What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — open to the University and local community:
Performances
"Our Town" – Through April 18, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage presents Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” directed by Steve Snyder. Set in Grover’s Corners, Our Town” unfolds with the tender, familiar and fading beauty of lilacs in spring, tracing the lives of the Gibbs and Webb families as they discover love, deal with loss, and come to understand the quiet miracle of everyday life.
“Dear John” – 7 p.m., April 16 and 17, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Student Enrichment Center, Harrisburg campus. Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Humanities will present several options to enjoy the spring concert, titled “Dear John” and including songs by and about famous “Johns.”
“Amor Fati (Love of Fate)” – 7:30 p.m., April 16 and 17, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. The Ivyside Dance Ensemble, along with Allied Motion Dance Company, will explore the mythology surrounding the human relationship with celestial figures. The production is created and choreographed by KT Huckabee, teaching professor and coordinator for the performing arts.
"Detroit ‘67" – Multiple performances, April 16-18, Penn State Downtown Theatre, University Park campus. The world is shifting for two siblings running an after-hours joint to make ends meet. Tensions mount when dreams diverge, their tight-knit community is threatened by an outsider and the streets erupt in violence in this riveting new play set to a driving Motown beat.
Big Band Showcase – 7 p.m., April 21, Sutherland Auditorium, Abington campus. Josh Lee and the Extended Family and two premier ensembles from La Salle College High School are bringing their swing to Penn State Abington. Based in Philadelphia, Josh Lee and the Extended Family keep big band music alive by sharing its traditions and aural history one performance at a time.
Events
Earth Month events – Multiple events and locations. Penn State Sustainability and other Penn State units will host a series of events throughout April in celebration of Earth Month, offering students, faculty, staff and community members numerous opportunities to engage in sustainability through education, collaboration and action.
Campus Pride Month events – Multiple events and locations. Campuses across Penn State are offering events in recognition of Campus Pride Month this April.
SoVA BIPOC Pop-Up Exhibition – 5:30-7:30 p.m., April 16, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Join members of Penn State’s SoVA BIPOC for a one-evening-only pop-up exhibition. Hear from student artists about work they created in response to artwork from the Palmer’s permanent collection.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: La Estancia - From Argentina to Your Table – April 16, 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.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live – April 18-19, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is back in 2026 with even more flames, more glow, and more high-octane action. Fans can expect the same edge-of-your-seat thrills they love, now supercharged with enhanced pyro effects, dazzling lighting, and jaw-dropping stunts.
Family Day: Art of Presence – 1-4 p.m., April 18, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Celebrate creativity, identity, and connection through art experiences inspired by our spring exhibition “Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection.” Drop in for gallery experiences, hands-on art activities, and family friendly tours that invite visitors of all ages to look closely, share ideas, and discover new perspectives.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: All Around the Aegean — April 21, 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.
4th Annual Student Sustainability Summit — 12:30-6:30 p.m., April 23, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Penn State Sustainability and multiple campus partners will host the 4th Annual Student Sustainability Summit, bringing together students, faculty, staff and community members for a day of programming centered on collaboration, recognition and forward-thinking sustainability solutions.
"Night at the Museums" — 4-8 p.m., April 23, Multiple locations, University Park campus. A wide variety of Penn State museums and special galleries will be open to the public.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: March Madness — April 23, 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.
Jeff Dunham: “Artificial Intelligence” – 7 p.m., April 23, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Get ready to laugh out loud when internationally acclaimed comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham brings his Artificial Intelligence Tour to the Bryce Jordan Center.
Students vs. Employees Basketball Game — 7:30 p.m., April 23, Adler Athletic Complex Arena, Altoona campus. In addition to the game, there will be contests and challenges between quarters, including a push-up battle and a half-court competition with small prizes for the winners. The event will conclude with a large raffle.
Lectures
“What’s fueling your future? Embracing the genius of the AND” – 3:05-4:20 p.m., April 16, 111 Forum Building, University Park campus. Tabbetha Dobbins will deliver a lecture that traces her personal and professional journey from clean energy research to leadership in graduate education. Drawing on her work in hydrogen storage and alternative energies, she will explore how scientific curiosity, persistence and passion can serve as “fuel” for one’s future — a drive that later shaped her transition into academic leadership at Rowan University.
“Artificial Intelligence and Moral Status” – 5 p.m., April 16, 062 Willard Building, University Park campus. S. Matthew Liao, a leading scholar in bioethics and moral philosophy at New York University (NYU), will present as part of the Rock Ethics Institute’s “Ethical Technologies” theme for the academic year, which explores the societal and ethical implications of emerging technologies.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: Robin Becker — 6 p.m., April 16, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Renowned feminist poet and Penn State Professor Emerita Robin Becker will offer a reading from her new collection, “Midsummer Count: New and Selected Poems."
