Editor's Note: This is the final edition of "Things to Do at Penn State" for the spring semester. "Things to Do" will resume weekly publication with the start of the fall semester. University events will continue to be published on Penn State News and in Penn State Today throughout the summer.
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
"Emilia" — Through April 22, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage will produce Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's "Emilia," a story of Emilia Bassano Lanier, a writer of radical feminist poetry who lived during the English Renaissance period in Bishopsgate, London, England.
"Cabaret" — Multiple performances, April 19-21, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Student Enrichment Center building, Penn State Harrisburg. The Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities will present its spring musical, "Cabaret." The musical is set in 1931 Berlin amid the seedy nightlife of the Kit Kat club, where a young American writer becomes infatuated with an English cabaret performer in the midst of the Nazi Party's rise to power.
Takács Quartet — 7:30 p.m., April 20, Recital Hall, University Park campus. Now in its 48th season, the Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet earns widespread acclaim as one of the world's best chamber ensembles. The quartet is joined by Julien Labro, the foremost bandoneón and accordion player of his generation.
"Political Song-a-Palooza" — 7 p.m., April 20, The State Theatre, downtown State College. A musical event sponsored by Penn State University Libraries to showcase new, old and original political or protest music performed by students and other Penn State community members. Free. Registration required.
“Icons” — April 21-April 22, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. The Ivyside Pride choral group will perform music written and performed by iconic women in music history.
Songs of My Land — 5 p.m., April 22, Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. A student showcase of performances by Society for Indian Music and Arts and Nritya members.
Penn State Altoona University Jazz Band with the Little Balcony Big Band — 7:30 p.m., April 26, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. The Penn State Altoona University Jazz Band and Little Balcony Big Band will perform musical selections in a variety of contemporary big band styles.
Walker Hayes — 6:30 p.m., April 27, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Grammy-nominated Walker Hayes will visit Penn State as part of his Duck Buck Tour. The show will feature singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress and songwriter and artist Ray Fulcher.
Movin' On Festival — 4 p.m., April 28, intramural fields, University Park campus. Movin’ On, Penn State’s student-run music festival, presents a full lineup for the 2023 event. Headliner J.I.D. will perform, along with COIN, Neon Trees, UPSAHL — the Student Programming Association’s sponsored act — and Mellow Honey — the Movin’ On 2023 Battle winner. Free.
"Bach's Lunch" — 12:10 p.m., April 28, Eisenhower Chapel, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, University Park campus. Voice students in the School of Music's lyric diction class will present their end-of-semester performance final. "Bach's Lunch" is a weekly Thursday afternoon concert series during the school year, jointly sponsored by the School of Music and the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development. Free.
United States Air Force Band: Airmen of Note — 7 p.m., May 3, The Pullo Center, Penn State York. The Airmen of Note is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. The group is one of six musical ensembles that form The U.S. Air Force Band. Eighteen active-duty musicians, including one vocalist, will present its own brand of big band jazz as well as more contemporary forms of jazz.
Lectures
Forum Speaker Series: "True Tall Tales from Tanzania" — 11:30 a.m., April 20, Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel, University Park campus. Derek Lee and Monica Bond, wildlife biologists, activists and Penn State Eberly College of Science professors will present "True Tall Tales from Tanzania."
"An Evening with George Takei" — 7:30 p.m., April 22, The Pullo Center, Penn State York. George Takei is a social justice activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor. He'll share the story of his family’s forced internment as Japanese Americans during WWII and take the audience through his rise to celebrity as a Sci-fi icon and his passionate fight for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality in America.
“All You Need is the Beatles: A Deep Dive into Everything Fab Four” — 6 p.m., April 23, Pine Grove Hall, Pine Grove Mills. Jerry Zolten, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and integrative arts at Penn State Altoona, will co-host a discussion about the cultural impact of the Beatles. The event is the last in a series focusing on musicians from the 1960s and their impact on American culture.
"Pilot, Don’t Panic: Advice for Teaching with AI Writing Generators" — 1 p.m., April 24, the Dreamery, Shields Building, University Park campus. Stephen Monroe, chair and assistant professor of writing and rhetoric at the University of Mississippi, will present a talk hosted by Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) during their spring Dreamery Speaker Series. The event will focus on the uses for AI in the classroom.
“Building a New Understanding of Venus: The Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) Mission” — 4 p.m., April 24, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and via Zoom. Stephanie Getty, research planetary scientist and director of Solar System Exploration Division at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, will give the final EarthTalks lecture of the semester.
