What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events taking place at the University this weekend and next week:
Events
"Blind Date with a Book" — Through Feb. 29, various Penn State Libraries locations, University Park campus. Visitors to the Libraries can pick up wrapped books for reading dates. Free.
TEDxPSU — Feb. 16, Schwab Auditorium, University Park campus. The annual TEDxPSU event brings together innovative and thought-provoking individuals from the Penn State community and the world to share ideas worth spreading.
Pongal: The Harvest Festival — 7:30-11:30 p.m., Feb. 16, Alumni Hall, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Students from Penn State's Indian Culture and Language Club will host a traditional southern Indian thanksgiving festival with games, snacks and music. Free.
Performances
Luke Combs — 7 p.m., Feb. 13, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Country music artist Luke Combs brings his "What You See Is What You Get" tour to Penn State.
"That Golden Girls Show!" — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 16, Pullo Center, Penn State York. A puppet-based version of the classic "Golden Girls" television series.
Kronos Quartet — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 18, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. The San Francisco-based quartet will perform "Music for Change: The Banned Countries."
President's Concert — 8 p.m., Feb. 18, Carnegie Hall, New York City. The Penn State School of Music's Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at the 14th annual President's Concert.
"The Lucky Boy" — Feb. 18-22, Penn State Downtown Theatre, State College. Penn State Centre Stage presents an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "The Devil with Three Golden Hairs" by Kirsten Childs.
"Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure" — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 20, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. This multimedia family show features a giant theatrical aquarium and explores the "unknown" ocean depths, unlocking the mystery of "the dinosaurs of the deep." The show will feature a large-scale cast of creatures brought to life by sophisticated design, theatrical presentation and puppet mastery.
Lectures
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: Chet'la Sebree — 7:30 p.m., Feb. 13, Paterno Library, Foster Auditorium, University Park campus. Poet Chet'la Sebree will offer a reading of some of her works. Free.
Ashtekar Frontiers of Science Lecture: Katriona Shea — 11 a.m., Feb. 15, 101 Thomas Building, University Park campus. Katriona Shea, Alumni Professor in the Biological Sciences and professor of ecology at Penn State, will present "Infectious disease outbreak control: Harnessing the power of multiple models to work smarter, not harder." Free.
Penn State Forum: William Doan — 11:30 a.m., Feb. 17, President's Hall, Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, University Park campus. William Doan, professor of theatre and 2019-20 Penn State Laureate, will present "The Anxiety Project: An Artist's Look at Mental Health and Wellness."
2020 EarthTalks: Erica Smithwick — 4 p.m., Feb. 17, 112 Walker Building, University Park campus. Erica Smithwick, E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Professor of Geography at Penn State, will discuss fire as a management tool in mid-Atlantic states. Free.
An Afternoon with Nicholas Kristof — 4 p.m., Feb. 18, Pullo Center, Penn State York. Nicholas Kristof, journalist and political commentator, will present "Why Students Should Care About the World — And Change It." Free.
Bob Hines — 6 p.m., Feb. 18, Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. NASA astronaut Bob Hines will talk about his journey to becoming an astronaut. Free.
2020 Census Panel Discussion — 6 p.m., Feb. 19, Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Pennsylvania Second Lady Gisele Fetterman will host a panel discussion around the 2020 Census. Free.
Exhibits
"Please Touch: Revitalizing Scenic Models Through Play" — Through Feb. 22, Woskob Family Gallery, 146 S. Allen St., State College. Viewers are encouraged to touch design sets created by Michael Schweikardt, a third-year master of fine arts candidate in theatre. Free.
"A Return to Order and Disorder" — Through Feb. 27, Borland Project Space, Borland Building, University Park campus. The exhibit by art education doctoral candidate Sue Uhlig makes visible the objects people find valuable and the collections they form. Free.
"Cosmologies" — Through March 3, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, HUB-Robeson Center, University park campus. An exhibition of large-scale drawings inspired by systems, steamfitter’s drawings, flight routes and electrical networks. Free.
"On/Of Paper: Work by the Faculty of Architecture at Penn State" — Through March 6, Willard Rouse Gallery, Stuckeman Family Building, University Park campus. The exhibit highlights Penn State architecture faculty members' work and the importance of drawing and paperwork are in their endeavors. Free.
"Still Here" — Through March 22, HUB Gallery, HUB-Robseon Center, University Park campus. Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, Kiara Ventura and Dexter Wimberly, "Still Here" explores stories of migration, displacement and survival by eight artists that represent a spectrum of the African Diaspora. Free.
"Illuminating Illusions" — Through April 19, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The exhibition showcases a selection of objects and illusion examples that illustrate relevance to current day culture, scientific discovery, or both. Free.
"Women's Work" — Through May 8, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery, University Park campus. The museum presents Pennsylvania's early- to mid-20th century industrial history recorded on canvas and paper by women artists. Free.
"African Brilliance: A Diplomat's Sixty Years of Collecting" — Through May 24, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. A presentation of a wide-ranging selection of African art from the collection of Ambassador Allen Davis featuring art from West, Central and East Africa. Free.
"Grounded: Environments in Flux" — Through May 31, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Palmer is showcasing a select group of works by contemporary artists to celebrate the poetry and power of nature, as we as the prosaic reality of environmental degradation resulting from modern interventions. Free.
"Drawing on a Legacy: Highlights from the John Driscoll American Drawings Collection" — Through June 7, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The exhibition spotlights 30 watercolors and drawings from a diverse group of 19th-century American artists. Free.