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: School of Music Voice Area Noontime Concert - Voice Jury Honors" — 12:10-12:45 p.m., Jan. 20, Pasquerilla/Eisenhower Chapel, University Park campus. Voice students sing a program of best songs and arias. Free.
Dinosaur World Live — 4 p.m., Jan. 23, Pullo Center, Penn State York. Dinosaur World Live is an interactive show for the whole family.
Calidore String Quartet — 7:30 p.m., Jan. 26, Recital Hall, University Park campus, and via livestream. The quartet makes its long-awaited Penn State debut in person and via livestream.
Paul Taylor Dance Company — 7:30 p.m., Jan. 27, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Penn State Harrisburg. The performing arts ensemble will feature numerous dances as part of its performance.
Classical Coffeehouse: Calidore String Quartet — 8 p.m., Jan. 27, Hintz Family Alumni Center, University Park campus. The Calidore String Quartet will give a mini performance and engage in discussion. Free.
Lectures
Mark Luchinsky Memorial Lecture Series: John Quiñones — 7 p.m., Jan. 24, State Theatre, downtown State College, and via livestream. Author, broadcast journalist, motivational speaker and host of ABC's "What Would You Do?" will present "A 20/20 Vision for Our World: Building Bridges, Not Walls." Free, but registration required.
Behrend Speaker Series: Ovilee May — 7:30 p.m., Jan. 24, McGarvey Commons, Penn State Behrend. Esports broadcaster Ovilee May will talk about the growth of esports. Free.
Events
Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorations — Jan. 14-21, various campuses. The Penn State community celebrates the work and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with events including day of service, conversations, film screenings and trivia at a number of campuses. Free.
Virtual exhibits
"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.
"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.
In-person exhibits
"Design for Life" — Through Jan. 26, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Work from Stuckeman School faculty and students exemplifying the influence design has on a wide rage of social issues will be on display. Free.
"Lost Bird Project" — Through Jan. 26, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The "Lost Bird Project" consists of five sculptural monuments to extinct bird species. Conceived by artist Todd McGrain, the "Lost Bird Project" recognizes the tragedy of modern extinction by immortalizing the five most recently extinct North American birds. Free.
"Why Biodiversity Matters" — Through Jan. 26, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. "Why Biodiversity Matters" includes avian research and educational materials from Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and Penn State’s Wildlife and Fisheries program. Free.
"Altar" — Through Jan. 30, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Kiana Honarmand’s installation in the exhibition cases utilizes text from the poem “Gift” by Iranian feminist poet Forough Farrokhzad to pay homage to the history of hiding critical commentary in Persian poetry and visual arts.
Rosemarie Fiore — Through Jan. 30, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Artist Rosemarie Fiore's smoke paining murals celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Free.
Lehigh Art Alliance 2022 Winter Juried Exhibition — Jan. 29-March 15, Ronald K. De Long Gallery, Penn State Lehigh Valley. The campus for the first time will host to local exhibition of original works in various media. Free.
"A Way Through: Abstract Art of the 1940s" — Through May 15, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibit provides the comprehensive look at midcentury abstraction in the Palmer's history. Free.
"FRESH" — Through May 17, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. "FRESH" invites viewers to look for what makes someone unique as an individual and to celebrate each person's journey, and features works by Harrison Boden, Emily Furr and Sydney Lee. Free.
"Inside the Frames" — Through May 17, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The exhibit tackles the intricacies of body image and disordered eating, and promotes body positivity and acceptance. Free.
Zombie Ant Experience — Through May, School of Science complex, Penn State Behrend. An interactive sculpture melding art and science models the interactions between spores and ants. Free.