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
Riley Green – 6:45 p.m., Nov. 13, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Multi-platinum, multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Riley Green will bring the “Damn Country Music Tour” to Penn State with special guests Jamey Johnson, Drake White and Hannah McFarland.
Ivyside Dance Ensemble — 7:30 p.m., Nov. 13-14, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Penn State Altoona's student dance company, along with Allied Motion Dance Company, comprised of adult dancers from the area, will offer a fall performance. Free.
Penn State Glee Club Fall Concert — 7:30 p.m., Nov. 14, Recital Hall, University Park campus and via livestream. The program will feature a dynamic range of repertoire, from Stephen Sondheim’s poignant “Not While I’m Around” from "Sweeney Todd," to works by Amy Beach, Veljo Tormis and Marie-Claire Saindon. The evening will also include a spirited performance by the Hi-Lo’s, the Glee Club’s select chamber ensemble, as well as a lively selection of traditional Penn State songs that celebrate the group’s long-standing choral heritage.
Dan Tyminski – 7:30 p.m., Nov. 16, Pullo Center, York campus. Bluegrass performer Dan Tyminski will visit Penn State York with his band to perform fan favorites. Tyminski’s diverse projects and 30 years of work have yielded troves of award-winning music.
Autumn Sunday Art Cider and Cookie Social — 5 p.m., Nov. 16, Titelman Study, Misciagna Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Rumble & Scream, a duo of whose show tells a story via narrative poetry and original music, will perform during this cabaret-style event. Free.
Lindsey Sterling – 8 p.m., Nov. 18, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Award-winning rock-violinist, dancer, and media personality Lindsey Stirling will kick off her “Snow Waltz Holiday Tour,” promoting her latest album “Duality.” The multi-platinum recording artist will perform her dazzling blend of music, dance, aerial acrobatics, and her signature holiday spirit.
SIX – Multiple performances, Nov. 18-20, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of twenty-first century girl power in an award-winning musical production.
"Global Sounds: Music from Around the World" — 7 p.m., Nov. 19-20, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Harrisburg campus. Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Humanities will present its fall concert, featuring the campus choir and concert band performing an eclectic mix of musical selections from across the globe. Free.
"Antigone" — Multiple performances through Nov. 21, Pavilion Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage, in the College of Arts and Architecture, presents Sophocles' "Antigone.
Events
Centre Film Festival – Various events through Nov. 16, University Park campus and State College. The seventh annual Centre Film Festival offers hundreds of viewing options along with question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers, special themes and much more.
Musical Theatre Masterclass — 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Nov. 13, Esber Rehearsal Hall, University Park campus. Penn State School of Music and College of Arts and Architecture alumnus Jaren Angud (master of music, 2014), drummer for the "Back to the Future: The Musical" national tour, will return to the University Park campus to present a masterclass on musical theatre percussion, drumming and careers in Broadway and professional music theatre. Free.
Centre Film Festival at the Palmer: Immersive Experiences – 1-7 p.m., Nov. 13, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The Centre Film Festival is collaborating with the Palmer Museum of Art, presenting an afternoon with immersive VR film projects that invite audiences to navigate intimate inner worlds and urgent global realities. Furnished vignettes designed by Shindig Alley will provide a comfortable viewing experience for an afternoon of technology, artistry, and dialogue. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Cowboy Cookout - Enjoy Life on the Range — Nov. 13, 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.
"Behind the Scenes of The American Revolution" — 7 p.m., Nov. 13, 112 Woodland Building, Abington campus. Ahead of the release of Ken Burns' documentary "The American Revolution" on PBS, three leading scholars, including Friederike Baer, professor of history at Penn State Abington who is featured in the film and served as a historical advisor to Burns and his team, will discuss the period and its impact. Free. RSVP required.
Spooktacular Science Show – 1-4 p.m., Nov. 15, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for the Performing Arts, Altoona campus. Families will enjoy exciting and fun science demonstrations followed by educational hands-on activities designed for children.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: The Blind Tiger - Feast Like It’s Forbidden — Nov. 18, 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.
Palmer Art Kids: Art in Bloom – Noon-1 p.m., Nov. 20, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Preschool children and caregivers can discover fascinating works of art inspired by the natural world, listen to stories, and create crafts inspired by the museum’s collections. Through sensory rich experiences, young learners can deepen their connection to the world around them while expressing themselves through art. This program is designed for preschool children ages 3-5 who have not yet started kindergarten, accompanied by an adult caregiver. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Midnight in Manhattan - A Jazz Escape — Nov. 20, 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.
DIRTy Date Night with the Arboretum – 5:30-7:30 p.m., Nov. 20, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. In this hands-on workshop, you and your date will create earth-based pigments using soil, clay, and other natural materials and get a tour of an art exhibition. Perfect for creative couples who aren’t afraid to play in the dirt. Registration and fee required.
Lectures
Matthew Ferrence — 6 p.m., Nov. 13, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Renowned writer and author of "I Hate It Here, Please Vote for Me: Essays on Rural Political Decay," will offer a reading as part of this year’s Mary E. Rolling Reading Series.
