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
Delfeayo Marsalis and Uptown Jazz Orchestra — March 21-25, via livestream. The New Orleans jazz program includes mostly original music celebrating the resilient and triumphant nature of Americans in the Deep South, including modern riffs and gospel chants. Free, but registration required.
"Blood at the Root" — March 22-April 2, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage will present Dominique Morisseau's play "Blood at the Root," based on the Jena Six where six Black students were initially charged with attempted murder for a school fight after being provoked with nooses hanging from a tree on campus.
Mwenso and the Shakes — 7:30 p.m., March 23, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The ensemble will present "Hope-Resist-Heal: A Celebration of Black Joy."
Sawyer Seminar: Penn State Baroque Ensemble — 7:30 p.m., March 23, Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus. The Penn State Baroque Ensemble will present "Music for the Lost Daughters of Early Modern Venice (ca. 1675-1775)." Free.
Lectures
Paisley Rekdal — 7:30 p.m., March 17, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus, and via livestream. Award-winning essayist and poet Paisley Rekdal will visit Penn State as the Fisher Family Writer-in-Residence. Free, but livestream requires advanced registration.
Lori Locust — 11:30 a.m., March 18, Mukind S. Kulkarni Theatre, Penn State Harrisburg. Lori Locust, defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Harrisburg native, will discuss how Title IX shaped her athletic opportunities. Free, but registration required.
2022 Jean Vallance Lecture in Nursing Innovation — 2 p.m., March 18, via livestream. Marion Leary, director of innovation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, will present "Creating an Innovative Infrastructure at Your Nursing Institution." Free.
2022 EESI EarthTalks: Sylvia Neely — 4 p.m., March 21, via Zoom. Sylvia Neely, co-leader of the State College chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby, will discuss options for pricing carbon, why a carbon fee and dividend policy would be effective, and the political and foreign policy implications. Free.
Listening Session with Michael Mwenso — 6 p.m., March 21, 134 HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Musician and educator Michael Mwenso will discuss Black roots music. Free.
Sam Quinones — Noon, March 23, via livestream. Former Los Angeles Times reporter and author Sam Quinones will present "True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth with Sam Quinones." Free.
Christopher Bardt — 6 p.m., March 23, Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, University Park campus, and via livestream. Christopher Bardt, a founding principal of 3SIX0 Architecture along with Kyna Lesk and a professor of architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, will present "Material and Mind." Free.
Rachel Lindsay — 7 p.m., March 23, Perkins Student Center Auditorium, Penn State Berks. Rachel Lindsay, best know for her role on ABC's "The Bachelorette" as the first African American lead in the franchise's history and as a contestant on "The Bachelor" will be featured. Free.
"Factors Associated with Sleep Quality in Hospitalized Persons with Dementia" — Noon, March 24, via livestream. Ashley Kuzmik, postdoctoral fellow in the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence in the Nese College of Nursing, will be featured.
Events
Women's History Month — Through March, various campuses. Penn State campuses across the commonwealth recognize and celebrate Women's History Month with events and activities throughout March. Free.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Taste of Tuscany — March 16, Cafe 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 Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Aloha: An Escape to the Big Island — March 17, Cafe 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 Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
2022 Women's Hockey Frozen Four — March 18 and 20, Pegula Ice Arena, University Park campus. Penn Sate will host Ohio State versus Yale and Northeastern versus Minnesota Duluth in the two semifinals on March 18, with the winners of the two contests squaring off for the national championship at 4 p.m. on March 20.
Garden Grow-How — 6:30-8:30 p.m., March 21, Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Members of the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm invite the campus and local community to learn new gardening tips and skills. Free.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Brazilian Carnival: A Night in Rio — March 23, Cafe 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 Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner: Yellowstone: An Elevated Western Experience — March 24, Cafe 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 Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Art After Hours: Penn State Creates — 5-8 p.m., March 24, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The Palmer celebrates creativity across the University with its second annual virtual student exhibition, Penn State Creates. The museum is hosting an in-person reception for student participants and will feature comments from creators. 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
"True Likeness" — Through March 20, HUB-Robeson Gallery and Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. "True Likeness" presents an exhibition of contemporary portraits from diverse makers in a variety of media including video, photography, painting, collage, installation, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. Free.
"Golden Legacy: Original Art From 75 Years of Golden Books" — Through March 30, Madigan Library, Pennsylvania College of Technology. An exhibition of America's beloved Little Golden Books. Free.
"The Historic Hayfield House — Creating a Legacy" — Through April 1, Friedman Art Gallery, Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Images of the Hayfield House and the Conynham family, a part of whose estate was donated to establish the Wilkes-Barre campus, are on display. Free.
"An American Place: Selections from the James and Barbara Palmer Collection" — Through April 24, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Palmer is exhibiting its signature collection of American art. Free.
"Printmaking in the Age of Dürer" — Through May 8, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Engravings and woodcuts by Albert Dürer, Germany's most important artist of the Renaissance and the first to fully realize the possibilities of printmaking as an expressive vehicle equal to that of painting and sculpture. Free.
"Lunchbox Moments: Seek Understanding. Share Stories. Stop Hate" — Through May 15, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. A multi-faceted exhibition about "lunchbox moments," formative occurrences in many Asian Americans' lives where a traditional Asian meal is eaten at school or home and the meal elicits some sort of reaction, whether it is positive or negative. 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.