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
Casting Crowns: The Healer Tour — 7 p.m., April 7, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum group Casting Crowns will perform with special guests We Are Messengers and Ben Fuller.
Shinedown: The Revolutions Live Tour — 7 p.m., April 8, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Multi-platinum, chart-topping band Shinedown will perform with Three Days Grace and From Ashes to New.
"Our Planet Live in Concert" — 7:30 p.m., April 11, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Emmy Award-winning Netflix Original documentary series "Our Planet" has been transformed into "Our Planet Live in Concert. The program features stunning imagery of Earth's most beautiful, intriguing and surprising wildlife, paired with new orchestrations by Oscar Award-winning composer Steven Price performed live by a touring ensemble enhanced by members of the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra.
"ON YOUR FEET!" The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan — 7 p.m., April 11, The Pullo Center, Penn State York. ON YOUR FEET! is the inspiring true story about heart, heritage and two people who believed in their talent — and each other — to become an international sensation: Gloria and Emilio Estefan.
"Emilia" — April 11-22, 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.
Campus Comedy Night — 8 p.m., April 12, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Center for the Performing Arts will present a Campus Comedy Night featuring sets by Preacher Lawson and Kate Sisk.
Lectures
Barbara F. Walter lecture — 4 p.m., April 6, Sutliff Auditorium, Lewis Katz Building, University Park campus. As part of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy's spring 2023 speaker series, Barbara F. Walter, one of the world's leading experts on civil wars, violent extremism and domestic terror, will present a lecture on her most recent book, "How Civil Wars Start." Free.
"Bioclimatic Innovation: The Promise of Environmental Building Design" — Noon, April 7, Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, University Park campus. William W. Braham, professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, will discuss current bioclimatic practices, the paradoxical measure of comfort and the architectural innovations afforded by an expanded understanding of environmental building design. Free.
Ronald M. and Susan J. Friedman Endowed Lectureship in Astronomy and Astrophysics: John C. Mather — 2:30 p.m., April 8, 100 Thomas Building, University Park campus. John C. Mather, senior project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 2006, will describe the design and construction of the JWST and review some of its early scientific achievements. Free.
EarthTalks: "Planetary Interior Controls on the Habitability of Rocky Exoplanets" — 4 p.m., April 10, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and on Zoom. Brad Foley, assistant professor of geosciences at Penn State, studies interactions between climate and mantle convection and how these interactions shape planetary evolution and influence a planet's prospects for habitability. Free.
"Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter" — 4 p.m., April 10, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus and on Zoom. Penn State alumnus John Hendrickson, currently a staff writer at the Atlantic, will discuss his critically acclaimed book, "Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter." Free.
"A Conversation with Jim Buzinski" — 6 p.m., April 10, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Penn State alumnus Jim Buzinski, the co-founder of the LGBTQ sports website Outsports and a copy editor at the Los Angeles Times, will discuss the state of LGBTQ people and issues in sports. Free.
"Women of Color in Hollywood" — 6 p.m., April 10, Flex Theatre, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. A quartet of women who have built successful careers in the entertainment industry will discuss their careers and share advice in a panel discussion. Free.
Michael Garrigan poetry reading — 12:15 p.m., April 11, Titelman Study, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Michael Garrigan will give a reading of his two poetry collections, "River, Amen," and "Robbing the Pillars." Free.
"Moral Learning" — 1 p.m., April 12, Zoom. As part of the Penn State Rock Ethics Institute's 2023 Expanding Empathy Speaker Series, two talks will be presented on the topic of moral learning. Victor Kumar, director of the Mind and Mortality Lab at Boston University, will discuss "What We Can Learn from the Historic Decline of Anti-Gay Attitudes;" and Oriel FeldmanHall, the Alfred Manning Associate Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences at Brown University, will present "How Emotion Influences Social Learning." Free.
"Never mind traditional career paths — build your own!" — 11 a.m., April 13, 104 Hosler Building, University Park campus. As part of the Celebrating Women in Energy and Water Research seminar series, Jaquelin Cochran, director of the Grid Planning and Analysis Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will chronical the world-spanning pursuit of her academic and geographic passions. Free.
"The Evolution of the Grid and Pathways to 100% Renewable Electricity" — 4 p.m., April 13, 157 Hosler Building, University Park campus. As part of the Celebrating Women in Energy and Water Research seminar series, Jaquelin Cochran, director of the Grid Planning and Analysis Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will explore changes in the electric grid and the adaptions many utility companies and countries have made while on the road to 100% zero-carbon electricity. Free.
Charles W. Mann Jr. Lecture in the Book Arts — 4 p.m., April 13, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park campus. Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder, artist, writer and bookbinder, will serve as the distinguished speaker for the Penn State University Libraries' 2023 Charles W. Mann Jr. Lecture in the Book Arts.
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.
Sustainability Showcase — Through April 6, Borland Project Space, University Park campus. Hosted by the College of Arts and Architecture, the Sustainability Showcase will feature sustainability research and creative activity undertaken by faculty, staff and students across the college. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Spring High Tea: A Ritzy Tea Party — April 6, 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.
Palmer Museum Family Day: Stories in Art — 1-4 p.m., April 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Enjoy brief, family-friendly tours and hands-on artmaking inspired by art in the galleries. Discover stories told through images and create your own tall tale in words and pictures. Storyteller performances will be scheduled throughout the program. Free.
Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, Inquiry and Creative Activity — April 10-12, Online. Penn State undergraduate student researchers and performers will showcase their work during a multi-day exhibition, capped off by an in-person research poster session on April 12 on the University Park campus. Free.
PS i(Heart)U Week — April 10-14, University Park campus. Hosted by the Blue & White Society, the student chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, PS i(Heart)U Week encourages University pride and celebrates Penn State traditions with a week full of events and activities. Free.
"Compassion Week" — April 12-13, Henderson Building, University Park. For the seventh consecutive year, the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center will host "Compassion Week," which features two public events featuring nationally recognized experts on public health, mindfulness and compassion. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: The Hummus Palace: Habibi, Wake Up Your Taste Buds! — April 13, 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.
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.
"50 Shades of Orange" — April 6-16, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. A body of work by visual art studies senior Amy Norris, "50 Shades of Orange" is about the people who are involved in the criminal justice system and its lasting effects. Free.
"STATIC!" — April 6-16, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. A body of work by visual art studies senior Abraham Onskt, STATIC! explores how people are inundated with opposing viewpoints, which creates disorienting feelings, and how that influences people's beliefs. Free.
"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.
"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.