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
"Bach's Lunch" — 12:10 p.m., Sept. 28, Eisenhower Chapel, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, University Park campus. "Bach's Lunch" is a weekly concert series during the school year. Concerts are brief in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour. Free.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra presents: "Creation" — 7:30-9 p.m., Sept. 29, 130 Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform a program titled "Creation," highlighting Darius Milhaud's La Creation du Monde - a jazz influenced creation story based on African mythology. The program will be followed by the Chamber Orchestra, who will perform Beethoven's iconic 5th Symphony.
"Dimensions in Jazz" — 7:30-9 p.m., Sept. 30, 130 Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus. This jazz extravaganza will feature the likes of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" a popular Cole Porter hit written for the 1943 film "Something to Shout About," "Every Breath You Take" and "Synchronicity I & II" from the 1983 fifth and final A&M Records studio album by the English rock band The Police, 1970’s pop hits by Earth, Wind & Fire, and much more.
"A Thousand Ways: An Assembly" — Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. In a performance created by strangers, sixteen audience members come together for one hour to construct an evocative story of perseverance. This theatrical work brings people together in the creation of a moving live experience, with no audience present.
Rhapsody Series: "The Lowest of the Low" — 4 p.m., Oct. 1, Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus and Zoom. How low can you go? This concert will feature the lowest-sounding instruments played by Penn State's School of Music faculty.
Guest Artist Recital: Keiran Campbell and Sezi Seskir — 7:30-9 p.m., Oct. 3, Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus. Guest artists Keiran Campbell, cello, and Sezi Seskir, fortepiano, present an all-Beethoven recital on period instruments.
“Hit the Wall” — Oct. 3-12, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Centre Stage presents “Hit the Wall” by Ike Holter, a story of the Stonewall Uprising and the generation that disrupted the marginalization and invisibility of the LGBTQIA+ community. The show is directed by award-winning producer and alumnus Robert W. Schneider.
Concert and Symphonic Band — 7:30-9 p.m., Oct. 4, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Penn State Concert Band will feature a variety of pieces highlighting the vitality of the modern wind band, followed by a performance by the Symphonic Band featuring works spanning from 1734 to 2023.
"Bill Burr Live" — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 4, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Emmy- and Grammy-nominated comedian Bill Burr will bring his live stand-up tour to the Bryce Jordan Center. Burr is known as one of the top comedic voices of his generation, achieving success in TV and film as well as on stage.
Andes Manta — 7 p.m., Oct. 5, The Pullo Center, York campus. Andes Manta performs the vibrant music of the Andes on more than 40 traditional instruments, from the lyrical sound of the quena, or Andean Flute, to the haunting tones of the six-foot long pan-pipes.
Events
Hispanic Heritage Month — Through Oct. 15, Various campuses. Penn State units at campuses across the commonwealth will be holding events in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as a time to honor and celebrate the historic background, culture, heritage and many influences of the Hispanic and Latine community throughout the years.
Open Dance Class — 1-2:15 p.m., Sept. 24, Room 148, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona will host an open dance class for anyone over the age of 18. The class will feature movement and engagement through modern dance technique and improvisation. Dancers of all levels, styles, backgrounds and experiences are welcome. Free.
"Night at the Museums" — 5-8 p.m., Sept. 28, 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.
Bike Safety 101 workshop — 6-8 p.m., Sept. 28, The Bike Den, University Park campus. This workshop will teach participants the rules of the road and bike safety skills before bringing the group outside to a beginner-friendly practice course. A bike and helmet are required to participate.
Safety Fair — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Sept. 29, outside HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) at University Park will host a Safety Fair, featuring some of UPPS’s many specialized departments, including Emergency Management, Physical Security, Behavioral Threat Management, the Bomb and Tactical Response Team Units, the Drone and K9 Units, and more. Numerous emergency vehicles will be on display, and the department will be joined by outside first responder groups like Alpha Fire and EMS.
Campus Ghost Tours and Haunted House — 7-10 p.m., Sept. 29, Hintz Family Alumni Center, University Park campus. Join the Lion Ambassadors as they guide guests through tales of Penn State’s eerie past, enlightening attendees with legends of spooky areas on campus and the ghosts that inhabit them. Alongside the tours, visit our frightening Haunted House for a thrilling scare. Tours will depart every five minutes and last approximately 20 minutes. Final tour will depart at 9:30 p.m. Registration preferred.
2023 Great Insect Fair: "Bugs in the System" — 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sept. 30, Snider Agricultural Arena, University Park campus. Penn State’s annual insect fair will highlight the technology used in entomology. This year’s theme will engage visitors with high-tech videos, introduce specialized beekeeping equipment, and showcase different traps used to survey and collect insects, said Michael Skvarla, director of Penn State’s Insect Identification Laboratory.
Pumpkin giveaway at the Arboretum — 1-3p.m., Oct. 1, Overlook Pavilion, The Arboretum, University Park campus. Community members can pick up free pumpkins and pre-register for a jack-o’-lantern contest ahead of the Arboretum’s Pumpkin Festival. Contest entries must be dropped off on Friday, Oct. 6, from 8 to 10 a.m. or from 3 to 4:30 p.m,
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Barbie: The Dinner — Oct. 4, 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.
