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
Bach's Lunch — 12:10-12:45 p.m., Sept. 18, 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.
“The Great DuBois” – 7 p.m., Sept. 19, Pullo Center, York campus. "The Great DuBois" is a fast-paced, high-energy circus show for all ages showcasing feats of juggling, hula hoops, unicycle, aerial, circus stunts, contortion, magic and audience interaction all wrapped up in a blanket of comedy.
The Artistry and Activism of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper – 7 p.m., Sept. 19, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was one of the first Black women to see her anti-slavery written works published in the United States. With this performance, dramatic choreography brings to life her poetry, novels, lectures and enduring legacy in a dance-theater program that highlights the challenges of her lifetime that are still as relevant today.
Rhapsody Series: “Percussive Treasure” – 4 p.m., Sept. 21, School of Music Recital Hall, University Park campus. Lee Hinkle, percussion professor, and colleagues present a thrilling concert of groundbreaking works for percussion. Highlights include performances inspired by urban soundscapes in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and an electrifying concerto for piano, double bass, percussion quartet and soloist.
Into the Reeds: 21st-Century Double Reed Gems – 7:30-9 p.m., Sept. 24, School of Music Recital Hall, University Park campus. Experience an eclectic program featuring oboe, bassoon, contrabassoon and piano in various combinations. Bassoonist Margaret P. Fay will be joined by Timothy Shafer, piano; Graham Mackenzie, oboe; and Penn State bassoon students in performances of contemporary works by Chris Palmer, Reena Esmail, Mathieu Lussier and Margaret P. Fay.
Jam Session with Mohamed Abozekry – 5:30 p.m., Sept. 24, 3 Dots, downtown State College. Oud musician Mohamed Abozekry will lead his international ensemble in a public jam session for all ages. Bring your own acoustic instrument to jam along with his percussive musicians.
Move Mix Festival – 5:30 p.m., Sept. 25, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The third annual Move Mix Festival will feature Egypt-born oud prodigy and world-versed musician Mohamed Abozekry. His playful “bass slap” performance style blends hints of blues with his take on jazz for a unique experiment at contemporary folk music. Free.
"Venetian Mysteries: The Lost Music" – 7 p.m., Sept. 25, Esber Rehearsal Hall, Music Building I, University Park campus. The Penn State School of Music in the College of Arts and Architecture will host the North American premiere screening of "Venetian Mysteries: The Lost Music.” The program will begin with a brief talk by Marica Tacconi, distinguished professor of musicology and art history at Penn State, and end with a Q&A with Tacconi and soprano Liesl Odenweller, artistic director of the Venice Music Project. Free.
Events
National Hispanic Heritage Month – Through October, various campuses. Penn State units at campuses across the commonwealth will hold events in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated as a time to honor and celebrate the historic background, culture, heritage and many influences of the Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the years.
10th Annual Harvest Fest – 4-7 p.m., Sept. 18, Dr. Keiko Ross Student Farm, University Park campus. All campus and community members are invited to celebrate the 10th annual Harvest Fest with the Ross Student Farm. Food samples will be provided throughout the evening by a diverse group of local chefs and caterers, including Housing and Food Services at Penn State, the Village at Penn State, State College Area High School and Paul’s Provisions. Additional activities and programs will be available.
“Conversations Live: Weather World" – 8 p.m., Sept. 18, via WPSU-TV. Vewers will be taken behind the scenes of “Weather World” with hosts Rob Lydick and Jon Nese, who will discuss how their team of meteorologists work to predict what is often the unpredictable and how it assists in keeping communities across the commonwealth safe. Viewers are encouraged to send questions to Lydick and Nese in advance of the broadcast.
Gallery Talks: Structures, Systems, and Society – 5:30 p.m., Sept. 18, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Enjoy an interdisciplinary gallery conversation with faculty and staff collaborators from “Structures, Systems, and Society: Work at the Interface of Art and Engineering” exhibition.
POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony — 9 a.m., Sept. 19, outside Slep Student Center, Altoona campus. The ceremony will include a posting of the colors, a guest speaker, a reading of the names of all known Altoona POW/MIA, prayer and reflection, and the playing of "Taps."
The Great Insect Fair – 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sept. 20, Snider Agricultural Arena, University Park campus. Learn about the diverse world of insects at this year’s Great Insect Fair, the annual Penn State event that celebrates insects with a variety of activities, games, crafts and more.The fair is a fun and educational event hosted by the Department of Entomology that centers around the fascinating world of arthropods and their relationship with humans.
Brake Clinic at the Bike Den – 6:15-7:15 p.m., Sept. 23, The Bike Den, University Park campus. Attend a free Brake Clinic to learn to identify, install, and adjust various bicycle brake calipers (and their corresponding levers) including disc (cable and hydraulic), side pull, cantilever and V-brakes. Several examples will be present, and participants are encouraged to bring their own bikes for maintenance.
Art After Hours: Journey to Nature's Underworld – 5-8 p.m., Sept. 25, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Plunge into the apocalyptic environments represented in the special exhibition “Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld." The event includes an interdisciplinary gallery conversation, interactive art activities, and opportunities to speak with representatives from the Civic Engagement Alliance about service events and alternative breaks focused on the environment and sustainability.
Lectures
Smith Creative Writers Reading Series: Karin Lin-Greenberg – 6-7 p.m., Sept. 18, Metzgar Center, Behrend campus. The Smith Creative Writers Reading Series at Penn State Behrend begins with a reading by Karin Lin-Greenberg, the author of the 2023 novel “You Are Here.” Lin-Greenberg is the author of the story collections “Faulty Predictions,” which won the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, and “Vanished,” which won the Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Book Prize.