Richard Tedeschi — 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Nov. 17, Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre, Harrisburg campus. Psychologist Richard Tedeschi, executive director of the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth in Bluemont, Virginia, one of the foremost authorities on posttraumatic growth — a term he and his colleague Lawrence Calhoun coined in 1995 to describe the positive psychological changes that can occur through the struggle with trauma and adversity — will present a talk.
In-person exhibits
“Fused: Works in Encased Wax” – Through Nov. 20, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. A new solo exhibition by artist Terri Yacovelli, titled "Fused: Works in Encaustic Wax," examines themes of nature and spirituality through encaustic paintings created with vivid color, dramatic texture and luminosity. This ancient technique combines heated resin, beeswax and pigment applied in layers onto any porous surface.
"Body, Landscape, Myth" – Through Nov. 21, McLanahan Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Ivyside Juried Exhibition winner Lauren Woods featuring paintings and videos that explore the relationship between physical experience and metaphysical awareness.
"Altered Ecology" – Through Nov. 21, Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. A body of work by Ivyside Juried Exhibition winner Kari Varner examining the traces of industry and human impact on the landscape, as well as the ecological and economic value of altered environments.
Anna Boothe: “Icons for Sagacity” – Through Nov. 30, Exhibition Cases, HUB-Robeson Gallery, University Park campus. Anna Boothe creates icons out of cast glass and found objects referring to the female form of facets of herself. Boothe initially hand-carves individual elements in wax or case directly from botanicals. After being transformed into glass, the parts are combined with other glass components. The technique results in translucent objects that glow from within.
“A Puncher’s Chance” – Through Dec. 5, Abington Art Gallery, Abington campus. In this exhibit, interdisciplinary artist James Maurelle explores the “puncher’s chance” — a term used when an underdog has the potential to win by landing a powerful blow. In an instant, the smallest opportunity shifts the scales, defying the insurmountable odds.
“A Study of Movement: The Fleet, Fierce and Feathered” – Through Dec. 5, Abington Art Gallery, Abington campus. Penn State Abington student Sophie Bell mimics stop-motion animation of animals in movement through a series of graphite animal drawings. The works aim to allow viewers to truly appreciate the individual characteristics and personalities of each creature depicted in the work.
“Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld” – Through Dec. 7, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The first two-person survey exhibition of these renowned artists, “Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld” explores their shared allegiances and sustaining friendship over three decades. The exhibition will unite some 25 sculptures and paintings by both artists along with related works on paper and a major new collaborative piece, offering an absorbing journey into the depths of the threatened natural world.
"Our House is on Fire" – Through Dec. 18, Henry Art Gallery, Great Valley campus. "Our House is on Fire" celebrates the power of art to inspire environmental action and advocate for a greener, healthier future. The five artists who contributed to this exhibit see a need to advocate for harnessing imagination, wealth and technology to make their communities and country greener and healthier places for everyone to live.
“Tradition Renewed” – Through Dec. 19, Art Space, Schuylkill campus. "Tradition Renewed" is an exhibition featuring works by artist Eric Armusik, his apprentices and select students from the Armusik Academy of Classical Art. Known for his masterful figurative paintings inspired by the Old Masters, Armusik’s work captures the drama and emotion of the human experience through a classical lens.
“Structures, Systems, and Society: Work at the Interface of Art and Engineering” – Through Dec. 21, 2025, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. A diverse selection of objects from the Palmer’s collection appear alongside works by Penn State makers to investigate three intersections between art and engineering. Structures explores the physical forms and frameworks that support innovation, blending function and aesthetics in design. Systems examines the interconnected processes behind artistic and technological creation, highlighting shared methods like visualization and iteration. Society focuses on the cultural and ethical impact of engineering, showing how art fosters empathy, equity and responsible innovation.
“Public Spaces / Private Lives” – Through Dec. 21, 2025, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. “Public Spaces/Private Lives” presents a selection of works on paper that explore how we live, navigate and express ourselves in both private and public settings. Spanning from the mid-1800s to the early 2000s, the exhibition includes scenes of homes, neighborhoods, rooftops, sidewalks, city streets, parks, eateries, public institutions and transit systems mostly set in the United States, with a few works depicting Ireland and France.
“Sounding the Abstract” – Through Jan. 2, 2026, Woksob Family Gallery, downtown State College. "Sounding the Abstract" is a multimedia installation created by Woohun Joo, assistant professor of digital arts and design in the Penn State School of Visual Arts. The installation explores the relationship between visual and auditory perception by creating ambient soundscapes that correspond to geometric artworks through a real-time "reading" of the images.
“Dispositions” – Through Jan. 2, 2026, Woksob Family Gallery, downtown State College. “Dispositions” is an exhibition of art installations by Yasmine Abbas that explores the experience of existing between cultures and places, with a focus on "neo-nomads" and their strategies for navigating life between cultures and unfamiliar territories. Abbas is an assistant teaching professor of architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School.
"Drawing and Analyzing Architecture: Works of Jamie Cooper" — Through mid-January 2026, Willard G. Rouse Gallery, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. James Cooper, associate professor of architecture in the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School, will open an exhibition featuring his own work. Free.
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.