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
“Crazy for You” – Multiple performances, Through Nov. 1, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage presents “Crazy for You,” with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, book by Ken Ludwig, directed by Christine O’Grady, with music direction by Darren Cohen and choreography by Michele Dunleavy. Put on your dancing shoes and step back into the Roaring Twenties with the Tony Award-winning, toe-tapping romantic musical comedy.
Greg Anderson – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 25, School of Music Recital Hall, University Park campus. Guest artist Greg Anderson will highlight the dedication of the School of Music’s new Steinway & Sons Spirio B piano through a performance. Anderson will showcase his artistry and some advanced technological possibilities of the piano. Free.
"Working: A Musical" — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29-31, Wolf Kuhn Theatre, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Altoona campus. “Working” is the extraordinary genre-defining musical from Grammy and Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell”). Employing a range of musical styles and genres from contributing composers, such as five-time Grammy Award winner James Taylor and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “In The Heights”), “Working” is about the hopes, dreams, fantasies and sorrows of American working people from all walks of life.
Isidore String Quartet – 7:30 p.m., Oct. 30, Recital Hall, School of Music, University Park campus. Isidore String Quartet approaches music as a “playground” and attempts to break down barriers to encourage collaboration and creativity. The ensemble’s mission is to connect with communities with limited access to contemporary and chamber music performances. They play from digital tablets instead of paper sheets and dress in attire that suggests personal comfort at the music stand.
Events
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Midnight in Manhattan - A Jazz Escape – Oct. 23, 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.
“Alien Invasion” – 5-7 p.m., Oct. 25, Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia. As night falls on Philadelphia, light, sound and floating sculptures will emerge at Penn’s Landing during a free, immersive "Alien Invasion" designed by Penn State Abington students. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: A Night in Provence - French Country Elegance — Oct. 28, 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.
53rd Annual Shakespeare Festival – Oct. 29-30, Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium, Fayette campus. This year’s Shakespeare Festival event will feature an 85-minute production of "Macbeth" by the Linny Fowler WillPower Tour, followed by a Q&A session with the cast. The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival has offered more than 200 total productions.
Art After Hours: 6th Annual Halloween Spooktacular – 5-8 p.m., Oct. 30, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Have a haunting good time at the museum during the 6th Annual Halloween Spooktacular! Dare to get spooked on a Zombie Adventure Tour through the galleries and attempt to solve the art heist mystery scavenger hunt. Compete for prizes in the costume contest. Candy and light refreshments will be provided.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: A Taste of Magic - A Disney Dining Experience — Oct. 30, 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
"Tensile-strained self-assembly: Nanoscale stretching for novel quantum light sources” — 3:05 p.m., Oct. 23, 112 Kern Building, University Park campus. Paul J. Simmonds, associate professor at Tufts University, will present a talk as part of the Penn State Department of Materials Science and Engineering’s (MatSE) 590 seminar series.
Gallery Talk: Journey to Nature's Underworld – 5:30 p.m., Oct. 23, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. Enjoy an interdisciplinary gallery conversation with Raymond Najjar, professor of oceanography, and Joyce Robinson, interim director, about special exhibition “Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld.”
“Lawyers of Law: New Republic’s Unwritten Legal Terrain” – 5:30 p.m., Oct. 23, Robb Hall, Hintz Alumni Family Center, University Park campus. Laura F. Edwards, Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty at Princeton University, will deliver the 2025 Steven and Janice Brose Distinguished Lecture Series. Edwards is a historian and prize-winning author who focuses on the legal history of the 19th-century United States with an emphasis on federalism, the history of legal institutions, and people’s interactions with the law.
"The Legal Geography of the Civil War Era and Its Lasting Legacy" — Multiple events, Oct. 23-25, University Park campus. Laura F. Edwards, Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty at Princeton University, a historian and prize-winning author, will give three talks as part of the 2025 Steven and Janice Brose Distinguished Lecture Series.
Beth Hetland – 4 p.m., Oct. 24, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Beth Hetland will receive the 2025 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year award for her book, “Tender,” followed by an author talk and book signing. Hetland’s talk will include a visual presentation and discussion of her 2024 graphic novel.
“Law in the Books: Writing News Maps” – 5:30 p.m., Oct. 24, Robb Hall, Hintz Alumni Family Center, University Park campus. Laura F. Edwards, Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty at Princeton University, will deliver the 2025 Steven and Janice Brose Distinguished Lecture Series. Edwards is a historian and prize-winning author who focuses on the legal history of the 19th-century United States with an emphasis on federalism, the history of legal institutions, and people’s interactions with the law.
“The Limits of Law: Unforeseen Destinations, New Texts” – 11:30 a.m., Oct. 25, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Laura F. Edwards, Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty at Princeton University, will deliver the 2025 Steven and Janice Brose Distinguished Lecture Series. Edwards is a historian and prize-winning author who focuses on the legal history of the 19th-century United States with an emphasis on federalism, the history of legal institutions, and people’s interactions with the law.
FBI Special Agent Jake Archer — 7 p.m., Oct. 28, Conference Center, Great Valley campus. FBI Special Agent Jake Archer will share about his work to investigate and recover stolen art and cultural property across the globe. Free.
In-person exhibits
"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.
"Body, Landscape, Myth" – Oct. 23-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" – Oct. 23-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.
“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.
"Signature" – Through Nov. 12, Freyberger Gallery, Berks campus. A new exhibition honors the works of art created by Penn State Berks students and faculty. “Signature" showcases the vision, talent and voices of students and the campus community. Works ranging from paintings and drawings to photographs, sculpture and mixed media pieces will be on display, representing the diversity that makes Penn State Berks such a lively and vibrant campus.
“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.
“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.
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.