“How the First U.S.-China Trade War Reshaped Vietnam’s Economic Geography and Environmental Performance” – 10:30-12:30 a.m., Sept. 19, 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, University Park campus. Siqi Zheng, the STL Champion Professor of Urban and Real Estate Sustainability at the Center for Real Estate within the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will deliver the sixth Austin J. Jaffe Real Estate Lecture.
"Nazi Germany and Jim Crow Racism: Comparisons, Contrasts, and Controversies" – Noon, Sept. 19, via Zoom. Penn State Harrisburg’s Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies will host Jonathan Wiesen, professor of history at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a specialist in modern German history, to discuss the comparisons, contrasts and controversies between Nazi Germany and Jim Crow racism in the United States.
“A Critical Legacy: Rare Earth Elements in Waste Products from Historical Mining and Smelting in PA” – 4 p.m., Sept. 22, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and via Zoom. Maureen Feineman, associate research professor of geosciences at Penn State and a hard-rock petrologist and a high-temperature geochemist, will discuss geochemical survey results involving waste from the Pennsylvania mining industry — in particular iron slag and mine tailings, which are byproducts of smelting and milling, respectively. The survey found high concentrations of rare earth elements, or REEs, a group of key metals used in technology, energy and national security applications.
Anderson Lecture Series: Rico Gatson – 11:30 a.m., Sept. 23, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus and via Zoom. Rico Gatson is a multimedia visual artist whose work explores themes of history, identity, popular culture and spirituality, through sculpture, painting, video and public art. Over the course of almost two decades, he has been celebrated for politically layered artworks, often based on significant moments in Black history, from the Watts Riots, the formation of the Black Panthers, to the election of President Barack Obama.
"On Being Human: Education, Art, and Possibility" – Noon-1 p.m., Sept. 23, via Zoom. Drawing on his scholarship in Black study and aesthetics, Wilson Okello explores how creativity, relationality, and everyday acts of living invite us to think differently about education and human possibility. This talk highlights how Black art and cultural practices offer new ways of understanding community, resilience, and flourishing.
"Freedom Routes: Blair County's Underground Railroad History" — 3:30 p.m., Sept. 23, Fireside Lounge, Slep Student Center, Altoona campus. Harriett Gaston, academic adviser at Penn State Altoona and director of the Blair County African American Heritage Project, will offer a lecture highlighting and honoring the stories of those who actively sought freedom from slavery.
“From Local Shocks to Regional Impacts: Economic Consequences of Public Safety Power Shutoffs in California on Western U.S. Residents and Sectors” – Noon, Sept. 24, 157 Holser Building, University Park campus. Tiemeng Ma, a doctoral candidate in energy, environmental and food economics at Penn State, will lead a seminar on the impacts of precautionary power shutoffs in California. Ma will discuss her study on widespread electricity shutoffs in California, designed to mitigate the risk of wildfire ignitions, and a framework that captured direct costs of power interruptions and indirect effects on the economy under different shock scenarios.
“Measuring a Moving Target: Cognition-on-the-go and the new science of brain health” – 3 p.m., Sept. 24, Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson Building, University Park campus. Martin “Marty” Sliwinski, director of the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State and Gregory H. Wolf Professor in Healthy Aging and Human Development, will present the 2025 Schmitt Russell Research Lecture exploring new methods for capturing cognitive health as it unfolds in the rhythms, contexts and challenges of daily life.
“Awareness of the Drawn Nature of Architecture in the Works of Paradigma Ariadné” – 4-5 p.m., Sept. 23, Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space, University Park campus and via Zoom. The Stuckeman School in the College of Arts and Architecture will host a lecture on Paradigma Ariadné, an interdisciplinary design practice based in Budapest, Hungary. The lecture will delve into the studio’s interdisciplinary approach to architectural and urban design.
“A Republic if You Can Teach It: Educating the Next Generation of Citizens” – 4 p.m., Sept. 25, 603 Barron Innovation Hub, downtown State College. From changing state standards to ongoing culture war controversies to artificial intelligence, delivering quality civic education in America’s schools is more challenging than ever. The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement co-founder Marjorie Rendell and executive director Beth Specker will present from their forthcoming book as part of the Brown Democracy Medal ceremony.
In-person exhibits
“Sounding the Abstract” – Sept. 19, 2025-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.
“Tracking Trash: A Community Collection” – Through Sept. 25, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The Palmer Museum of Art and the Arboretum at Penn State are turning litter into learning through a month-long citizen science project where every bottle cap, candy wrapper and coffee cup becomes part of our shared “collection.” By spotting and documenting discarded items in your community, you’ll sharpen your eye for detail, explore the real impact of humans on the more-than-human world, and help us build a visual record that’s equal parts science and art.
Rooted in Resilience: Artistic Perspectives on Alopecia in Women – Through Oct. 6, Henry Gallery, Great Valley campus. This exhibit aims to bring to light the emotional and psychological impact of hair loss, showcasing powerful visual narratives from women artists. This exhibit is curated by VERSIDA, a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to women with alopecia.
“A Brief Moment in the Sun” – Through Oct. 14, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. “A Brief Moment in the Sun” is an exhibition of paintings by Pittsburgh-based artist Jamie Earnest. Earnest's work hovers between the familiarity and ghostly incorporation of shadows, silhouettes and surfaces that serve as both material and metaphor.
“Parenthetic Passages” – Through Oct. 30, HUB Gallery, University Park campus. Camille Hoffman is a painter who critically reimagines the romantic American landscape through layered and immersive site-specific installation. In “Parenthetic Passages,” she creates an environment that emphasizes the wisdom of water and the concept of shell memory, reflecting on the evolving relationships and accumulated human experiences alongside oceanic knowledge.
“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.
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.
“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.
“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.
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.