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
"10th Annual Profiles In Music: A Drum and Bugle Corps Showcase" — 6 p.m., April 1, The Pullo Center, Penn State York. The Lancers Drum and Bugle Corps, from Hanover, Pennsylvania, hosts a show consisting of the multiple alumni drum and bugle corps from the east coast.
Amir ElSaffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble — 7:30 p.m., April 4, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Global jazz fusion enhanced by sounds of the Middle East will be the musical flavor of the night with a performance by Amir ElSaffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble. The concert will feature vocals by Hamid Al-Saadi, the world's foremost singer of Iraqi maqam.
Lectures
Beekeeping Around the World: "China" — 12-1 p.m., March 30, webinar. Webinar participants can learn why beekeeping is a popular and profitable venture around the world. This is part of a seven-week series of webinars offered by Penn State Extension. Free.
"All Who Dare to Be Free: Confronting the Legacies of Slavery in Museums" — 6:30 p.m., March 30, Gallery Lounge (W107), Olmsted Building, Penn State Harrisburg. Kyera Singleton, executive director of the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford, Massachusetts, will present the Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities annual American studies lecture. Free.
"Empathy, Effort, and Common Ground" — 12 p.m., April 3, Online. As part of the Penn State Rock Ethics Institute's 2023 Expanding Empathy Speaker Series, two talks will be presented by Patricia Lockwood, a Sir Henry Dale Fellow and Jacobs Foundation Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, and Hannah Read, a researcher at Duke University exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence as well as the effects of human-human and human-computer interactions on empathy. Free.
EarthTalks: "Searching for Life-As-We-Don't-Know-It Using Planetary Mass Spectrometry" — 4 p.m., April 3, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and on Zoom. Lu Chou, astrobiologist and organic geochemist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, has an interest in understanding organic biosignatures detection and characterization, planetary exploration and the search for life in the universe. Free.
Effects of human trafficking panel — 12:15 p.m., April 5, Barry Auditorium (Room 103), Nesbitt Academics Commons Building, Penn State Wilkes-Barre. In conjuction with the "Healing Through Transformational Art" exhibit, a live panel discussion will be held about the effects of human trafficking and how the creation of art is used as part of transformational healing from the effects of various traumas. Free.
Barbara F. Walter lecture — 4 p.m., April 6, Sutliff Auditorium, Lewis Katz Building, University Park campus. As part of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy's spring 2023 speaker series, Barbara F. Walter, one of the world's leading experts on civil wars, violent extremism and domestic terror, will present a lecture on her most recent book, "How Civil Wars Start." Free.
Events
Women's History Month — Through March, various campuses. Penn State celebrates Women's History Month with a variety of events. Free.
Happy Valley Animation Fest — Through April 5, University Park campus. The Happy Valley Animation Festival is an international animation competition that seeks to showcase works by student, early career and practicing professional artists, designers and filmmakers. Free.
Children's Dance Workshops — 4:30-5:30 p.m., through April 3, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona will host a six-week series of children’s dance workshops suitable for children ages 4 to 8. No prior dance experience is required or expected.
"RU Curious?" Innovation Hub tour — 4 p.m., April 4, Eric. J. Barron Innovation Hub, Downtown State College. The first of three community events in the "RU Curious?" series, hosted by Schlow Centre Region Library, will involve a tour of the new Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub, which is home to a variety of community resources, tools and ideas, along with the Invent Penn State Happy Valley LaunchBox. Free.
Sustainability Showcase — Through April 6, Borland Project Space, University Park campus. Hosted by the College of Arts and Architecture, the Sustainability Showcase will feature sustainability research and creative activity undertaken by faculty, staff and students across the college. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: A Walk Through Palermo: Bright Lights and Bright Flavors — March 30, Café 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 Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Palmer Museum Art After Hours: Experimenting With Art + Data — 5-8 p.m., March 30, Palmer Museum of Art, University Campus. An installation by the SciArt Group from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and entries to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering’s Materials Visualization Competition will highlight interdisciplinary collaboration and the art of data visualization.
Catherine Pierce readings — 12:15 p.m., March 30, Titelman Study of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Catherine Pierce, the Poet Laureate of Mississippi and author of four books of poems, most recently "Danger Days," will give a reading of her works. Free.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party — Multiple performances, April 1-2, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Fans of all ages will experience the thrill of watching their favorite Hot Wheels Monster Trucks in the dark.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Amalfi Dream: Capturing Italy's Beauty Through Cuisine — April 5, Café 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 Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Spring High Tea: A Ritzy Tea Party — April 6, Café 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 Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Virtual exhibits
"Penn State Women's Athletics and Title IX: The Success and Struggles for Equal Access" — Through May. This University Libraries exhibit focuses on the impact Title IX legislation has had on Penn State women student-athletes. 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.
"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.
In-person exhibits
Visual Arts Annual Graduate Research Exhibition — Through April 1, HUB Gallery, University Park campus. The Graduate Research Exhibition places special emphasis on communicating research and creative endeavors to a general audience. Free.
"State of Mine" — Through April 2, McLanahan Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Works by visual art studies senior Meghann Mignogna derived from her personal experience with mental health. Free.
"Good Night, Sleep Tight" — Through April 2, Sheetz Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. Work by visual art studies senior Jordan Alwine featuring dreams presented in a colorful and detailed style reminiscent of storytelling. Free.
"Healing Through Transformational Art" — April 1-May 31, Friedman Art Gallery, Penn State Wilkes-Barre. The exhibit features artwork by members of Together We Initiate Growth & Stability (TWIGS), a Dallas-based organization that offers transformational art sessions to stimulate the mind and create a healthier thought process for those who participate. Free.
"Facing Forward: Portraits Looking to Our Future" — April 3-May 31, Henry Gallery, Penn State Great Valley. The exhibit focuses on portraiture to tell stories of inspiration, hope, challenge and change that face this time in history head-on. Free.
"Hard Candy Tectonics" — Through May 14, exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Building, University Park campus. Works by Gracelee Lawrence showcase glimmering and seductive surfaces blending into sensual volumes in space that together form the plastic sublime that are Lawrence's sculptures. Free.
"Happy Landscapes: Wellbeing by Design" — Through May, Rouse Gallery, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. Work by Peruvian architect Coco Alarcon reflects how landscapes can address happiness, mental health and well-being. Free.
"Sticky Mirror" — Through May 30, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Building, University Park campus. An exhibition of artist Sarah Sutton's work that imagine in-between space, scalar fluidity, and what the artist calls psychic spaces, where the private and public realm collapse. Free.
"Between the Lines: Global Histories of the Book" — Through Aug. 28, Special Collections Exhibition gallery, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. Students in HIST 255N: History of the Book share insights and books through this exhibition about the forms and functions of books. Free.
"Zombie Ant Experience" — Through August, Perkins Student Center, Penn State Berks. This interactive art installation also serves as a teaching tool to illustrate spore trajectories and how ants are transformed into "zombies." Free.
"Evan Pugh: Student to Scientist" — Through October, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery, Deike Building, University Park campus. The exhibit explores two distinct stages in the life of Evan Pugh, Penn State's first president. Free.
Gall wasps exhibit — Through October, Frost Entomological Museum, University Park campus. This new exhibit is aimed at cultivating awareness about gall wasps and showcasing their beauty and diversity. Free.
"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.