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."
Blue Bandorama — 4 p.m., Oct. 8, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Taking place for the first time in three years, the Blue Bandorama showcases the Penn State Blue Band and its signature tunes.
Miguel Zenón — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 11, Recital Hall, University Park campus. Prolific Puerto Rican jazz saxophonist Miguel Zenón and his quartet will explore “Música de las Américas.” Free.
"Life with the Afterlife: A Supernatural Evening with Ghost Hunter Amy Bruni" — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13, Pullo Center, Penn State York. Paranormal investigator, author, podcaster and star of "Kindred Spirits" and "Ghost Hunters" Amy Bruni will share tales from her countless hours of hunting ghosts at America's most haunted locations.
Lectures
“‘The Play’s the Thing’: Aesthetics and Shakespeare’s Alternate Realities” — 12:15 p.m., Oct. 10, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Danielle A. St. Hilaire, associate professor and chair of English at Duquesne University, will discuss her new book, “The Art of Pity: Aesthetics, Ethics, and Compassion in Early Modern English Literature.” Free.
"Towards solar justice in Pennsylvania: tensions of land, farming and power" — 4 p.m., Oct. 10, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and via Zoom. Kaitlyn Spangler, a postdoctoral fellow in geography, will present this EarthTalks lecture. Free.
"Democracy Administered: How Public Administration Shapes Representative Government" — 6 p.m., Oct. 11, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. A panel will discuss how public servants advance democratic values. Free.
“The Detroit Collaborative Design Center: 28 Years of Good Trouble” — 6 p.m., Oct. 12, via livestream. Charles Cross, director of landscape and urban design at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, will discuss the founding of the multidisciplinary, nonprofit design center based in the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture and Community Development as part of the College of Arts and Architecture Stuckeman School's 2022-23 Lecture and Exhibit Series. Free.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: Xu Xi — 6 p.m., Oct. 13, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Novelist and essayist Xu Xi will offer a reading. Free.
"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.
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.
Unity Day — 12:15-1:15 p.m., Oct. 7, Perkins Student Center lawn, Penn State Berks. The campus will host its annual Unity Day celebration showcasing diversity across Penn State Berks. Free.
Haunted Valley — 7:30-9:30 p.m., Oct. 7, Hintz Family Alumni Center, University Park campus. The Lion Ambassadors will offer their annual tour of campus and downtown State College with a spooky twist. Free.
Pumpkin Festival — Oct. 7-8, the Arboretum at Penn State, University Park campus. A pumpkin-carving contest and lighted jack-o'-lantern display will highlight the Arboretum at Penn State's annual Pumpkin Festival. Free.
Parents and Families Weekend — Oct. 7-9, various locations, University Park campus. Parents and families of University Park students are invited to share in Penn State activities and traditions during the annual Parents and Families Weekend. Most events are free, but there may be charges for some performances and sporting events.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Fall Festival: Immerse Yourself in Autumn's Flavors — Oct. 12, 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.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Stranger Things: Dining in the Upside Down — Oct. 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
"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
"With Open Heart and Open Arms: LGBTQ+ Cuban Refugees and the LGBTQ+ Community's Response to the Mariel Boatlift of 1980" — Oct. 10-17, Thun Library, Penn State Berks. This traveling exhibit examines the exodus and resettlement of LGBTQ+ Cubans. Free.
"The Magic Broccoli Forest" — Oct. 10-28, 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.