What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — taking place at the University this weekend and next week:
Performances
Sphinx Virtuosi — March 4-10 via livestream. Sphinx Virtuosi, a classical music ensemble featuring 18 accomplished African American and Latinx soloists will present "This is America," which highlights people of color through the lens of the ensemble's musicians of color, plus other American classics. Free.
Barleyjuice — March 4, 7 p.m., via livestream. Pan-Celtic rock band Barleyjuice will perform during a virtual concert hosted by Penn State DuBois Student Engagement that is free and open to the public.
Calidore String Quartet — March 10, 7:30 p.m., virtual format. Calidore String Quartet, praised by a Los Angeles Times reviewer for its musicians’ intuitive balance of “intellect and expression,” performs in the next episode of “Front Row: National.”
Events
Women's History Month — Through March 31, various campuses. The University celebrates Women's History Month with events and opportunities running throughout the month of March. Free.
Energy University Forum, "Energy University: Energy Education" — March 5, 9-10:30 a.m., via Zoom. Penn State faculty, staff and students are invited to take part in the second forum designed to discuss how Penn State can continue to strengthen its position as an energy leader.
'The Lion King' Broadway cast discussion — March 10-14, virtual platform. The Center for the Performing Arts will host The Broadway Cast Reunion Series “The Lion King,” an opportunity to visit live “backstage” with the cast of the hit musical.
Cafe Laura Theme Dinner, "Hollywood's Classics: A Taste of the Roaring 20s" — March 10, Cafe 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 Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Lectures
Smith Creative Writers Reading Series: Emily Skaja — March 4, 6 p.m., via Zoom. Emily Skaja, whose first book, "Brute," won the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets, will be featured.
Social justice educator Jen Fry — March 4, 10 a.m., virtual format. Social justice educator Jen Fry will host a webinar focusing on inclusive excellence in higher education.
"Painted Afterlives: Enslavement and Representation in the Antebellum South" — March 4, 6 p.m., via Zoom. Jennifer Van Horn, associate professor of art history and history at the University of Delaware, will present as part of the Department of Art History’s Dickson Lecture Series.
"Atrocity Photography and the Holocaust" — March 8, 4 p.m., via Zoom. Wendy Lower, professor of history at Claremont McKenna College, will present based on her most recent book, “The Ravine: A Family, A Photograph, A Holocaust Massacre Revealed.”
"Oppression of Equality: Being the Only Women in the Room" — March 8, 12:30 p.m., via Zoom. Jasmine Rand, attorney to the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown families and international legal and media strategist for the George Floyd legal team, will share her insight, experience and efforts for social justice.
"What Messed with Texas, and Could it Happen Here?" — March 8, 3 p.m., via Zoom. A panel of energy experts from Penn State and industry will review the causes of the Texas energy crisis and discuss lessons learned for the U.S. northeast.
Journalism Speakers Forum: Lynn Johnson — March 9, 7 p.m., via Zoom. Lynn Johnson, a photographer selected twice as a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a regular contributor to National Geographic, will share her experiences documenting the human condition during a virtual question-and-answer session.
Creating Content in 2021: Digital Media and Marketing — March 9, 6 p.m., via Zoom. Julie Gorbey, senior business lead for Google; Stephanie Layser, vice president of advertising technology and operations for News Corp.; and Mala Persaud, director of communications at the Milken Institute’s Center for Strategic Philanthropy will take part in a panel moderated by Jeannie Gammon Oliver, former vice president of sales operations for The New York Times and a member of the Alumni Society Board in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
2021 Climate Dynamics Seminar Series — March 10,11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., via Zoom. Alfonso Mejia, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, will present "A data-driven framework to operationalize a city’s resilience to climate-induced supply shocks."
Exhibits
"Field Language: The Painting and Poetry of Warren and Jane Rohrer" — Through June 6, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. This major loan exhibition examines the art of Warren Rohrer as it evolved in conversation with poet Jane Turner Rohrer, his partner of nearly 50 years. Free.
"The Wit and Whimsy of Lucille Corcos" — Through May 9, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. A prolific painter and illustrator, Lucille Corcos depicted American life with an incomparable verve during the mid-20h century. Free.
"Anxiety Project" — HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus, and online through March 14. Works by William Doan, professor of theatre, focused on mental health, are on view. Free.
THON logo exhibition — Online. The THON website is featuring a virtual gallery showcasing logos from previous events, as well as profiles of each student designer. Free.
"Celebrating the ADA: The Legacy and Evolution of Disability Rights and Lived Experience at Penn State" — Online. The University Libraries virtual exhibit explores the first 100 years of national disability rights legislation and the movement's impact on the Penn State community. Free.
"African Brilliance: A Diplomat's Sixty Years of Collecting" Online Catalog — Online. A digital catalog of African works collected by retired U.S. ambassador Allen C. Davis, including text entries, high-resolution 360-degree images and contextual videos at the Palmer Museum of Art. Free.
"African Brilliance" Virtual Tour — Online. Explore an interactive tour created with teachers, students and families in mind. The tour includes installation images, pictures of selected works, videos for guided viewing and related art-making activity suggestions. Free.
"Drawing on a Legacy: Highlights from the John Driscoll American Drawings Collection" — Online. High-resolution images, text selections and a photo gallery of works on paper donated by Penn State alumnus John P. Driscoll, including early landscape views and botanical sketches, animal scenes and still lives, and portraits and preparatory figure studies. The works include a number of well-known 19th-century American artists. Free.
"Photography=Abstraction" — Online. The Palmer Museum of Art's virtual pop-up exhibition is an interactive gallery with images, text and informational videos for selected works. Free, Google Chrome browser recommended.
Snowiss Gallery of American Art — Online. Tour the Palmer Museum of Art's first-floor Snowiss Gallery. Free.
"Women in Art: Activism and Resistance" virtual tour — Online. This self-directed, interactive online tour features a selection of objects by female artists in the Palmer Museum of Art's collection. In celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, this tour highlights artists working in a variety of media during the 20th and 21st centuries who have contributed to political, social and cultural change. Free.
"Human Expectations II" — Through June 20, Display Cases, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus, and online. The work of five artists embody a search for expression and experience through material. Free.
"When the Bough Breaks" — Through April 30, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. Nine different artists address the issue of climate change through a unique representation of trees. Free.
"Something Means Something Else" — Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. This three-part mural by artist Tamara Gayer focuses on the intricacies of the current moment in sexual and gender identity. Free.
"Small Planet" — Through January 2022, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Center has commissioned a site-specific wall painting located in the first-floor eateries by artist Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann titled "Small Planet." Free.