This exhibition continues the collaboration between ICA and New York-based textile studio Maharam, which invites artists to reimagine the windows of ICA’s façade. For the 2025-26 edition, Philadelphia-based artist Xenobia Bailey created a design that reflects her “Funktional” aesthetic and rooted in her decades-long fiber arts practice.
This exhibit features the work of Penn staff and students who created replicas and new works of art in three campus makerspaces: Education Commons, the Bollinger Digital Fabrication Lab, and Venture Lab. Through experiential learning, the contributors to this exhibit cultivated creativity and new technological skills while deepening their appreciation of cultural heritage. Free and open to the public.
Part of America 250 at Penn programming, this exhibit explores the overlooked yet essential role of nurses during the American Revolution, whose vital work helped shape early American healthcare. It challenges the widespread belief that nursing began in the 19th century with Florence Nightingale by providing rare evidence of a world of nursing and caretaking that thrived before, during, and after the American Revolution. Free and open to the Penn community.
“A World in the Making: The Shakers” explores the design legacy of the Shakers, a religious group whose values of community, labor, and equality shaped their furniture, architecture, and everyday objects. Through works by contemporary artists influenced by the Shakers, alongside original Shaker-made pieces, the exhibition invites reflection on how Shaker ideals continue to inform conversations around inclusion, gender, and intentional living in the 21st century. Free and open to the public.
Part of America 250 at Penn programming, this exhibition surveys the revolutions that shook the Atlantic world in the 1790s—and the profound changes that resulted—from France to Haiti to Philadelphia. The books, documents, objects, and images on display will challenge visitors with the questions posed during that revolutionary era. Free and open to the public.
On view for the first time in the U.S., this exhibition—blending arts with archeology—features century-old watercolors documenting Egyptian tomb paintings. Created by Egyptian artist Ahmed Yousef during Penn Museum excavations in the early 1920s, these paintings vividly record elaborately decorated funerary chapels from Dra Abu el-Naga, a key burial ground of elite officials and priests during Egypt’s New Kingdom (ca. 1550–1070 BCE). Included with Museum admission.
This exhibition frames the making of a collaborative performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company and PHILADANCO! alongside rarely seen images from modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham’s 1938 work, “American Document,” and its enduring question, “What is an American?” The mixed-materials display explores Graham’s work alongside Philadelphia dance company PHILADANCO!’s decades-long commitment to preserving and advancing the work of Black artists. Free and open to the public.
This exhibition, on view in the Annenberg Center lobby and curated by the Arthur Ross Gallery inaugural faculty director Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, will present a selection of recent paintings by Penn alum Allison Zuckerman that exemplify her exuberant, layered approach to image-making. Using paint and collage, Zuckerman creates densely constructed compositions that draw from art history, popular culture, and the internet. Her paintings celebrate the history of the image-making medium while reimagining who has the power to shape its future. Free and open to the public.
DumoLab Research at the Weitzman School of Design has partnered with Meantime, a project between Weitzman faculty member Brian Phillips and uCity Square, to activate storefronts in West Philadelphia and showcase sustainable architecture from biomaterials. On display are DumoLab’s newest bio-composite research on hyperlocal material cycles forming 3m-domes, chemically-interactive earthen tiles and panels, food-waste-based shingles, and furniture from juicing pulp. Free and open to the public. Learn about series programming through end of May 2026.
This annual exhibition features the work of eight artists completing Penn’s Fine Arts program, marking a key moment as they launch their professional careers. The exhibition reflects the breadth and critical rigor of Weitzman’s MFA program, in which each artist develops an independent body of work grounded in sustained research, experimentation, and dialogue culminating in projects that are formally ambitious and intellectually engaged. On display at the Arthur Ross Gallery (in the Fisher Fine Arts Library) and the Gordon Gallery (in Stuart Weitzman Hall). Free and open to the public.
This interactive art installation at The Listening Cabinet in the Annenberg Center Feintuch Family Lobby encourages viewers to reflect on what it means for America to be “unfinished,” including what our roles are in completing or directing the American experiment. The exhibit, part of America 250 at Penn programming and the Penn Live Arts series “American Unfinished,” invites viewers to select questions from drawers about democracy and the U.S., fostering personal reflection on the nation’s 250-year-old ideals. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
The Weitzman School of Design’s Year End Show brings together work from the Class of 2026 in architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, historic preservation, and urban spatial analytics. The gallery opens on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Afterwards, regular visiting hours will be Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Participants of all ages and backgrounds are invited to this Common Press workshop to print a copy of the Declaration of Independence. The composition will be set in Caslon metal type and ready to print on the studio’s 1889 cast-iron handpress. These hour-long demonstrations are part of America 250 at Penn programming. Groups of up to 20 people are welcome. Reserve a time slot.
