as Fetish," and a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will present "Is Democracy Under Attack?" Free.
Pockrass Memorial Lecture: Erica Ciszek — 5:30 p.m., April 14, via Zoom. Erica Ciszek, an assistant professor at the University of Texas, will present "Voices and Representation: Amplification and the Limits of Visibility." Free, but registration required.
Meeting the Moment with Michael Mwenso — April 18-22, via livestream. Harlem-based, cross-genre artist, educator and band leader Michael Mwenso will host Soul Science Lab's Chen Lo and Asante Amin. Free, but registration required.
Expanding Empathy lecture series: Kathryn J. Norlock and Molly Crockett — 3 p.m., April 20, via livestream. Kathryn J. Norlock, professor of philosophy at Trent University will present "Do You Feel Like I Do?" and Molly Crockett, professor of psychology at Yale University will present "Amplification of Digital Outrage: Mechanisms and Consequences." Free.
Events
Campus Pride Month — Through April, various Penn State campuses. The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, in collaboration with partners around Penn State and along with campuses across the commonwealth, is hosting events throughout April to celebrate Pride Month. Free.
Earth Month — Through April, various Penn State campuses. The University is celebrating and promoting the environment and sustainability throughout the month of April. Free.
Bike workshop — 5:30 p.m., April 14, Bike Den, University Park campus. To celebrate Campus Pride Month, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, the Gender Equity Center and Transportation Services are offering a bike workshop for the LGBTQ+ community. Free.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Aloha: An Escape to the Big Island — April 14, Cafe Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Multicultural Children's Festival — April 16, WPSU Studios, Innovation Park, University Park campus. A free children's festival will feature a Chinese dragon dance, Irish dancers and international crafts and food. Free, but registration is encouraged.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Brazilian Carnival: A Night in Rio — April 20, Cafe Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Yellowstone: An Elevated Western Experience — April 21, Cafe Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Art After Hours: Party on the Plaza — 5-8 p.m., April 21, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. In honor of the Palmer's 50th anniversary, the museum will host a party on the plaza with music, performances, art activities and refreshments. Free.
Virtual exhibits
"The World According to Doyle: Editorial Cartoons from The Jerry Doyle Papers at Penn State" — This Penn State University Libraries digital exhibition examines Jerry Doyle, one of the preeminent editorial cartoonists of the 20th century. Free.
"African Brilliance and the Purpose of Art" — This interactive virtual tour accompanied the Palmer Museum of Art’s spring 2020 special exhibition "African Brilliance: A Diplomat’s Sixty Years of Collecting" and will remain available throughout the current academic year. Explore the exhibition installation, images of selected works, videos for guided viewing and related art-making activity suggestions. Free.
"Celebrating the ADA: The Legacy and Evolution of Disability Rights and Lived Experiences at Penn State" — The University Libraries virtual exhibit explores the first 100 years of national disability rights legislation and the movement's impact on the Penn State community. Free.
"Global Asias: Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundations" — This web-based, interactive program from the Palmer Museum of Art features guided video tours of selected exhibition artists in addition to an introductory overview by the curator. Learn about the “Global Asias” concept of personal and cultural identity in a contemporary world. Artists featured include: Jacob Hashimoto, Dinh Q. Lê, Hung Liu, Takashi Murakami, Roger Shimomura, Do Ho Suh and Rirkrit Tiranvanija. Free.
"Pandemic Spaces (1918 Edition)" — The University Libraries virtual display explores architecture related to the devastating influenza epidemic of 1918. Free.
"Who Am I? Art and Identity" — This self-directed, interactive, online tour features a selection of objects from diverse areas of the Palmer Museum of Art’s collection, related through a common exploration of personal or cultural identity. Free.
"Women in Art: Activism + Resistance" — This self-directed, interactive, Palmer Museum of Art online tour is intended for college-level courses and features a selection of objects by female artists in the museum’s collection. In celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, this tour highlights artists working in a variety of mediums during the 20th and 21st centuries who have contributed to political, social and cultural change. Free.
In-person exhibits
Visual Arts Annual Graduate Research Exhibition — Through April 17, HUB-Robeson Center Gallery, University Park campus. The exhibition features the works of current master of fine arts candidates. Free.
"An American Place: Selections from the James and Barbara Palmer Collection" — Through April 24, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Palmer is exhibiting its signature collection of American art. Free.
"Printmaking in the Age of Dürer" — Through May 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Engravings and woodcuts by Albert Dürer, Germany's most important artist of the Renaissance and the first to fully realize the possibilities of printmaking as an expressive vehicle equal to that of painting and sculpture. Free.
"Lunchbox Moments: Seek Understanding. Share Stories. Stop Hate" — Through May 15, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. A multi-faceted exhibition about "lunchbox moments," formative occurrences in many Asian Americans' lives where a traditional Asian meal is eaten at school or home and the meal elicits some sort of reaction, whether it is positive or negative. Free.
"A Way Through: Abstract Art of the 1940s" — Through May 15, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibit provides the comprehensive look at midcentury abstraction in the Palmer's history. Free.
"FRESH" — Through May 17, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. "FRESH" invites viewers to look for what makes someone unique as an individual and to celebrate each person's journey, and features works by Harrison Boden, Emily Furr and Sydney Lee. Free.
"Inside the Frames" — Through May 17, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The exhibit tackles the intricacies of body image and disordered eating, and promotes body positivity and acceptance. Free.
Zombie Ant Experience — Through May, School of Science complex, Penn State Behrend. An interactive sculpture melding art and science models the interactions between spores and ants. Free.
"Scatter Terrain" — Through July 17, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. This exhibition presents pockets of "terrain" — peculiar landscapes, architectural gestures, intimate domestic corners — as a metaphorical means of escape from the pandemic and connection to those who are far away. Free.
"Earth Archives: Stories of Human Impact" — Through Nov. 22, Exhibition Gallery, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. This exhibition in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library explores the intersection of the environment, human activity, climate change and the documentary record. Free.
"Haiti: Liberation of the First Black Republic" — Through Dec. 16, Paterno Family Reading Room, Pattee Library, University Park campus. The exhibit examines the history of Haiti and features rare and distinctive books and manuscripts from the Charles L. Blockson Collection of African Americana and the African Diaspora. Free.