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
"Metamorphoses" — Oct. 4-15, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage presents Mary Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses," based on the "Myths of Ovid."
Carlos Andrés Gómez — 6 p.m., Oct. 18, Slep Student Center, Penn State Altoona. Award-winning author, speaker, and equity and inclusion strategist Carlos Andrés Gómez will offer a spoken-word performance. Free.
"A Marvelous Order" — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The contemporary multimedia opera chronicles the 1960s-era battle between power master builder Robert Moses and determined activist Jane Jacobs over the fate of New York City's Greenwich Village.
Lectures
"The Perfect Latino" — 9:30 a.m., Oct. 14, Perkins Student Center Auditorium, Penn State Berks. Javier Ávila will examine the American Latino experience as part of the campus' annual Latino Forum. Free, but registration required.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi — 1 p.m., Oct. 14, 132 HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus, and via Zoom. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, a 1991 Penn State alumnus and Qatar's minister of state for energy affairs, will discuss the future of energy and international relations. Free.
2022 Lattman Visiting Scholar of Science and Society Lecture: Robin Wall Kimmerer — 4 p.m., Oct. 18, 22 Deike Building, University Park campus, and via Zoom. Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of The New York Times' best-selling "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants," will be featured. Free.
"Doing It for the Content: Understanding Political Violence and Far Right Organizing from Fashion to Fascism" — 6 p.m., Oct. 18, Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. John Donovan, research director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University and author of “Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America,” will share insights into the communication, media and other strategies of groups like the Proud Boys. Free.
Paul Pringle — 7 p.m., Oct. 18, Carnegie Cinema, Carnegie Building, University Park campus. Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Penn State alumnus will discuss his work as part of the Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers. Free.
"Unwalling Citizenship" — 6 p.m., Oct. 19, via livestream. Teddy Cruz and Donna Forman, principals of Studio Teddy Cruz + Gonna Forman, will discuss their work as part of the Stuckeman School's Lecture and Exhibit Series. Free.
Research Unplugged — 12:30 p.m., Oct. 20, Schlow Centre Region Library, State College. Graduate students from the College of Agricultural Sciences at the Pasto Agricultural Museum will discuss their current work in entomology, plant science and the intersection of these topics related to turf grass, feral bees and wild pollinators. Free.
"States United: A Survival Guide for Our Democracy" — 4 p.m., HUB Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Norman Eisen, Joanna Lydgate and Christine Todd Whitman, co-founders of the States United Democracy Center, will discuss protecting democracy. Free.
Events
National Hispanic Heritage Month — Through Oct. 31, various campuses. Penn State units across the commonwealth are holding events in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. The unifying theme for this year's observances is "Nuestra Música (Our Music): Identity, Culture and Resistance." Free.
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month — Through Oct. 31, various campuses. Penn State and community partners are working throughout October to raise awareness, engage in prevention efforts and show support for survivors of domestic violence. Free.
Drive-in movie: "Top Gun: Maverick" — 7:15 p.m., Oct. 15, Pullo Center parking lot, Penn State York. The campus will showcase the summer blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick." Free.
THON 5K — 10 a.m.-1:45 p.m., Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus, and virtually. Penn State THON hosts its annual 5K with a portion of the registration fee directly benefiting THON's yearlong fundraising efforts in the battle against childhood cancer.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: a pi ar y: An Evening in the Garden — Oct. 19, 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.
"Confronting Cinematic Stereotypes: Struggle, Redemption and Second Chances in Modern Film" — Oct. 20 and Nov. 17, Student Community Center, Penn State Schuylkill. This three-evening community enrichment course discusses films that depict struggle, redemption and second chances in different cultural settings. "The Upside" will be featured on Oct. 20 and "The Intouchables" on Nov. 17. Free for students, faculty and staff, and $30 fee for general public.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Viva Las Vegas: Wine & Dine Like a Winner — Oct. 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.
Virtual exhibits
"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
"Evan Pugh: Student to Scientist" — Oct. 14, 2022, through October 2023, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery, Deike Building, University Park campus. The exhibit explore two distinct stages in the life of Evan Pugh, Penn State's first president. Free.
"With Open Heart and Open Arms: LGBTQ+ Cuban Refugees and the LGBTQ+ Community's Response to the Mariel Boatlift of 1980" — Through Oct. 17, Thun Library, Penn State Berks. This traveling exhibit examines the exodus and resettlement of LGBTQ+ Cubans. Free.
"The Magic Broccoli Forest" — Through Oct. 28, Freyberger Gallery, Penn State Berks. An immersive, interactive solo exhibition by Melbourne-based artist, Rosa Nussbaum, that explores themes of friendship and depression. Free.
"circa 1970: What if the impressionist had computers?" — Through Oct. 30, Art Gallery, Penn State New Kensington. Local artist Samuel Andrew's exhibition his history with the New Kensington campus and his creation of digital prints. Free.
"Earth Archives: Stories of Human Impact" — Through Nov. 22, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. The exhibit explores the intersection of the environment, human activity, climate change and the documentary record. Free.
"Fluidity of Gender" — Through Dec. 3, Ronald K. De Long Gallery, Penn State Lehigh Valley. Linda Stein's multimedia "Fluidity of Gender" exhibition consists of sculpture, collage, prints and video that strive to broaden awareness and inspire empathy by presenting multiplicities and diversities to her work. 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, the first modern Black republic resulting from its successful fight for liberation from the French. Free.
"Looking at Who We Are: The Palmer at Fifty" — Through Dec. 18, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. This exhibition of 74 paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and sculptures from the Palmer's permanent collection explores how history, place and community shape our conception of museums and ourselves. Free.
"The Art of Remembering: A Selection of Gifts" — Through Dec. 18, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibit honors the gifts to the permanent collection of the Palmer Museum of Art and features works on paper by 19th- and 20th-century European and American artists. Free.
"ARC Studio's Premiere" — Through Jan. 29, 2023, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Photos and paintings by Andrew Castañeda mirror the structure of a day in TV programming. Free.
"Zombie Ant Experience" — Through August 2023, 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.
"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.