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
Emerald Isle – 7:30 p.m., March 17, Pullo Center, York campus. Emerald Isle presents a live show that takes audiences on a magical journey through the heart and soul of Ireland. The performance celebrates the rich tapestry of Irish culture, featuring world-class dancers, musicians and singers.
Colin Jost – 7:30 p.m., March 18, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Penn State's Student Programming Association will bring writer and "Saturday Night Live" cast member Colin Jost to University Park for an evening of stand-up at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Bach's Lunch – 12:10-12:45 p.m., March 19, Eisenhower Chapel, University Park campus. "Bach's Lunch" is a weekly concert series during the school year. These popular concerts are brief in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour. Free.
"America at 250" – 7:30 p.m., March 19, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The Nittany Valley Symphony will celebrate styles and genres that define the collective sound of the United States with the program “America at 250.” The program highlights multiple different styles and genres, from jazz to popular song, from Broadway to Hollywood.
Events
National Women's History Month – Through March, multiple campuses. Penn State student organizations and units at campuses across the commonwealth are offering events during National Women’s History Month, held during the month of March each year.
Palmer Art Kids – 2-3 p.m., March 13, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Preschool children and their caregivers will discover fascinating works of art, listen to engaging stories, and create hands-on crafts inspired by the museum’s collection. Through sensory-rich experiences, young learners will strengthen their connection to art while expressing themselves creatively. Registration required. Free.
Second Saturdays: "Easter Gras" – March 14, downtown Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. In collaboration with Penn State Keystone Community Partnerships, a Penn State Outreach initiative, “Easter Gras” activities will take place in the businesses, shops and restaurants in downtown Philipsburg. Penn State Health’s Lion Mobile Clinic will be on site throughout the day offering free walk-up healthcare screenings, alongside several other nonprofit organizations.
Drop-in Tour: Clothing Across Culture and Time – 2 p.m., March 15, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Drop in and discover the Palmer’s world-class collections and exhibitions with a friendly and knowledgeable museum guide. Each tour explores a theme, lasts about one hour, and includes close-looking through discussion and experiential learning opportunities.
Nature Sketching – 10-11:30 a.m., March 17, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. This art class for adults explores a variety of art materials and techniques as we connect art and nature. All experience levels are welcome, from beginner to professional. Free.
“Hard Freight Café” Open Mic – 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 17, Titelman Study, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Attendees are invited to read or perform their own work or music or share a favorite piece of poetry or prose.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Flavors of the Five Rings — From Podiums to Plates – March 17, 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.
Yoga and Mindfulness at the Palmer – Noon, March 18, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Join Sima Farage for yoga, mindful movement and meditation at the museum. All bodies are welcome, and no experience is necessary. This program is presented through a partnership with Penn State Health Promotion & Wellness.
Wet Weather Biking 101 – 6:15-7:15 p.m., March 19, Bike Den, University Park campus. Penn State students, faculty and staff, and local community members, are invited to attend a wet weather biking workshops to learn the rules of the road and bike safety tips. Free.
Creative Studio at the Palmer: Circles in Sound & Motion – 5:30-7:30 p.m., March 19, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Use clay to build art intended for movement, sound or adornment. Create textured circles to become a windchime, necklace, magnet or something else of your choice and enjoy the relaxing effect of shaping clay. Hosted by Erin E. Carter, assistant teaching professor of creative arts therapies, and Erin Bolger Welsh, art educator, these sessions offer art-based creative activities designed to encourage relaxation, connection with others and rejuvenation of spirit.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: La Estancia — From Argentina to Your Table – March 19, 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
Beekeeping Around the World: New Zealand – Noon, March 12, via Zoom. Penn State Extension will host a webinar series for those interested in learning about beekeeping practices and challenges in different parts of the world. Each week will feature a different location, and presenters will discuss what beekeeping is like there.
Anderson Lecture: Eugene Ofori Agyei – 11:30 a.m., March 17, Pattee-Paterno Library, University Park campus. Eugene Ofori Agyei is a Ghanaian-born artist and educator based in the United States whose interdisciplinary practice explores themes of migration, identity, cultural hybridity, and the concept of home through ceramics, textiles, wood, found materials and performance.
Carmin Wong poetry reading – 6 p.m., March 17, Woskob Family Gallery, 146 S. Allen St., State College. Borough of State College Poet Laureate Carmin Wong will host an evening of poetry featuring curated student poems exploring themes of immigration, homeland and the refugee experience.
“Grid Hardening and the Effectiveness of Climate Adaptation in the U.S. Electricity Sector” – Noon, March 18, 157 Hosler Building, University Park campus. Madeline Yozwiak, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, will give a talk on grid hardening practices like replacing poles, burying lines underground, elevating substations or managing vegetation, designed to mitigate risks to the electric grid and protect utility customers from outages.
"The legacy of Vietnam-era student activism" – Noon, March 18, Foster Auditorium, University Park campus. As a Penn State student in the early 1970s, Ronald Scott joined protests against the Vietnam War and racial inequality on campus. Fifty years later, some of the same themes he spoke about then — like free speech and racial inequality — are still salient. Scott will return to campus next month to reflect on his time as a student activist and how it shaped his career in higher education.
“Turning Mobile Check-Ins into Early Warnings for Cognitive Decline” – 3 p.m., March 18, Edna Bennett Pierce Living Center, University Park campus. Zita Oravecz, professor of human development and family studies, will discuss how the identification of subtle, early signs of cognitive decline is important for assessing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She will highlight how computational modeling can help identify sensitive markers in cognitive performance that signal early stages of cognitive decline.
"Shapes of Imagination" – 4 p.m., March 18, Stuckeman Jury Space, University Park campus. Design and computation theorist George Stiny will deliver a lecture based on his book, “Shapes of Imagination: Calculating in Coleridge’s Magical Realm,” where he explores intersections of visual calculating and shape grammars with design and art.
Beekeeping Around the World: Northern Quebec – Noon, March 19, via Zoom. Penn State Extension will host a webinar series for those interested in learning about beekeeping practices and challenges in different parts of the world. Each week will feature a different location, and presenters will discuss what beekeeping is like there.
Tolkien’s Middle-earth – 12:15 p.m., Thursday, March 19, 139 Hawthorn Building, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona alumnus Carl Sell and Nick Katsiadas will discuss their co-edited collection of essays, “Tolkien's Medievalism in Ruins: The Function of Relics and Ruins in Middle-earth,” and the collection's path to publication.
“Fighting Crime with Feathers: The Casebook of a Forensic Ornithologist” – 6-7:30 p.m., March 19, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus and via Zoom. What connects true crime with carved hornbill skulls, Harpy Eagle headdresses and hummingbird love charms? In the 2026 Avian Lecture, Pepper Trail will describe his unique career as senior forensic ornithologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, a subject which illustrates the vital role of wildlife law enforcement in bird conservation.
In-person exhibits
"Rough It Out" – March 15-28, Patterson Gallery, University Park campus. Through "Rough It Out," Katie Talis explores the profound parallels between the cycles of life and the transformative journey of clay. From raw earth to refined ceramic, clay reflects how hardship can transform people into stronger, more compassionate individuals.
“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.
“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.