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. 23, Recital Hall, School of Music, University Park campus. Bach's Lunch is a weekly Thursday afternoon concert series during the school year, jointly sponsored by the School of Music and the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development. Concerts are approximately thirty minutes in length in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour. Free.
Dancing with the Stars – 7 p.m., Jan. 23, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Dancing with the Stars is back on tour to heat up the winter with a brand-new live production. The stage show will feature your favorite professional dancers from the hit television series performing glittering new numbers as well as some of the showstoppers featured in season 33.
"A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” – 7 p.m., Jan. 24, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Vocal ensembles from Delaware, Penn State and regional high schools will raise their voices in song in “A Choral Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” The event will feature a program of popular spirituals and gospel hymns performed by Elevation, Essence of Joy and Essence 2, Ltd., Hatboro-Horsham High School Madrigals Choir, and Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School Concert Choir.
Parker McCollum – 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Penn State fans of Parker McCollum, one of country music’s most electric live performers, are in for a treat as the Texas-born singer-songwriter brings his "What Kinda Man Tour" to campus.
“The Call of the Crusades” — 2 p.m., Jan. 25, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Harrisburg campus. In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Humanities, the Kulkarni Cultural Arts Series and Sankofa African American Theatre Company will present “The Call of the Crusades,” an original play written by award-winning playwright Sharia Benn. Free.
Events
Martin Luther King Jr. events — Multiple events and locations. Events and activities honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. will continue to be held over the next few weeks at several Penn State campuses. The theme for 2025 is "Change Continues With Us."
IDEA-Fest — 7:30-9 p.m., Recital Hall, School of Music, University Park campus. The annual IDEA-Fest is an opportunity for students to seek out and present material written for the voice that speaks to inclusion, diversity and equity through action, and to further the ongoing dialogue of belonging.
The Joyfull: PURPLE Edition – 6 p.m., Jan. 29, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Join the Center for Performing Arts and Student Affairs for an evening of food and entertainment, designed to show the importance of food in our lives.
Art After Hours: New Year, New You – 5-8 p.m., Jan. 30, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Embrace the start of 2025 and rediscover yourself at the Palmer. Includes mindfulness, self-care, art-making, and exploring representation and identity with a gallery conversation and pop-up exhibition by members of Penn State’s SoVA BIPOC.
Lectures
“How Canonical Architectural Histories Erased the Americas" — 5 p.m., Jan. 23, Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, University Park campus. Fernando Lara, professor of architecture at the Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, will visit the Stuckeman School to discuss his latest book, “Spatial Theories for the Americas: Counterweights to Five Centuries of Eurocentrism.”
Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lecture: Sascha Meinrath — 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Jan. 25, 100 Thomas Building, University Park campus. Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State and director of X-Lab, will give a talk titled “Public interest technologists and the battle for privacy in the quantum age” as part of the 2025 Eberly College of Science Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lectures series. Free.
Gallery Talk: The Global Majority – 6 p.m., Jan. 30, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Enjoy an in-depth engagement on special exhibition The Global Majority with students from SoVA BIPOC, Palmer graduate assistants and interns, and Keri Mongelluzzo, Educator for Academic Engagement and Access.
In-person exhibits
"Intersection: MFA first-year exhibition" — Through Jan. 27, Zoller Gallery, Visual Arts Building, University Park campus. Where ideas meet and boundaries dissolve, Intersection presents innovative works by emerging artists. This dynamic exhibition invites viewers into a space of creativity and experimentation, where diverse perspectives intersect, and new dialogues emerge.
"Unknown Forest" — Through Jan. 27, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The exhibit features paintings and drawings by New York-based artist, Avani Patel, whose cultural background has had a profound impact on forging her identity as an artist. Indian culture is the starting point of her work.
High School Art Exhibit — Through Jan. 31, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. More than 60 examples of original local high school student artwork in the following categories: two-dimensional drawings and paintings; photography; and three-dimensional artwork. Participating schools include Lake-Lehman, Crestwood, Dallas, Wilkes-Barre Area Creative and Performing Arts Academy and Sue Hand’s Imagery will be on display. Free.
"Myth, History, and the Written Word: Manuscript and Print Culture in Latin America" — Through Feb. 7, 2025, Special Collections exhibition space, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. The rare and distinctive Latin American collections held by the Eberly Family Special Collections Library are the focus of this exhibition, curated by Manuel Ostos, librarian and curator of Romance Language and Latin American Collections. Free.
Allied Artists of Schuylkill County Member Exhibit — Through Feb. 21, Art Space, Schuylkill campus. This vibrant exhibition will feature works from 28 local artists, showcasing a variety of styles and mediums that reflect the rich artistic talent of the region.
"People, Place, and Things" — Through Feb. 26, Multiple locations at Berks campus. This campus-wide exhibition showcases artists with ties to eastern Pennsylvania whose work engages ideas of place-making and regional identity.
"Reunion" — Through March 4, HUB Gallery and Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The exhibit by New Mexico-based contemporary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger is an immersive, multi-disciplinary exhibition featuring sculpture, regalia and digital media. The selection of works presented in this iteration makes up a spectrum of possibilities and sheds light on historical truths to tell a narrative of complexity in the act of survival.
"Visionary Visuals Re:Vamped” — Through March 6, Rouse Gallery, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. The Stuckeman School will host exhibition looking at the future through the lens of a changing, modern architecture landscape, organized by Orsolya Gáspár, assistant professor of architecture, and Luisa Caldas, professor of architecture and director of the XR Lab at the University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design. Free.
"DVAL Presents" — Through March 14, Henry Art Gallery, Great Valley campus. The exhibit showcases the unfiltered imagination of the Delaware Valley Art League, an association of professional artists that promotes interest in the fine arts within the community and advances the skill and creativity of its membership.
"Defining the New Negro: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance a Century Later” — Through April 7, Pattee Library, University Park campus. Drawing upon the distinctive collections of Penn State University Libraries, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the works of featured Black authors and artists and their efforts to redefine Black identity, life and culture.
“Biomachine” — Through Spring 2025, Hite Lobby, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A collaboration between Daryl Branford and Talley Fisher of Huck SciArts offers a glimpse into the microscopic world of viruses and is a reaction to how humanity must learn to coexist with them.
"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.