"The Ad Hominem Fallacy: The Rhetorical Power of Name-Calling" – 7:30 p.m., April 16, General Studies Building, Mont Alto campus and via Zoom. In this Evening Talk, associate professor of communications David Seitz will provide a colorful lecture.
“Challenges to Feeding the World in the 21st Century” – 2-3 p.m., April 17, Mt. Nittany Room, Nittany Lion Inn, University Park campus and via Zoom. Richard J. Sexton, distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis, will discuss the current challenges of feeding the world and chronicle how contemporary food policies imperil food security and exacerbate environmental challenges associated with food production. The presentation will also identify “win-win” strategies that could prevent future hunger and environmental degradation.
“Amenity Migration, Gentrification and Illegality in Rural America” – 3:30 p.m., April 17, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and via Zoom. Lise Nelson, professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona, will examine how rural gentrification across the United States has reshaped local economies and communities over the past three decades, shifting landscapes from production to consumption. Drawing on qualitative research from places such as Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Highlands, North Carolina, she will explore how employers in gentrifying rural areas recruited Latine immigrant workers, many of them undocumented, to meet labor demands tied to new lifestyles and amenities.
“Moral Fragmentations and Boundaries” – April 19-20, Innovation Hub, University Park campus and via Zoom. The “Moral Fragmentations and Boundaries” event brings together the work of faculty, students and alumni to explore how disconnection and change show up across language, literature, culture, technology and politics. The theme for this event is “Fragmentation.”
Pearl Gluck – 12:15 p.m., April 20, Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room, Berks campus. Filmmaker Pearl Gluck, 2025-26 Penn State Laureate and associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, will deliver a presentation as part of an effort to inspire regional storytelling, foster connections across campuses and local communities and create pathways for artistic engagement.
“Leveling Up: Advancing Upstream Health Informatics Interventions to Promote Health and Healthcare Equity” – 12:10 p.m., April 20, E208 Westgate Building, University Park campus. Tiffany Veinot, Joan C. Durrance Collegiate Professor of Information at the University of Michigan School of Information, will outline a research program that designs and studies new approaches to improve health and reduce health disparities. The work focuses on “upstream” solutions — addressing the social and structural factors that influence health, such as living conditions, community environments and access to care.
"Advances in mechanical characterization of structural ceramics" – 3:05-4:20 p.m., April 23, 111 Forum Building, University Park campus. Jeffrey J. Swab, founder of Swab Consulting LLC, will present a Richard E. Tressler Award lecture examining several decades of advances in mechanical characterization methods that have improved the understanding, quality, consistency and reliability of advanced ceramic materials. He will focus on key developments in mechanical testing and fracture analysis that have shaped modern ceramic design and qualification practices.
Art After Hours: Rhythms + Rhymes – 5-8 p.m., April 23, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Enjoy contemporary ensemble performances by students in the School of Music and experience works of art in a new light through ekphrastic poetry readings by Penn State students. Repurpose artwork labels to create your own Dada poems and enjoy light refreshments.
In-person exhibits
"Momentum" — 11 a.m.-2 p.m., April 19, Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, University Park campus. Fourth-year Penn State graphic design students in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School will host an exhibition of their capstone projects
‘What Once Was’ – Through April 24, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Visual Arts Studies (VAST) student, Grace Brown rooted in nostalgia and the longing for moments shaped by her childhood memories, relationships and familiar places.
‘Blood is Thicker Than Water’ – Through April 24, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Visual Arts Studies (VAST) student Richard Mitchell exploring family, memory and the emotions that shape who he has become.
"Who Wears the Pants?! Fashion History One Leg at a Time" – Through April 26, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition in the Barbara and Lee Maimon Teaching Gallery, organized by Charlene Gross, associate professor of theater in costume design, and Keri Mongelluzzo, educator for academic engagement and access at the Palmer, explores the often-complex history of who wore pants, who didn’t and why it matters.
"Malaysian WWII Oral Histories: A Digital / Virtual Art Exhibition" – Through May 1, Freyberger Gallery, Berks campus. Created by Cheryl L. Nicholas, associate professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State Berks, the exhibition draws directly from her Malaysian WWII Oral Histories Project, which opened to a crowd of 3,000 at Perak Museum in Malaysia in 2023. Viewers will walk through a Malaysian house facade into a digital experience, where they can watch videos, listen to interviews, and experience an interactive VR environment, which includes artifacts from family collections.
Student art exhibit – Through May 1, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. Artwork created by students enrolled in the "Renaissance through Modern Times," "Perceiving the Arts," "Rhetoric and Composition" and "Crime and Detection in World Literature" courses will have their artwork on display.
