Spot 7

After the holidays fade away and I settle into the New Year, there is often a feeling of dread that creeps into my thoughts. It builds up as the calendar gets closer to the middle of February, because I know that Valentine’s Day is coming. Like many men, and surely many women too, the…

For more than four decades, Kronos Quartet has been introducing American audiences to the works of composers from the far-flung corners of the world. But when the San Francisco ensemble comes to Penn State next month, it will perform a program prompted by a political debate about specific countries. “As a direct protest to…

Some of the finest singers don’t fit nicely into a box that can be labeled with the name of a single genre. Lizz Wright, who will make her Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State premiere February 5, is one of those vocalists. Gospel was the bedrock of Wright’s musical education. She was…

Not everyone puts their camping gear away when the temperature starts to fall. Adventurously brave campers don’t just stop spending time outside because the days are shorter and the thermometer drops. Some people might enjoy camping in cooler weather in a rented cabin with a wood stove or an RV with the heat blasting.…

Ten Thousand Villages of State College has seen a successful year of growth since opening a store on South Atherton Street last fall. One of many Ten Thousand Villages outlets in Pennsylvania, its mission remains the same: creating fair trade opportunities for artisans in developing countries. The State College store, at 1341 South Atherton,…

Natascha Hoffmeyer is getting set to host the second annual Women’s Voices festival, a concert meant to celebrate women’s voices in music and life. The event, benefiting Centre Safe, takes place at 7 p.m. September 28 at the State Theatre. Hoffmeyer thought it was a great idea to bring many talented local women…

Erin Welsh has been helping educate local youth in creating art for nearly two decades. This month, they’ll be showing off some of their work at the Art Alliance Gallery Downtown. Welsh, who holds a BFA in painting and drawing and a Bachelor’s Degree in art education from Penn State, recently finished her third…

The winds – and strings – of change are coming to Schwab Auditorium. Imani Winds and Catalyst Quartet will join talents for (im)migration: music of change, a September 18 concert featuring a new work by Catalyst violinist and composer Jessie Montgomery. The composition is inspired by the Great Migration of African Americans, during…

For the third year in a row, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State will open its season by showcasing a rising star of jazz at Schwab Auditorium. But when the 2019–20 season gets underway September 12, the up-and-coming talent will be joined by a master of the genre. The Emmet Cohen…