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., Dec. 7, 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.
Graham Kay — 7 p.m., Dec. 7, Hiller Auditorium, DuBois campus. The Penn State DuBois Office of Student Engagement is inviting students and members of the public to attend a comedic performance of award-winning stand-up comedian, actor and TV writer Graham Kay. Kay has performed on multiple late-night television shows. In addition, Kay’s comedy can be heard regularly on SiriusXM radio and seen on The Comedy Network. Free.
"Essence of Joy: Our Gift in Song" — 7:30-9 p.m., Dec. 8, Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus. Singers from the Capital Area Music Association (Harrisburg), Essence 2 Ltd. (State College) and Essence of Joy (Penn State), will come together to perform a Christmas holiday work for choir, orchestra and soloists. Free.
Penn State Altoona University Jazz Band — 2:30 p.m., Dec. 9, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. The ensemble will present musical selections in a variety of contemporary big-band styles.
EMC 2023 Holiday Celebration — 4 p.m., Dec. 10, The Pullo Center, York campus. Join us in ringing in the spirit of the season with choreography set to your favorite holiday music. A festive presentation of dance, music and acrobatics performed by people of all ages will entertain your whole family.
WWE: Live Holiday Tour — 7 p.m., Dec. 10, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. WWE returns to State College for its live holiday tour, featuring wrestling superstars including Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura, as well as women's wrestling pros Charlotte Flair and IYO SKY.
"A Motown Christmas" — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13, The Pullo Center, York campus. A world-class vocal group, assembled from past and present members of Motown's most legendary groups, present a powerful family-oriented show combining Motown's greatest hits with everyone's favorite holiday classics. This show features dazzling choreography and unforgettable harmonies all performed in that memorable, soulful Motown style.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze — 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Cirque Dreams Holidaze will dazzle audiences in State College as part of its national tour this holiday season. Audiences will be captivated by this brilliant and whimsical holiday spectacular, featuring Broadway-style production infused with contemporary circus arts.
Pennsylvania Ballet Academy Presents Nutcracker Sweets — 2 p.m., Dec. 17, The Pullo Center, York campus. Pennsylvania Ballet Academy presents Nutcracker Sweets, featuring selections and special choreography inspired by ballet’s signature holiday classic, "The Nutcracker." The Academy joins with Lancaster Symphony Orchestra to bring ballet and timeless music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky to life.
"A Christmas Carol" — 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18-21; 2 p.m. Dec. 20, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Presented by the Penn State School of Theatre and Penn State Centre Stage, audiences will experience a unique retelling of the classic Charles Dickens tale, "A Christmas Carol," in an original adaptation that combines elements of 1940s radio dramas, modern musicals and high-tech theater. A streamlined, 90-minute version of the production will be broadcast on WPSU-FM at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, and 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 25.
Events
Campus and Community Sustainability Expo — 5-7 p.m., Dec. 7, State College Municipal Building, University Park campus. The Campus and Community Sustainability Expo, co-hosted by the State College Borough, brings together students, stakeholders, faculty and Penn State administration to celebrate community-based student projects through poster presentations. This year, special guests include a delegation from the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources, including Secretary Cindy Dunn.
Winter Lights at the Arboretum — Dec. 8-Early January, The Arboretum, University Park campus. Thousands of twinkling lights will transform The Arboretum at Penn State into a shimmering spectacle for the winter holidays. String lights on trees and shrubs andwreaths, planters and other seasonal decorations are set up around The Arboretum gardens. The gardens, which normally close at dusk, will remain open each night until 9 p.m. beginning Dec. 8, and into early January. The holiday lights will be on from 6 to 8 a.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. daily. Free.
University Libraries' De-stress Fest — Dec. 5-15, Multiple campuses. During finals week, Penn State University Libraries offers stress-reducing games and activities to help students relax as they study for finals and complete end-of-semester projects. University Libraries hours will vary across campus and branch locations and may change during finals week and through the end of semester. Visitors are encouraged to verify all locations’ operating hours prior to their visit.
Lectures
"Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War" — 12-1 p.m., Dec. 12, Zoom. Friederike Baer, associate professor of history and division head for Arts and Humanities at Penn State Abington, will present a lecture on more than thirty thousand German soldiers hired by Great Britain to fight in its war against the American rebels between 1776 and 1783. Collectively known as Hessians, the soldiers and accompanying civilians, including hundreds of women and children, spent extended periods of time in locations as dispersed and varied as Canada in the North and West Florida in the South.
In-person exhibits
High School Art Exhibit — Dec. 7-Jan. 31, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. The Friedman Art Gallery's fifth annual High School Art Exhibit includes more than 60 pieces of original local high school student artwork in the categories of two-dimensional drawings and paintings, photography and three-dimensional artwork. Participating high schools include Lake-Lehman, Crestwood, Wilkes-Barre Area’s Creative and Performing Arts Academy (CAPAA) and Sue Hand’s Imagery. For the exhibit, the schools’ art teachers were asked to select and submit some of their best student artwork.
"Unplucked Gems" — Through Dec. 9, McLanahan Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. The exhibit by Juried Art Exhibition winner Taylor Pilote reveals ties to notable aspects of car culture, both personal and industrial, using physically distorted recognizable vehicle features. Free.
"I Sang You A Song Though I Didn't Know the Words" — Through Dec. 9, Sheetz Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Juried Art Exhibition winner Boryana Rusenova-Ina utilizes experiences of learning English in post-communist Bulgaria to influence this exhibition. Free.
"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.
"Sad Purple and Mauve: A History of Dye-Making" — Through Jan. 15, 2024, 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.
“Invisible Bodies” — Through Feb. 8, 2024, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Galleries present "Invisible Bodies," an exploration of migrant labor through an artistic lens, curated by the Border Gallery and Emireth Herrera Valdés.
“Magnificare” — Through Feb. 22, 2024, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Galleries present "Magnificare," an exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Marguerita Hagan.
"Access Excess" — Through March 1, 2024, HUB Gallery, University Park campus. Baltimore-based artist Amy Boone-McCreesh works in sculpture, collage and mixed media to present a maximalist take on the idea of luxury and access. Her colorful works critique preconceived notions of taste and open a door to imagining how our collective understanding of exclusivity might manifest. Her brand of luxury speaks the language of abundance, and her resultant world blossoms with excitement that flaunts the language of high fashion and design of our time.
"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.