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
Rhapsody Series: “Then and Now” – 4 p.m., Sept. 7, School of Music Recital Hall, University Park campus. The 2025–26 Rhapsody Series begins on Sept. 7 with "Then and Now," a joyful program presented by the voice faculty and pianist Parker Konkle. Each singer will pair a piece meaningful to them at the start of their career with one that represents their present artistic journey.
Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band – 7:30 p.m., Sept. 10, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. High-octane big band jazz returns to Happy Valley with the Penn State debut of the Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band. The three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer and his ensemble will perform its dynamic, energetic and improvisational sets and fresh arrangements.
Events
“Celebrating Penn State's Milestones in Physics” – 3-4 p.m., Sept. 5, Osmond Lab, University Park campus and via Zoom. Mauricio Terrones, head of the Penn State Department of Physics, commemorates the 70th anniversary of Erwin Müller’s first “seeing” of the atom, the 10th anniversary of the Penn State LIGO team’s discovery of gravitational waves, and Jainendra Jain’s pioneering Wolf Prize recognition — the first at Penn State
“Summer Pop-up" reception – 5-8 p.m., Sept. 5, Woksob Family Gallery, University Park campus. The College of Arts and Architecture’s Woskob Family Gallery is hosting a closing reception for Michelle Hinojosa’s exhibition “Summer Pop-up,” including a Q&A with Hinojosa, an assistant professor of art in the Penn State School of Visual Arts.
Lectures
“America’s Mineral Wealth — An Embarrassment of Riches That Requires an Immediate Critical Minerals Policy Perspective" — 4 p.m., Sept. 8, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus and via Zoom. Ned Mamula is an economic geologist and project manager with more than 30 years of experience, including at the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Energy and the investment and advisory firm GreenMet, formerly Greentech Minerals. He will present the lecture, "America’s Mineral Wealth — An Embarrassment of Riches That Requires an Immediate Critical Minerals Policy Perspective."
“Getting ready for the Anthropocene: the development path for municipal water and sanitation service and the economics of a circular urban water system” — Noon, Sept. 10, 157 Holser Building, University Park campus. Dale Whittington, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and visiting scholar at Oxford University, will lead a seminar on reducing leaks and demand in municipal water systems while promoting desalination and potable reuse.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: ‘Pemi Aguda – 6 p.m., Sept. 11, Foster Auditorium, University Park campus. Nationally recognized writer 'Pemi Aguda will offer a free reading to begin the Mary E. Rolling Reading Series for the fall semester. Aguda, who is from Lagos, Nigeria, has received several awards for her short stories and was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Awards in Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award.
Pamela Krayenbuhl – 4:30 p.m., Sept. 11, Kern Auditorium, University Park campus. Media historian and classically trained ballerina Pamela Krayenbuhl will discuss her academic work, which focuses on the aesthetics and politics of dance in relation to film, television and new media, during a free public lecture.
In-person exhibits
“Tracking Trash: A Community Collection” – Through Sept. 25, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The Palmer Museum of Art and Penn State Arboretum 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 non-profit 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, entitled "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 twenty-five 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.
“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.