Town and gown is a term used to encourage or celebrate a unity between colleges and the communities they reside within. Sometimes, the link is real. Other times, an unspoken division seems to keep the entities on edge. Drinking, loud fraternity parties, garbage, fast and fancy cars, and clogged streets definitely don’t endear students to a community. Similarly, community members can sometimes be slow to embrace the opinions of their younger residents.
Colleges work to build the bridge between the two through events hosted on campus that are open to both students and townspeople. In Carlisle, Dickenson College has created The Hive, an initiative that offers beekeeping, honey harvesting, native pollinators and gardens, and value-added products (like soaps, lip balms, etc.). While of course, this was established to benefit students and the campus, it also pulls in local community members who work side-by side with students in the gardens and hives, helping with programs, and educating one another in the process.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, many have attended sporting events on college campuses. Nowhere is that bigger that at Division I football schools like Penn State, where the population of State College more than doubles on game days.
Touring rock bands brings crowds to college campuses, and occasionally, speakers or rallies do, too. Through the years, I have seen major rock bands; smaller, lesser-known bands; authors and world class speakers; theater performances; and world class dance troupes perform at college campuses. College towns are fortunate to be able to offer these varied sources of culture to their communities.
Colleges also feature classical musicians, world music, traveling and local art shows, author talks, and much more. This year I subscribed to shows that are part of the Weis Center for the Performing Arts season at Bucknell University in Lewisburg as a gift to my mom. We saw a contemporary dance troupe called Rubberband, a world music group from Brazil, and will see a world music performance by a Ukrainian ethno-chaos band called DakhaBrakha later this month. The season had 23 professional performances from which to choose. All of them piqued my interest because they were in musical or dance genres I don’t often have an opportunity to see.
Last fall, I was awed by the talents of a Chinese pianist who performed as part of a music series at Lebanon Valley College. I was also wowed by the beauty of the new Palmer Museum of Art that opened at Penn State University in University Park last summer. The architectural lines, native stone, and perfect setting within the grounds of the arboretum and on the edge of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens made this a must visit spot – and that’s without even discussing the variety and beauty of the art within. I was fortunate to visit during a Made in PA exhibit that featured sculptures, paintings, and mixed media works by artists I felt proud to say were from my state. The talent is inspiring.
The museum had previously been housed in a Brutalist building in the heart of the campus, but its new location is surrounded by native plants and trees in an architecturally beautiful building built from sandstone panels sourced from a nearby quarry. The 73,000-square-foot museum, which includes 20 galleries, educational and event spaces, a museum store, a café, and a sculpture path and outdoor terraces, earlier this year was voted one of the top 10 best new museums in the country by readers of USA Today. The largest art museum between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the Palmer debuted a stunning “Lupine Blue Persian Wall” by the renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly.
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Exhibits change throughout the year. This spring features an exhibit called “The Global Majority,” which is a collection of photographs and works on paper to examine the role representation plays in fostering a sense of belonging. Another exhibit, “Profiles of Vulnerability and Protection,” features the work of feminist artist, activist, writer and educator Linda Stein to use art to empower gender expression and address social justice issues. A third, “The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art, includes 120 art nouveau works including furniture, paintings, sculptures, mosaics, books, posters, prints, lamps, and glass.
Closer to home, Lebanon Valley College in Annville hosts a Carmean Music Series each year that brings renowned artists to campus. Events this year included a film composer and artist, a saxophonist giving a master class, piano performances, and a vocal ensemble. This spring includes a variety of musical performances by students and guests. For more information, see https://www.lvc.edu/events/?category=music&results_page=5&show_all=1. I was fortunate to see an astonishing performance by a world class pianist from China last fall.
The Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery on campus features five to six exhibitions a year that include loans from major national and regional art museums, galleries, and collectors. For details, go to https://www.lvc.edu/suzanne-h-arnold-art-gallery/.
Lebanon Valley College also offers the LVC Musical Theatre Company that will present “9 to 5” in April as well as Wig & Buckle Theater Company.
At Penn State Harrisburg, the Mukund Kulkarni Theatre opened in 2016 to host both guest speakers and artists as well as student productions. In April the School of Humanities will perform “Footloose!” April 2-5.
The Main Gallery of the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design has rotating exhibits. In March, Lancaster County Young Artists and Scholastics will be on display. For more information on student galleries, and off-campus exhibits, go to https://pcad.edu/gallery/.
From March 27-30, Franklin & Marshall College’s Department of Theatre & Dance Production will present “Ride the Cyclone,” a contemporary pop-rock musical that explores the themes of destiny, self-identity, and the unpredictability of life and death. See https://www.fandm.edu/events/box-office.html for details.
The Phillips Museum of Art at F&M has a large slate of exhibits this spring including The Global Language of Headwear: Cultural Identity, Rites of Passage, and Spirituality; Ingrained: Celebrating Pennsylvania’s Cultural Heritage; and Sue Reno: The Beauty of the Susquehanna River, among others. For more information, go to https://www.fandm.edu/centers-institutes-and-initiatives/phillips-museum-of-art/.
The Pullo Center at Penn State York always offers a variety of traveling shows. Included this spring are Dirty Dancing in Concert on March 12; Always Olivia: An Olivia Newton John Tribute on March 29; Dragons and Mythical Beasts on April 6; R.E.S.P.E.C.T.: A Celebration of the music of Aretha Franklin on April 17; and ENCORE: York County Musical Theatre Showcase on April 27. Details are available at https://pullocenter.york.psu.edu/shows/.
Nearby York College of Pennsylvania offers a downtown location for its arts at Marketview Arts. The 2,000-square-foot space offers students (and others) art galleries with changing exhibitions and community space. York Community Art Scholars Exhibition is on view until March 22. The York College Galleries exhibit works of national and international artists as well as work from their own students. For more information, see https://www.ycp.edu/offices-departments/center-for-community-engagement/marketview-arts
Back on the Dickinson campus, the college is hosting a presentation and Q&A by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel on March 19 and concerts by the college chamber orchestra, along with a wide variety of other events. See https://www.dickinson.edu/coa for more information.
On March 10, Elizabethtown College welcomes Sean Thomas Dougherty, a performance poet, and also offers many concerts and lectures. Among the lectures is an April 10 visit by 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. For more information, see https://www.etown.edu/newsandevents/cultural/.
I’m a graduate of Shippensburg University, and I laugh every year when I get the mailer for the Luhrs Center calendar of events. It’s like I’ve stepped back in time to the years when I was an undergrad as the acts they bring were playing then, too (or even before my time). This year includes Johnny Mathis (way before my time) on April 10 and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on April 11 along with comedians, musicals, children’s shows, and a few more contemporary acts. These acts are truly for the community.
College administrators are working to bring the community in. The more we integrate, the more we share and gain experiences, ideas, and knowledge. Supporting local college events is enriching for everyone.
