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
Lil Yachty — 8 p.m., Sept. 6, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Lil Yachty & Friends are coming to the Bryce Jordan Center. The performance will feature special guests NLE Choppa, J.I. the Prince & Chow Lee.
Rhapsody Series: “Then and Now" — 4 p.m., Sept. 8, School of Music Recital Hall, University Park campus. The School of Music voice area faculty, including Rachel Copeland, Ted Christopher, Norman Spivey, Dawn Pierce and Parker Konkle, will perform pieces that were significant early in their careers and new works that are currently inspiring them. Free.
"Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower" – 7 p.m., Sept. 11, State Theatre, State College. Penn State Sustainability, PSU Votes and local civic groups kick off the year with a focus on the importance of student democratic and civic participation with a public film screening and post-film discussion of "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower." Free.
Bach's Lunch — 12:10-12:45 p.m., Sept. 12, Eisenhower Chapel, University Park campus. "Bach's Lunch" is a weekly concert series during the school year. These popular concerts are brief in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour. Free.
“Haunted Objects Live! - Chilling, True Tales from the Newkirk Museum of the Paranormal” – 7:30 p.m., Sept. 12, Pullo Center, York campus. Greg and Dan Newkirk, from Travel Channel’s “Kindred Spirits” and Amazon Prime’s “Hellier,” will be sharing the stories behind some of the cursed objects they’ve encountered through their time as paranormal investigators.
Events
“Amy Bruni: An Evening of Haunted Tales and Food to Die For” – 7:30 p.m., Sept. 10, Pullo Center, York campus. “Kindred Spirits” co-host and cookbook author Amy Bruni will give live cooking demonstrations while telling the origins of recipes associated with haunted locations.
“‘Cameraless’ Photography and the Natural World” – Sept. 12-Nov. 14, Lehigh Valley campus. As part of the Fall 2024 Arts Project at Penn State Lehigh Valley, Susan Morelock will conduct a course centered on photography and the natural world. The course, which is open to the community, includes a $300 participation fee.
Lectures
"Thresholds of Research in Environment-Society Geography: A Personal Retrospective and Prospectus" – 3:30-4:30 p.m., Sept. 6, Walker Building, University Park campus and via Zoom. The Penn State Department of Geography will kick off its fall 2024 "Coffee Hour" lecture series with a talk by Karl Zimmerer, professor of geography, ecology, and rural sociology at Penn State. Zimmerer’s talk will provide a comprehensive overview of his research in various areas of environment-society geography.
“Amplifying Lion Voices” featuring Lori Francis – Noon, Sept. 10, via Zoom. Take part in an honest conversation with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s director of JEDI-B, Raffy Luquis, and the Community Health Equity & Engagement in Research team, at the next “Amplifying Lion Voices” quarterly session featuring Lori Francis, professor of biobehavioral health in the College of Health and Human Development.
A Fireside Chat with E. M. Liddick, author of “All the Memories that Remain” — 7-8 p.m., Sept. 10, Edith Davis Eve Chapel, Altoona campus. Alumnus E.M. Liddick will discuss his book, which is Penn State Altoona’s 2024 Common Read selection. The discussion will be followed by a book signing.
Suicide Prevention Speaker PJ Shell — 5 p.m., Sept. 12, Pond View Lounge, Slep Student Center, Altoona campus. Shell will talk about the loss of his son, Maverick, who died by suicide in 2022. He will also explain the suicide prevention and awareness organization Maverick’s Mission, which promotes mental health awareness and offers educational programs for mental health and suicide prevention.
In-person exhibits
“Made in PA on Paper" – Through Sept. 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. “MADE IN PA on Paper” features a selection of prints, drawings and watercolors from the permanent collection by artists who, through birth or residence, can claim a connection with the Keystone State.
“Lost in Paradise” – Through Oct. 19, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. A new solo exhibition by artist Seth Ellison will feature various paintings reflecting Ellison's life growing up in the rural South. Ellison is a Philadelphia-based painter and multimedia artist.
“Familiar Strands” – Sept. 12-Oct. 24, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Zoraye Cyrus uses vintage photographs as the foundation for drawings that utilize personal experiences, family relationships and her Afro-Caribbean American heritage to delve into the intricate connections between belonging and identity. Free.
“Made in PA” – Through Dec. 1, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. An ambitious show highlights post-1945 paintings, sculpture, mixed-media assemblages and installations by artists who hail from Pennsylvania or who have made their homes and sustained their careers in the Keystone State.
“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.
"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 20th and 21st century ceramics, the Black Student Alumni Oral History Project, and a history of Penn Staters at the Olympic Games.