UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events taking place at the University this weekend and next week:
Events
"Blind Date with a Book" — Feb. 1-29, various Penn State Libraries locations, University Park campus. Visitors to the Libraries can pick up wrapped books for reading dates. Free.
WPSU Connoisseur's Dinner and Auction — 6-10 p.m., Feb. 8, Alumni Ballroom, Nittany Lion Inn, University Park campus. WPSU will offer its "Tastes of Tuscany" event featuring authentic Italian cuisine and auction to support programming and operations of WPSU-TV.
Performances
"The Music of Same Cooke — The King of Soul starring Bradd Marquis" — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 8, Pullo Center, Penn State York. A live big band brings to life the music of Sam Cooke.
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, will perform works by Camille Saint-Saëns and Johannes Brahms.
Luke Combs — 7 p.m., Feb. 13, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Country music artist Luke Combs brings his "What You See Is What You Get" tour to Penn State.
Lectures
"2020 Vision: Focus on the Future" — 4 p.m., Feb. 6, 252 Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building, University Park campus. Mindy Brashears, deputy undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be the guest speaker at the Department of Food Science seminar. Free.
"Setting the Stage to Design and Deliver: A Practical Workshop on Experience Design" — 2:30 p.m., Feb. 6, North Forum, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. 1995 graphic design alumnus Gabe Kean, founder and principal of Belle & Wissell, Co., will discuss his studio's recent work and its unorthodox approaches to creating responsive, technology-rich visitor experiences. Free.
"A Spatial Approach to Educational Justice: The Comprehensive School Planning Review Process of Philadelphia" — 3:30 p.m., Feb. 7, 304 and 112 Walker Building, University Park campus. Urban planning researcher Akira Drake Rodriguez of the University of Pennsylvania will discuss the school planning review process of Philadelphia. Free.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: Chet'la Sebree — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 13, Paterno Library, Foster Auditorium, University Park campus. Poet Chet'la Sebree will offer a reading of some of her works. Free.
Exhibits
"Cosmologies" — Through March 3, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, HUB-Robeson Center, University park campus. An exhibition of large-scale drawings inspired by systems, steamfitter’s drawings, flight routes and electrical networks. Free.
"On/Of Paper: Work by the Faculty of Architecture at Penn State" — Through March 6, Willard Rouse Gallery, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. The exhibit highlights Penn State architecture faculty members' work and the importance of drawing and paperwork are in their endeavors. Free.
"Still Here" — Through March 22, HUB Gallery, HUB-Robseon Center, University Park campus. Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, Kiara Ventura and Dexter Wimberly, "Still Here" explores stories of migration, displacement and survival by eight artists that represent a spectrum of the African Diaspora. Free.
"Illuminating Illusions" — Through April 19, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The exhibition showcases a selection of objects and illusion examples that illustrate relevance to current day culture, scientific discovery, or both. Free.
"Women's Work" — Through May 8, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery, University Park campus. The museum presents Pennsylvania's early- to mid-20th century industrial history recorded on canvas and paper by women artists. Free.
"African Brilliance: A Diplomat's Sixty Years of Collecting" — Feb. 8-May 24, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. A presentation of a wide-ranging selection of African art from the collection of Ambassador Allen Davis featuring art from West, Central and East Africa. Free.
"Grounded: Environments in Flux" — Through May 31, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Palmer is showcasing a select group of works by contemporary artists to celebrate the poetry and power of nature, as we as the prosaic reality of environmental degradation resulting from modern interventions. Free.
"Drawing on a Legacy: Highlights from the John Driscoll American Drawings Collection" — Through June 7, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition spotlights 30 watercolors and drawings from a diverse group of 19th-century American artists. Free.