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
Vocal Dimensions and Inner Dimensions — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, Recital Hall, University Park campus. Penn State’s premiere vocal Jazz ensemble, Vocal Dimensions, and big band Inner Dimensions will present their fall concert.
An Evening with Peter Billingsley and “A Christmas Story” — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, Pullo Center, York campus. The holiday classic movie “A Christmas Story” will be shown on the big screen, followed by a Q&A with Peter Billingsley. VIP ticket holders will get a meet-and-greet with the iconic actor before the show.
Ivyside Pride Choral Group: “Joy” — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5-6, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. The concert features classical, gospel, folk and contemporary selections, as well as African American spirituals.
Get The Led Out — 8 p.m., Dec. 7, Pullo Center, York campus. Fans of the rock band Led Zeppelin will get a chance to experience classic hit songs, as well as lesser-known Zeppelin songs, live in a high-energy performance. No wigs or fake accents here!
"Mosaic" — 4 p.m., Dec. 8, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Penn State School of Music will feature its popular “Mosaic” performance, including the school’s most talented ensembles and soloists for a unique, fast-paced concert experience.
“A Motown Christmas” — 7 p.m., Dec. 10, Pullo Center, York campus. Members of some of Motown’s most legendary groups — including The Temptations, The Miracles and The Contours — will come together to perform family friendly holiday classics in soulful Motown style.
“Seasons of Love” — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 10, Recital Hall, University Park campus. Penn State School of Music announces the inaugural performance of its Opera Workshop, led by new faculty members Dawn Pierce and Parker Konkle. This unique presentation will explore a range of lyric repertoire, offering an avant-garde experience that merges music, movement, and storytelling.
Symphonic Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble: "Renewed" — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 11, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Join the Symphonic Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble for their semester closer, "RENEWED." Both ensembles will feature works by Revelli award winning composer, Viet Cuong, to conclude his residency at Penn State.
Bach's Lunch — 12:10 p.m., Dec. 12, Eisenhower Chapel, University Park campus. A weekly Thursday afternoon concert series during the school year. Concerts are approximately 30 minutes in length in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour.
Penn State Altoona University Jazz Band — 2:30 p.m., Dec. 14, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. This student ensemble will perform musical selections in a variety of contemporary big band styles.
“The Nutcracker” — Dec. 14-15, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania Nittany Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker,” transporting audiences to a magical world where life-sized toy soldiers fight giant mice, snowflakes dance, and the Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes all.
EMC Annual Holiday Celebration — 4 p.m., Dec. 15, Pullo Center, York campus. Join the EMC Performing Arts Studio in ringing in the spirit of the season with choreography set to your favorite holiday music. A festive presentation of dance, music, and acrobatics performed by people of all ages will entertain the whole family.
“A Christmas Carol” — Dec. 17-20, Schwab Auditorium, University Park campus. Join Centre Stage and the School of Theatre for a unique series of performances of this classic story, performed by the professional artists on the school’s faculty, along with students and members of the community in a unique Town and Gown event for the holiday season.
Events
Celebration of the Arts — 12:15-1 p.m., Dec. 5, Academic Commons Barry Auditorium, Wilkes-Barre campus. The program includes a holiday concert by the Wyoming Valley West Chamber Strings and will introduce musicians and artists in attendance whose work will be on display in the campus' annual High School Art Exhibit.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Retro Diner Revival: Classic Comfort Food Reimagined — Dec. 5, 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: Creative Self-Care Studio Session — 5:30-7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Get creative, connect with others, move your hands, learn about self-care art techniques, and take time to relax and rejuvenate through art-making processes in these drop-in sessions. Sessions will focus on therapeutic art practices for self-care as well as provide a time and place to build community with other creative people. Free.
Nittany Valley Half Marathon — Dec. 8, State College. First run in 1984 as part of the final running of the Nittany Valley Marathon, the Nittany Valley Half Marathon has since blossomed into one of the region’s most popular road races, drawing several hundred runners each year.
PSAA Presents: Paint Night — 7-9 p.m., Dec. 9, via Zoom. Get ready for a cozy night of creativity with the Alumni Association! State College artist Jackie Gianico will lead a virtual painting session and guide you in creating your very own Penn State-inspired winter masterpiece. Whether you're a seasoned artist or picking up a brush for the first time, all Penn Staters are welcome.
Yoga at the Palmer — Noon-1 p.m., Dec. 11, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Join Latisha Franklin for free, drop-in yoga, mindful movement, and meditation classes at the museum. All bodies are welcome, and no experience is necessary.
Lectures
“The Secret History of Walden Pond” — 2:30 p.m., Dec. 5, Foster Auditorium, Pattee-Paterno Library, University Park campus and via Zoom. Professor Emeritus Ian Stuart Marshall will present a lecture diving into the untold stories of the world’s most famous pond. The talk reveals how Walden Pond influenced pivotal moments in history and faces ongoing environmental challenges.
“Importance of Social Infrastructure for Strengthening Community Preparedness and Adaptation to Climate Change” — 12 p.m., Dec. 13, via Zoom. Erica Husser, Penn State assistant research professor of nursing, and Kristina Brant, Penn State assistant professor of rural sociology, will provide an overview of the role that social networks and institutions play in building community resilience when responding to health challenges associated with climate change and innovative initiatives happening in Pennsylvania.
In-person exhibits
“Re/Collecting the Andes: Andean Art, Science, and the Sacred at Penn State” — Through Dec. 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. “Re/Collecting the Andes” tells the story of more than 10,000 years of agricultural, cultural, intellectual and religious innovation in the Andes region of South America. It also narrates how the Incas and their surviving Andean subjects reclaimed that legacy after Spain's invasion, through museums, science and art.
“Re(de)fining Landscape” — Through Dec. 13, Abington Art Gallery, Abington campus. Bonnie Levinthal’s work is rooted in the exploration and re-presentation of landscape, incorporating methods and mediums that connect process with content to create a visual record of her experiences in response to place. This exhibition showcases three bodies of work alongside artist’s journals, reflecting Levinthal’s response to place through a sampling of artworks completed at home and abroad.
“Symphonic Worlds” — Through Dec. 14, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Kiki Gaffney exploring the natural environment through recognizable imagery in combination with conceptual and abstract ideas.
“Threads, Folds & Rabbit Holes” — Through Dec. 14, McLanahan Galler, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A well-received interdisciplinary traveling exhibition featuring the paintings/textiles of Kristy Deetz and two books of ekphrastic stories of the artwork written by Edward Risden, whose pen name is Edward S. Louis.
"Stickloon Contemporary: Still Life" — Through Dec. 20, Art Space, Student Community Center, Schuylkill campus. An exhibit featuring artist and retired Penn State Schuylkill art instructor Robert Stickloon's works.
"Caretelling: Stories to Sustain Ourselves" — Through December, Woskob Family Gallery, University Park campus. This interdisciplinary group exhibition explores the intersection of storytelling and caregiving through collaborative art-making, video installations and graphic narratives.
"Patterning with Heat and Water: Knitted Responsive Tension Structures" — Through December, Woskob Family Gallery, University Park campus. The exhibition showcases the responsive textile work of Felecia Davis, associate professor of architecture in the Penn State Stuckeman School’s Department of Architecture, and Delia Dumitrescu, director of the Smart Textiles Lab at the Swedish School of Textiles.
High School Art Exhibit — Through Jan. 31, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. More than 60 examples of original local high school student artwork in the following categories: two-dimensional drawings and paintings; photography; and three-dimensional artwork. Participating schools include Lake-Lehman, Crestwood, Dallas, Wilkes-Barre Area Creative and Performing Arts Academy and Sue Hand’s Imagery will be on display. Free.
“Liberty and Justice for All” — Through Jan. 23, Ronald K. DeLong Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. Three artists whose work examines the ideas of social justice, civic engagement and democracy will be featured in an exhibit exploring liberty and justice.
"Unknown Forest" — Through Jan. 27, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The exhibit features paintings and drawings by New York-based artist, Avani Patel, whose cultural background has had a profound impact on forging her identity as an artist. Indian culture is the starting point of her work.
"Myth, History, and the Written Word: Manuscript and Print Culture in Latin America" — Through Feb. 7, 2025, Special Collections exhibition space, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. The rare and distinctive Latin American collections held by the Eberly Family Special Collections Library are the focus of this exhibition, curated by Manuel Ostos, librarian and curator of Romance Language and Latin American Collections. Free.
"People, Place, and Things" — Through Feb. 26, Multiple locations at Berks campus. This campus-wide exhibition showcases artists with ties to eastern Pennsylvania whose work engages ideas of place-making and regional identity.
"Reunion" — Through March 4, HUB Gallery and Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The exhibit by New Mexico-based contemporary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger is an immersive, multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring sculpture, regalia and digital media. The selection of works presented in this iteration makes up a spectrum of possibilities and sheds light on historical truths to tell a narrative of complexity in the act of survival.
“Biomachine” — Through Spring 2025, Hite Lobby, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A collaboration between Daryl Branford and Talley Fisher of Huck SciArts offers a glimpse into the microscopic world of viruses and is a reaction to how humanity must learn to coexist with them.
"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.
Virtual exhibits
In addition to in-person events, a number of virtual exhibits are available through University departments. The Palmer Museum of Art and University Libraries offer a rotating selection of historical and artistic collections to view online.