Lectures
Lori Hepner — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 2, Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room, Berks campus. Lori Hepner, the 2023-24 Penn State Laureate, will visit Penn State Berks and give a live presentation. Hepner uses movement to abstract and reconstruct images in works that "make the invisible visible," mirroring her own experience with sensory differences. Her ongoing practice, "Drawing with Light," spans the genres of photography, performance, and augmented reality. Free.
“Enhancing Family and Youth Personal Protection: Navigating Toxic Waters through Intervention Effects of SAAF and PAAS Family-Centered Preventive Intervention Programs” — 4 p.m., Oct. 3, Flex Theater, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Vanderbilt University Professor Velma McBride Murry will deliver the 22nd annual Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science. Murry will discuss positive outcomes from two family-centered preventive intervention programs, Strong African American Families (SAAF) and Pathways for African American Success (PAAS). Free.
“Reflections on Necessary, Next Generation Population & Environment Research Agendas” — 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Oct. 4, Room 233 B, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus and Zoom. Sara Curran, professor of sociology and of public policy and governance and director of the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology at the University of Washington, will present the 18th annual De Jong Lecture in Social Demography. The lecture will focus on the pivotal role of demography in ongoing research efforts and how it can shape environment and climate policies and programs. Registration is required. Free.
The Current presents Kevin Schreck — 6 p.m., Oct. 4, Student Union Building Auditorium and Lodge, Beaver campus. Penn State Beaver and RiverWise are hosting “The Current” for a discussion with documentary filmmaker Kevin Schreck, the 2023 visiting filmmaker at Robert Morris University. The event will include a screening of Schreck’s film “Persistence of Vision," about the journey of master animator Richard Williams, animation director for the film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Free.
"Seeing Voices" — 6:30-8 p.m., Oct. 4, Jury Space, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. The Stuckeman School welcomes David Heasty, Penn State graphic design alumnus and cofounder of the Brooklyn-based design company Triboro, as part of the school’s 2023-24 Lecture and Exhibit Series. In his lecture, Heasty will “share strategies for crafting impactful brands that resonate with meaning and discuss how to embrace the Intuition Bottleneck and imbue designs with a dash of Zeitgeist.”
"From Barbie's World to Elf's New York: Exploring Narrative Nuances in Film" — 7 p.m., Oct. 4, Carnegie Cinema (113 Carnegie Building), University Park campus. Deepak Sethi, an instructor in the Penn State Hollywood Program who has over a decade of experience writing for primetime television, will present a free public lecture focused on screenwriting and storytelling approaches. Free.
“Great American Solar Eclipses: Sun... Moon.. You!” — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 5, General Studies Auditorium, Mont Alto campus and Zoom. What is an eclipse? What is the difference between total, annular, partial, solar and lunar eclipses and how do they occur? How do solar eclipses feature different areas of the sun? Kim Herrmann, associate professor of physics and astronomy, will answer these questions, provide an overview of the sun and astronomical transits, and describe two upcoming solar eclipses and safe ways to observe them.
In-person exhibits
"Sad Purple and Mauve: A History of Dye-Making" — Sept. 14 through Jan. 15, Special Collections exhibition space, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. The science, art and history and textile and paper dyes and their uses in books and manuscripts will be the focus of this exhibit.
“Interplay” — Through Oct. 5, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Interplay will display artwork from Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Morgan Thomas Shankweiler’s “By-Chance Connection” series, “Tie Formation” series, and her newest exploration of indeterminacy.
“Viet Kitsch: Lacquer Luster” — Through Oct. 5, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Millian Pham intertwines her native Vietnamese culture with her adopted American culture through imagery and text.
Tiles & Mosaics: Student Works from the Collaborative Course at TileWorks of Bucks County — Through Oct. 13, Art Gallery, Abington campus. An exhibition showcases pieces created by students during courses taught by faculty in collaboration with professional artisans at the Moravian Pottery and TileWorks in Doylestown, Bucks County.
"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, Outside of Paterno Reading Room, Pattee Library, University Park campus. 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.
“Andrea Doria: Dive to An Era” — Through Nov. 30, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. The Friedman Art Gallery will feature a collection of items recovered on more than 200 dives to the shipwreck of the Andrea Doria. Diver and author Gary Gentile has recovered dishes, cups, glasses, plates, jewelry and ceramic panels created by the internationally known artist Romano Rui and more.
"Eudaimonia" — Through Dec. 5, Ronald K. DeLong Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. Featuring works from artists Sasha Meret and Michelle Neifert, "Eudaimonia" explores themes related to mindfulness, acceptance, purpose, skill mastery and positive relationships.
"High Strung" — Through December, Woksob Family Gallery, University Park campus. Sculptures by local artist and educator Melissa Forkner Lesher transform commonplace materials into delicate works of art. Lesher weaves her creations with precision and efficiency by carefully assembling small hand-built pieces into larger, meticulously crafted configurations.
"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.
Current exhibitions include an examination of women’s athletics at Penn State and Title IX, editorial cartoons from The Jerry Doyle Papers, and an exploration of the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic.