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
“Hit the Wall” — Oct. 3-12, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Centre Stage presents “Hit the Wall” by Ike Holter, a story of the Stonewall Uprising and the generation that disrupted the marginalization and invisibility of the LGBTQIA+ community. The show is directed by award-winning producer and alumnus Robert W. Schneider.
"Bach's Lunch" — 12:10 p.m., Oct. 12, 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.
Philharmonic Orchestra — 7:30-9 p.m., Oct. 12, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra will present their first concert of the academic year featuring winners of two competitions for students: the 2023 concerto competition and Penn State Ensembles Call for Scores.
"Abhipsaa — A Seeking" — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 18-19, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Indian dance artist Bijayini Satpathy will make her choreographic debut with two intimate performances, as well as additional events throughout the week. The globally renowned Indian dance artist and scholar left Nrityagram Dance Ensemble to research and create “Abhipsaa—A Seeking,” a work in extension of her Odissi dance training.
"A Tribute to Pink Floyd’s 'Dark Side of the Moon'" — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 18-20, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. As a celebration of the 50th-anniversary of Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side of the Moon," audience members will be immersed in the psychedelic world of the 1970s through music, movement and light.
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" — Oct. 17-29, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage will produce Dave Malloy's Tony Award-winning musical "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812," an immersive electro-pop opera based on Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace." The show is directed by Christine O'Grady, assistant professor of musical theater and graduate directing.
Events
Hispanic Heritage Month — Through Oct. 15, Various campuses. Penn State units at campuses across the commonwealth will be holding events in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as a time to honor and celebrate the historic background, culture, heritage and many influences of the Hispanic and Latine community throughout the years.
Penn State Homecoming Week — Oct. 8-14, Various locations. A number of events are ongoing to celebrate tradition and instill pride in all members of the Penn State family, including the alumni ice cream social, Homecoming parade and Guard the Lion Shrine.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: The Steaks are High: Night at the Casino — Oct. 12, 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.
“White Ladies, Hairy Beasts, and Things that Go Bump in the Night – Urban Legends” — 7 p.m., Oct. 18, 134 Hawthorn Building, Altoona campus. Blair County Historical Society's Michael Allison will present a talk on urban legends as part of a series of historical presentations at Penn State Altoona.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Bon Appetit: From France with Love — Oct. 18, 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.
Lectures
Kelle Groom — 6 p.m., Oct. 12, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Nonfiction writer and poet Kelle Groom will offer a reading as part of this year’s Mary E. Rolling Reading Series. Groom is the author of four books of poetry and two books of nonfiction, and was previously distinguished writer-in-residence and assistant professor of humanities at Sierra Nevada College, Lake Tahoe. She also is the former poetry editor of the Florida Review and now serves as a nonfiction editor for AGNI Magazine. Free.
“A Conversation with Ryan Hockensmith” — 7 p.m., Oct. 12, Kern Auditorium, University Park campus. Alumnus Ryan Hockensmith, an award-winning writer from ESPN, will discussing his career and sports writing. Hockensmith's visit, along with a reception on Oct. 13, highlights celebratory events as the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State marks 20 years of student opportunity and success. Free.
“Dangerous Books: Smoke, Mold and Poison” — 12-1 p.m., Oct. 13, University Libraries Conservation Center, University Park campus and Zoom. Hosts will present attendees with haunting tales of mystery that only occur in a library. There will be smoke, there will be tiny creatures, along with poison potions to thrill one and all. Hosted by the University Libraries’ Conservation Centre, presenters invite attendees to see how the University Libraries deals with all of these and more. Free.
"Thunderstorms, Pollen and Severe Asthma in Minnesota 2007-18: Combining Data" — 3:30 p.m., Oct. 13, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and Zoom. Luke Smith, assistant research professor and environmental epidemiologist at Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute, will address the medical anomaly known as thunderstorm asthma, which arises from the simultaneous occurrence of high pollen and thunderstorms. Free.
Football Fridays: Char Morett-Curtiss — 4 p.m., Oct. 13, Carnegie Cinema, University Park campus. Char Morett Curtiss, class of 1979, retired Penn State field hockey coach and director of "Teammates For Life: A Penn State Women's Athletics Initiative," will visit for "Football Fridays," an on-campus question-and-answer series. Free.
“The Blame Game: Digital Traces of Rising Aggression in Political Debates” — 1 p.m., Oct. 16, Carnegie Cinema, University Park campus. Dhavan V. Shah, the McLeod Professor of Communication Research and Maier-Bascom Chair at the University of Wisconsin, will present the fall 2023 Robert M. Pockrass Memorial Lecture. Shah's work focuses on the influence of message construction and processing, the communication dynamics shaping civic and political participation, and the role of online interactions in chronic disease management. Free.
"Trauma-Informed Design in Theory and in Practice" — 4:30 p.m., Oct. 18, Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, University Park campus and Zoom. Julie Stevens, associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University, will discuss an emerging practice: trauma-informed design. The practice involves designing with people who have experienced trauma by using a more compassionate process coupled with research and evidence. Free.
Rainn Wilson — 6:30 p.m., Oct. 18, Adler Athletic Complex, Altoona campus. Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on NBC’s sitcom “The Office,” will visit Penn State Altoona as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series. Wilson is an award-winning actor, comedian and New York Times best-selling author.
In-person exhibits
"Unplucked Gems" — Oct. 12 through Dec. 9, McLanahan Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. 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" — Oct. 12 through Dec. 9, Sheetz Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Juried Art Exhibition winner Boryana Rusenova-Ina utilizes experiences of learning English in post-communist Bulgaria to influence this exhibition. Free.
Tiles & Mosaics: Student Works from the Collaborative Course at TileWorks of Bucks County — Through Oct. 13, Art Gallery, Penn State Abington. An exhibition showcases pieces created by students during courses taught by faculty in collaboration with professional artisans at the Moravian Pottery and TileWorks in Doylestown, Bucks County.
"Petroglyphics: Stories from the Earth" — Through Oct. 31, Penn State New Kensington Art Gallery. The exhibition by Carolyn Haas invites visitors to embark on a unique artistic journey that uncovers captivating stories and intricate patterns hidden within rocks. 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 exhibit is aimed at cultivating awareness about gall wasps and showcasing their beauty and diversity. Free.
"Black Feminist Embodiments of Self-Love and Self-Recovery" — Through Nov. 20, Outside of Paterno Reading Room, Pattee Library, University Park campus. Inspired by a scene in Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved," set in Ohio prior to Emancipation, the exhibition displays sources of self-love and self-recovery found in a variety of literature by and about Black women. Free.
“Andrea Doria: Dive to An Era” — Through Nov. 30, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. The Friedman Art Gallery will feature a collection of items recovered on more than 200 dives to the shipwreck of the Andrea Doria. Diver and author Gary Gentile has recovered dishes, cups, glasses, plates, jewelry and ceramic panels created by the internationally known artist Romano Rui and more.
"Eudaimonia" — Through Dec. 5, Ronald K. DeLong Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. Featuring works from artists Sasha Meret and Michelle Neifert, "Eudaimonia" explores themes related to mindfulness, acceptance, purpose, skill mastery and positive relationships.
"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, 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.
"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.