AI Distinguished Lecture Series: Mehran Sahami — 1-3 p.m., April 26, 134 HUB, University Park campus. Penn State’s Artificial Intelligence Hub will host Mehran Sahami, the James and Ellenor Chesebrough Professor and Tencent Chair of the computer science department at Stanford University, for a lecture will explore the potential promise and perils of machine learning, a technology with tremendous potential for developing tools to improve efficiency and accuracy in decision-making across various domains. Registration is required.
2023 William D. Minter Lectureship in Conservation: Frank Mowery — 4 p.m., April 27, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park campus and via Zoom. Frank Mowery, a master binder/conservator and rare binding specialist, will present the 2023 William D. Minter lectureship. The talk seeks to raise awareness and advance the knowledge of book and special collection conservation history, theory and practice.
Events
Campus Pride Month — Through April, various campuses. Penn State celebrates Campus Pride Month with a variety of events. Free.
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month — Through April, University Park campus. The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) is collaborating with the Penn State Gender Equity Center and other campus partners and student organizations to host programs, workshops and events to help educate the Penn State community and raise awareness. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Elements: The Taste of Earth, Water, and Fire — April 20, Café 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 Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
"Night at the Museums" — 5-8 p.m., April 20, Various locations, University Park campus. Hosted by the Penn State Museum Consortium, "Night at the Museums" is a chance for students, staff, faculty and the community to visit a variety of unique and interesting museums across campus. Free.
Paul Robeson Cultural Center 50th Anniversary Celebration — 5 p.m., April 21, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. The Paul Robeson Cultural Center will host an evening of celebration that will highlight the rich history and culture that the center continues to foster across the Penn State community. Join PRCC in celebrating 50 years of activism, change, and forward movement
"Reckoning With Slavery Along Old York Road" — April 22, Penn State Abington. Penn State Abington will co-sponsor of a free event that will examine the legacy of enslavement in local communities and explore the historical efforts to end slavery in America by residents of Abington and Cheltenham townships, including early abolitionist Benjamin Lay.
Stone Valley recreation day and day of service — April 22, Stone Valley Recreation Area, Huntingdon County. Stone Valley Recreation Area, an outdoor recreational and educational facility operated by Penn State, will host a recreation day and accompanying day of service on April 22. The recreation day event will feature a variety of free activities, including a climbing wall, hiking, lawn games, disc golf and fishing. Volunteers for the accompanying day of service will be split into groups to accomplish special projects before joining the recreational activities.
Noche Latina — 6 p.m., April 22, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Noche Latina is the Latino Caucus's keynote event celebrating Latinx students at Penn State. Enjoy a pageant highlighting the wonderful Latinx Royalty candidates, accompanied by dinner, performances by Caliente Dance Company, and more. Formal attire is encouraged.
Penn State Powwow — April 22-23, C3 Sports Complex, 200 Ellis Place, University Park. Traditional American Indian dancers and Native Drum Groups from American Indian reservations and communities across the United States and Canada will take part in the Penn State Traditional American Indian Powwow. The event includes dancing and performances, vendors of traditional Native American items, and native foods. Free.
Open Dance Class with Allied Motion Dance Company — 1-2:15 p.m., April 23, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. A class covering modern dance as taught by dance faculty member KT Huckabee. Participants must be 18 years old to participate.
Touch of Africa — 5:30 p.m., April 23, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Touch of Africa (TOA) is a celebration of the rich African culture at Penn State. TOA is a formal event featuring dinner, live artists, student performances, and a fashion show. The showcase highlights Africa's essence by displaying talents which range from traditional to contemporary music and designs, accompanied by an assortment of African cuisines.
Student Panel on Autism Awareness — 12-1 p.m., April 25, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder will share their personal stories and answer questions.
United Way benefit: "Over The Edge" — May 19, Beaver Stadium, University Park campus. A charitable event — and the first of its kind to be held at Beaver Stadium — will allow selected participants to rappel 110 feet from the south side of the country’s second-largest stadium to benefit the Centre County United Way. All proceeds from the event benefit the Centre County United Way, which has been the University’s charity of choice for nearly 50 years.
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners plant sales and expert advice — April-June, Multiple locations. In April, May and June, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners will offer plant sales and expert gardening advice in locations around the state.