“Squeeze Me In” – Through May 2, Woksob Family Gallery, downtown State College. This exhibition features artworks created by Beatrice Opokua Atencah, John M. Anderson assistant teaching professor of art in the College of Arts and Architecture’s School of Visual Arts. The exhibition explores how identity is rediscovered and transformed through clothing by combining craft processes — dyeing, sewing and beading — with spatial considerations and the complex history of corsetry as frameworks for examining acceptance and belonging.
"Like It Is" – Through May 9, Ronald K. DeLong Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. This exhibit features the work of abstract artist Femi J. Johnson. Johnson was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania. His early talent in graphite and charcoal led to a professional career as a master draftsman and designer for companies in Pennsylvania and New York before he returned his focus to fine art.
"Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection" – Through May 10, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition presents 40 works of sculpture, painting, ceramics, printmaking and photography by 22 living artists who have lived and worked on the African continent or in the diaspora.
"Playing Favorites: Highlights from the Special Collections Library" – Through May 13, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. For this endeavor, those who teach, catalog, research, acquire, curate and describe rare book and archival materials were invited to choose one or two items to share with a wider audience — in hopes that visitors will be enraptured with the eclectic results.
"Refugee" – Through June 5, Woskob Family Gallery, 146 S. Allen St., Downtown State College. An exhibition of large-scale paintings created by School of Visual Arts alumnus Michael Fratangelo.
“Sweet Solidarity: Portraits of Learning and Liberation” – Through June 8, Exhibition Cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Jasmine Cho’s work intertwines activism, artistry, and culinary creativity to explore the intricate relationship between food, cultural identity, and community care. Through the unique medium of pastry art, she invites visitors to reflect on how our shared experiences and culinary traditions can nourish not just the body, but also the spirit of solidarity among diverse communities.
Center for Arts and Crafts Artist and Instructor Exhibition – Through June 8, Exhibition cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The exhibition features artwork by instructors and students from Penn State’s Center for Arts and Crafts, representing a range of classes and workshops. The annual exhibition highlights a variety of craft materials and techniques and reflects the ways artists learn from and influence one another.
“Expanding the Collection: Recent Acquisitions” – Through June 14, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Reflecting the nearly encyclopedic nature of the Palmer’s permanent collection, new acquisitions represent a wide range of cultures, time periods, and artistic approaches. In this exhibition, a wide range of artistic pieces cover the continued relevance of art throughout history and into today. The exhibit also offers insight into how works of art enter the museum’s holdings. All collecting is guided by the museum’s Collections Plan, which defines the scope of the collection, identifies areas for growth, and establishes priorities to ensure that each acquisition contributes meaningfully to the museum’s mission and long-term vision.
“Puss an dawg nuh have di same luck” – Through July 19, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Krystle Lemonias’s multifaceted art practice explores the intersections of labor, identity, and social justice, providing a powerful commentary on the experiences of Black immigrants and the complexities of working-class life. Her work not only highlights the often-overlooked contributions of these individuals to society but also challenges the stereotypes associated with their roles in the workforce.
“Through Different Eyes: Industrial Worlds by Women Artists” – Through December, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, University Park campus. This exhibit explores the lives of women artists in 20th-century industrial Pennsylvania through their artwork and premiers the curatorial work of undergraduate students Alexis Woodring, a public relations major, and Gabriella Heidorn, an art history major with a minor in French and Francophone studies, who both have special interests in American art.
“Hybrid Zones” – Through March 8, 2027, HUB Gallery, University Park campus. “Hybrid Zones” is an immersive exploration of the post-industrial landscape of Eastern Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region. Through drawing, photography, and video installation, the artists trace the environmental and psychological imprint of centuries of resource extraction. In this powerful new body of work, Rachel Bacon and Meredith Davenport confront the entanglement of human and nonhuman systems, reflecting on how deeply industrial history is inscribed into the land—and into us.
"The Way I Saw It: A Photography Retrospective" – Through Aug. 1, 2027, Penn State All-Sports Museum, University Park campus. “The Way I Saw It” celebrates the work of Penn State alumnus Pat Little, who started out with the Daily Collegian and spent over three decades as a photojournalist with the Centre Daily Times, Associated Press and Reuters. Starting from a million photo negatives then narrowed down to a set of 5,000 photographs, the exhibit presents a final curated collection of 100 unique and powerful images of Penn State athletes, coaches, venues and fans, shot by Little between 1977 and 2005.
Virtual exhibits and online resources
In addition to in-person events, a number of virtual exhibits and online resources are available through University departments. The Palmer Museum of Art and Penn State University Libraries offer a rotating selection of historical and artistic collections to view via their websites, as well as other online resources.