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
Barleyjuice — 7 p.m., Jan. 30, Hiller Auditorium, DuBois campus. Based in Philadelphia, Barleyjuice is known for blending traditional Irish music with modern rock elements.
"Improvising a Life" — 11:30 a.m., Feb. 3, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Harrisburg campus. Michele Dunleavy, professor of dance in Penn State’s School of Theatre and University Laureate for the 2024-25 academic year, will perform. Known for her innovative choreography and dedication to inclusive dance education, Dunleavy has been a vital part of Penn State’s acclaimed musical theater program since 2004.
“What Does PURPLE Sound Like?” — Feb. 4-6, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. “What Does PURPLE Sound Like?” is a visual and performance art installation that celebrates the older adult communities throughout central Pennsylvania. The experience features local community participants in performance alongside SLMDances artists in excerpts from the dance company’s work “PURPLE: A Ritual in Nine Spells.”
Tempesta di Mare Chamber Players concert — 7 p.m., Feb. 5, Sutherland Auditorium, Abington campus. This unique Baroque program will feature the mellow woodiness of the flute, the tannic sweetness of the viola gamba, and the bright effervescence of the lute highlighting masterpieces by Bach, Couperin and Marais. Free.
Events
Black History Month events — Multiple dates and campus locations. Penn State campuses across the commonwealth will be holding events from the end of January and throughout February in celebration and commemoration of National Black History Month.
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.
Family Days: Museum Safari – 1-4 p.m., Feb. 1, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Take an expedition through the museum to discover animals in art then transform your observations into a creative masterpiece.
Yoga at the Palmer — Noon-1 p.m., Feb. 5, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Join Latisha Franklin for free, drop-in yoga, mindful movement, and meditation classes at the museum. All bodies are welcome, and no experience is necessary.
Rhythm in Motion Workshop with Penn State Laureate Michele Dunleavy — 5:30 p.m., Feb. 5, 148 Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. This interactive workshop invites attendees to create short scenes and dances using a combination of movement and sound. Content will be generated by the participants in response to specific prompts, engaging in group activities, and improvisation exercises. No previous experience is required.
African American Music Festival — Feb. 5-8, Various locations on the University Park campus and in downtown State College. The Penn State School of Music will host the 2025 African American Music Festival, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of African American music.
Lectures
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.
Samuel Kọ́láwọlé — 6 p.m., Jan. 30, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Critically acclaimed fiction writer and Penn State assistant professor Samuel Kọ́láwọlé will offer a reading as part of this year’s Mary E. Rolling Reading Series.
Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lecture: Lukas Muechler — 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Feb. 1, 100 Thomas Building, University Park campus. Lukas Muechler, assistant professor of chemistry and physics, will give a talk titled “How chemistry and physics come together in quantum materials” as part of the 2025 Eberly College of Science Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lectures series. Free.
“Sleep Health Across the Life Span” — 3 p.m., Feb. 5, 110 Henderson Building, University Park campus. Orfeu Buxton, Elizabeth Trenton Susman Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State, will present the 2025 Pattishall Research Lecture.
Colloquium on the Environment keynote speaker Eric Klinenberg — 4:30 p.m., Feb. 5, 118 Katz Building, University Park and via Zoom. Eric Klinenberg, author and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University, will give a talk that expands on his bestselling book, “2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year that Changed Everything,” which explores lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic about how sociological factors intersect with health outcomes.
In-person exhibits
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.
"The Global Majority" — Through April 13, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition brings together a selection of photographs and contemporary works on paper to explore representation and the role it plays in fostering a sense of belonging, especially among communities that have been historically disempowered and excluded from museums, asking visitors to think about what it means to feel seen, to be pictured, or to have power over your own image.
"Profiles of Vulnerability and Protection" — Through April 20, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition considers how perceived vulnerabilities — shaped by gender, racial, economic, and other inequities — can become strengths that spark action and collective movement to change the course of injustice toward safe, peaceful and joyous living.
“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.