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., Sept. 21, 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.
A Boogie wit da Hoodie: Me vs Myself College Tour — 8 p.m., Sept. 21, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Bronx-bred superstar A Boogie wit da Hoodie takes the stage, with special guests Toosii and Kaliii.
Thomas Rhett: Home Team Tour 2023 — 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Multi-Platinum entertainer Thomas Rhett will hit the Bryce Jordan Center with Cole Swindell and Nate Smith as part of his Home Team Tour.
"Spamilton: An American Parody" — 7:30 p.m., Sept. 24, The Pullo Center, York campus. Created by Gerard Alessandrini and performed by a versatile cast of eight, Spamilton: An American Parody is a side-splitting new musical parody. A crash course of everyone’s favorite Broadway blockbusters, including celebrity satires, pop culture zings accompanied with hip-hop on the piano.
Rhapsody Series: "Heroes and Legends" — 4 p.m., Sept. 24, School of Music Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus and Zoom. French Horn professor Sarah Schouten will perform works with soaring heroic lines, swashbuckling themes, and captivating rhythms by Elizabeth Raum, Shaynse Strickland, Dorothy Gates, James Naigus and Justinian Tamusuza. Free.
The Penn State Trombone Studio Sings! —7:30 p.m., Sept. 24, Esber Rehearsal Hall, University Park campus. Members of the Penn State Trombone Studio present songs from The Great American Songbook. Free.
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.
Lee Asher, Founder of The Asher House — 7:30 p.m., Sept. 21, The Pullo Center, Penn State York. Lee Asher is widely recognized for his dedicated efforts in the animal rescue community.
10th annual Guts and Glory Digestive and Wellness Expo — 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sept. 23, Berks campus. The Guts and Glory Health and Wellness Expo is designed to educate those who are curious about health and wellness, elevate the understanding of the health conscious, and raise community awareness of the importance of digestive health and overall wellness through the free exchange of information and resources. The event features more than 100 vendors, with additional activities and installations.
Open dance class — 1-2:15 p.m., Sept. 24, Room 148, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona will host an open dance class, open to anyone over the age of 18. The class will feature movement and engagement through modern dance technique and improvisation. Dancers of all levels, styles, backgrounds and experiences are welcome. Free.
“Drawing Our Worlds Together: Graphic Mundi and Penn State University Press” — 12-1 p.m., Sept. 26, Zoom. Library Discovery Hour, presented by Penn State University Press Editor-in-Chief Kendra Boileau, will discuss Penn State University Press through its graphic novels for adults and young adults. Boileau will explain how and why Graphic Mundi came to be; what it takes to create a graphic novel; and some of the challenges and successes of Graphic Mundi so far.
"My Ascension" film screening — 5:30 p.m., Sept. 26, Devorris Downtown Center, Altoona campus. For years, Emma Beniot quietly struggled with anxiety and depression, too ashamed to share her pain with family or friends. At 16, she attempted to end her life; the self-inflicted gunshot left her paralyzed. “My Ascension” chronicles Beniot’s recovery journey and advocacy work, while addressing the youth suicide epidemic. The screening will be followed by an open dialogue related to preventing youth suicides in Blair County.
Bike Safety 101 workshop — 6-8 p.m., Sept. 28, The Bike Den, University Park campus. This workshop will teach participants the rules of the road and bike safety skills before bringing the group outside to a beginner-friendly practice course. A bike and helmet are required to participate.
Lectures
"Why Didn't You Tell Me?" — Noon, Sept. 21, Room 135, Penn State Lehigh Valley. Carmen Rita Wong will share stories from her own life and answer questions about her book, "Why Didn't You Tell Me?," as part of campus programming around Hispanic Heritage Month. Free.
Pulitzer Prize-winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey — 6 p.m., Sept. 21, Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Pulitzer Prize-winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey will offer a reading as this year's Emily Dickinson Lecturer.
Football Fridays Lecture: Mike Stevens — 4 p.m., Sept. 22, Carnegie Cinema, University Park campus. Penn State alum Mike Stevens, president of MDS Consulting and former president of the Champions Tour - PGA, will speak as part of Football Fridays, an on-campus question-and-answer series.
“The Stigma Paradox: Assessing Provider-based Stigma of Opioid Use Disorder Among Treatment Professionals” — 12:05 p.m., Sept. 26, Fireside Lounge, Slep Student Center, Altoona campus. A Spotlight on Teaching and Research series lecture by Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Nathan Kruis and criminal justice student Will Lin.
"How do we fix democracy: Culture or structure?" — 4 p.m., Sept. 26, Hintz Family Alumni Center, University Park campus. The McCourtney Institute for Democracy presents David Daley, senior fellow at FairVote and journalist covering political reform, in conversation with McCourtney Institute Managing Director Christopher Beem.
"The NFL Off Camera" — 6:30 p.m., Sept. 26, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Bob Angelo, a Penn State alumnus who crafted an award-winning longtime career at NFL Films will present a free public lecture. Angelo — who earned his bachelor’s degree in from the University in 1974 and worked for NFL Films, the documentary-style storytelling arm of the NFL, from 1975 to 2018 — will discuss his 43-year career and recent book, "The NFL Off-Camera: An A–Z Guide to the League's Most Memorable Players and Personalities."
In-person exhibits
"Sad Purple and Mauve: A History of Dye-Making" — Sept. 14 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. The opening will take place from 4-6 p.m. on Sept. 14 in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, and is free and open to the public.
“Anacostia Portraits” — Through Sept. 22, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Galleries presents “Anacostia Portraits,” an exhibition of tintype photographs by Elana Volkova, on view in Art Alley through Sept. 22.
“Interplay” — Through Oct. 5, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Interplay will display artwork from Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Morgan Thomas Shankweiler’s “By-Chance Connection” series, “Tie Formation” series, and her newest exploration of indeterminacy.
“Viet Kitsch: Lacquer Luster” — Through Oct. 5, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Millian Pham intertwines her native Vietnamese culture with her adopted American culture through imagery and text.
Tiles & Mosaics: Student Works from the Collaborative Course at TileWorks of Bucks County — Through Oct. 13, Art Gallery, Abington campus. 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.
"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.
"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.
"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.