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., Jan. 25, 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.
“Shattering” — 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. “Shattering” is a one-woman performance written and performed by Juhanna Rogers exploring a journey of self-discovery.
"Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" — Multiple performances Jan. 26-Feb. 3, Black Box Theatre, EAB 204, Harrisburg campus. Penn State Harrisburg's School of Humanities will present this darkly comic 2011 Tony-nominated play, narrated by a tiger held captive at the Baghdad Zoo. Free.
"Stayin' Alive Canada — The World's #1 Tribute to The Bee Gees" — 7:30 p.m., Jan. 27, The Pullo Center, York campus. "Stayin' Alive Canada" offers the songs and sights of a full Bee Gees playlist.
Bach's Lunch — 12:10 p.m., Feb. 1, 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.
Lectures
"International Perspectives on Women in Society" — 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Jan. 25, The Graduate State College. Penn State Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows Odgeriei Batsaikhan and Ninoska Leiva will present at this program hosted by American Association of University Women (AAUW) State College.
"Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America's Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe" — Noon, Jan. 25, Zoom. The Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Penn State Harrisburg will host historian Rebecca Erbelding, who will discuss the 1944 creation of the War Refugee Board and its attempt to rescue victims of the Nazi regime. Free.
Julianna Baggott reading — 6 p.m., Jan. 25, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Critically acclaimed and bestselling author/screenwriter Julianna Baggott will give a public reading during her visit to Penn State. Free.
"Before cells: How the components of life might have come together" — 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Jan. 27, Berg Auditorium, 100 Huck Life Sciences Building, University Park campus. Shapiro Professor of Chemistry Chris Keating will present this talk as part of the Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lectures in the Eberly College of Science. Free.
"Bio-geo-socio-chemistry of urban watersheds" — 4 p.m., Jan. 29, Zoom. Peter Groffman, professor at City University of New York and senior research fellow at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, will present this talk as part of the EarthTalks spring 2024 series. Free.
"Israel and Palestine in the Context of International Law" — 12:15-1:15 p.m., Jan. 31, Room 121, Gaige Technology and Business Building, Berks campus. Randall Fegley, retired professor of history and politics at Penn State Berks and expert on the Middle East and international law, will offer his analysis of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Free.
"Building a Stronger Democratic Future Through Pedagogical Innovation" — 5 p.m., Feb. 1, Grandfather Clock Lounge, Atherton Hall, University Park campus and Zoom. Boaz Dvir, director of the Hammel Family Human Rights Initiative and the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative at Penn State, will lead this discussion as the concluding symposium in the Schreyer Honors College's "Dialogues of Democracy." Free.
In-person exhibits
"Workout" — Through Feb. 8, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A gallery exhibit featuring student pieces selected by art faculty members. Work from art majors and students taking general education art classes will be on display.
“Invisible Bodies” — Through Feb. 8, 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, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Galleries present "Magnificare," an exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Marguerita Hagan.
"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 virtual exhibitions include an exploration of the first 100 years of national disability rights legislation and the movement's impact on the Penn State community; a virtual exhibition of design, craft and makery; and a variety of abstract images that push the boundaries of photography as a medium.