Virtual exhibits
"Penn State Women's Athletics and Title IX: The Success and Struggles for Equal Access" — Through May. This University Libraries exhibit focuses on the impact Title IX legislation has had on Penn State women student-athletes. 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.
"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.
In-person exhibits
"Healing Through Transformational Art" — April 1-May 31, Friedman Art Gallery, Penn State Wilkes-Barre. The exhibit features artwork by members of Together We Initiate Growth & Stability (TWIGS), a Dallas-based organization that offers transformational art sessions to stimulate the mind and create a healthier thought process for those who participate. Free.
"Facing Forward: Portraits Looking to Our Future" — April 3-May 31, Henry Gallery, Penn State Great Valley. The exhibit focuses on portraiture to tell stories of inspiration, hope, challenge and change that face this time in history head-on. Free.
"What Were You Wearing?" — April 3-28, Williams Building, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the powerful display features clothing replicas and accompanying stories from survivors of sexual assault, challenging the pervasive myth that what a person wears can contribute to or justify their assault. Free.
"When it starts, we will let the host know you're waiting" — April 19-May 13, Freyberger Gallery, Penn State Berks. An installation by Philadelphia-based artist Alicia Link addresses inequity through the visual language of the gynecologist's office and waiting room. Free.
“ACCESS DENIED” — Through April 30, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. A body of work by Matthew Hicks offering a glimpse into the world of childhood food insecurity, inspired by Hicks' own experiences with childhood poverty.
"Blood, Sweat and Steel" — Through April 28, Patterson Gallery, University Park campus. An exhibition of metal fabrication and mixed media artwork by School of Visual Arts undergraduates will be on display in approved outdoor locations and in Patterson Gallery this month.
Engineering showcase — 1-3:30 p.m., April 25, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. The Learning Factory will host its end-of-semester showcase for senior engineering students to present their capstone design projects. An additional virtual showcase will take place April 26-May 5. Free.
Campus and Community Sustainability Expo — 5-7 p.m., April 27, 243 S. Allen St., University Park campus. The Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC), the curricular engaged scholarship and outreach program of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State, is concluding the spring semester with an expo to showcase student and community projects.
"Limitless" — May 3-5, 24 Borland Building, University Park campus. Fourth-year graphic design students in the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School will showcase their final work in a capstone exhibition centered around design ideas related to sustainability.
"Hard Candy Tectonics" — Through May 14, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Building, University Park campus. Works by Gracelee Lawrence showcase glimmering and seductive surfaces blending into sensual volumes in space that together form the plastic sublime that are Lawrence's sculptures. Free.
"Happy Landscapes: Wellbeing by Design" — Through May, Rouse Gallery, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. Work by Peruvian architect Coco Alarcon reflects how landscapes can address happiness, mental health and well-being. Free.
"Sticky Mirror" — Through May 30, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Building, University Park campus. An exhibition of artist Sarah Sutton's work that imagine in-between space, scalar fluidity, and what the artist calls psychic spaces, where the private and public realm collapse. Free.
"Between the Lines: Global Histories of the Book" — Through Aug. 28, Special Collections Exhibition gallery, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. Students in HIST 255N: History of the Book share insights and books through this exhibition about the forms and functions of books. Free.
"Zombie Ant Experience" — Through August, Perkins Student Center, Penn State Berks. This interactive art installation also serves as a teaching tool to illustrate spore trajectories and how ants are transformed into "zombies." Free.
"Evan Pugh: Student to Scientist" — Through October, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery, Deike Building, University Park campus. The exhibit explores two distinct stages in the life of Evan Pugh, Penn State's first president. Free.
Gall wasps exhibit — Through October, Frost Entomological Museum, University Park campus. This new exhibit is aimed at cultivating awareness about gall wasps and showcasing their beauty and diversity. Free.
"Black Feminist Embodiments of Self-Love and Self-Recovery" — Through Nov. 20. Inspired by a scene in Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved," set in Ohio prior to Emancipation, the exhibition displays sources of self-love and self-recovery found in a variety of literature by and about Black women. Free.
"I Am a Penn Stater: Nittany Lions in World War II" — Through June 2025, Penn State All-Sports Museum, Beaver Stadium, University Park campus. Timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the conflict, "I Am a Penn Stater" chronicles the contributions of Nittany Lion varsity lettermen and Women’s Recreation Association athletes during the conflict and follows their service from training in the United States, to fighting on battlefields around the globe, to their postwar occupations. Free.