This Penn LDI panel will feature two leading researchers and a former Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services official discussing why the No Surprises Act has failed to deliver on its cost-cutting promise, what could be done to change things, and whether there are larger lessons for future policy evolution. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
This Penn Libraries talk will highlight the unique qualities of handmade Asian papers and their use in conservation treatment, focusing on preserving the cultural heritage and techniques that produce the materials used in conservation. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
This webinar will unpack the psychology behind disagreement and show how demonstrating openness, even when you don’t change your mind, can lead to better outcomes in negotiation, conflict resolution, and everyday decision-making. Through compelling research and real-world examples, Julia Minson, professor of public policy at Harvard University, will examine why traditional persuasion strategies often fall short, and how adopting receptiveness strategies can help bridge divides, reduce conflict, and increase influence. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
This panel, moderated by vice provost of climate science, policy, and action Sanya Carley, will explore how Penn is harnessing cross-disciplinary expertise to inform policy, catalyze action, and strengthen communities through practical steps to address climate challenges. Panelists will include Dorit Aviv, director of the Thermal Architecture Lab in the Weitzman School of Design; R. Jisung Park, director of SP2’s Center for Climate Adaptation and Resilience; and Grace Rogers, a Penn alum who graduated with a master of city planning in 2026. University Trustee Alp Ercil will provide introductory remarks. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.
This seminar will examine why technically successful innovations often fail to become durable clinical programs, focusing on the economic, operational, governance, workflow, and implementation factors that determine whether technology changes cardiovascular care or adds complexity to existing processes. The talk will consider how informatics can support better systems for patient identification, outreach, medication optimization, laboratory monitoring, documentation, task routing, pharmacy integration, and safety oversight. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
Noted by The New York Times as “one of the great companies of the world,” the Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates a century of Graham’s groundbreaking and uniquely American dance style with three distinct performances in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. These shows are part of America 250 at Penn programming and the Penn Live Arts series “America Unfinished.” Students can receive a discount with Penn ID.
Penn will recognize outstanding staff members who play key roles in the University’s successes. The awards are presented in three categories: Models of Innovation, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisors. President J. Larry Jameson, Provost John L. Jackson, Jr., Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield, and Vice President of Human Resources Felicia Washington will present the awards. Following the 4:00-5:00 p.m. ceremony, a reception will take place in the Warden Garden from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Register by May 26 to attend.
Part of Penn Libraries’ America 250 programming, this book talk will feature author Emily Sneff, an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence, exploring how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world. Participants will learn about the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
Penn Museum will host a screening of “In Pursuit: Philadelphia and the Making of America, Episode 2: Land (1700–1763),” which examines the social and political forces that shaped early Pennsylvania. Afterwards, Lucy Fowler Williams, exhibition curator of the Native North America Gallery, will speak with series writer Nathaniel Popkin and public historian Aislinn Pentecost-Farren about how the history presented in the film connects to the stories and perspectives highlighted in the Museum’s collection. Free and open to the public. Reserve tickets in advance.
Local businesses and community vendors will participate in a semiannual West Philadelphia tradition by offering special one-night-only deals for $1, $3, or $5. Local musicians and artists will provide entertainment up and down Baltimore Avenue, from 40th Street to 51st Street.
Toll the Bell is a citywide sound installation bringing greater awareness to the gun violence epidemic affecting our city and the nation. At 1 p.m. on June 5, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, a prolonged period of bell ringing and other sound-making will take place at 30-plus locations across the city and beyond.
In honor of her retirement after more than 35 years of service to Penn Vet, Cynthia M. Otto, professor of working dog sciences & sports medicine and executive director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, will share lessons learned from her animal companions, including a cat, a vulture, a puffer fish, several working dogs. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.
The Department of Fine Arts at the Weitzman School of Design, in partnership with Twelve Gates Arts and Art Philly, will present sāgar kāmath’s “Myths and Dreams of Red & Blue,” a night of storytelling and mythical journeying that brings together Kathak dance, painting, video, and sound in a one-night-only, one-man show. Aligned with America 250 programming, this event will explore diasporic identity, nostalgia, boyhood, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
This guided tour at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens will highlight native tree specimens, from huge tulip poplars to the smaller pitch pine and pawpaw. Attendees can view a selection of trees native to the region that are suited to local growing conditions and will learn how native trees provide vital support, food, shelter, and habitat for insects and other local wildlife. Free with Penn ID.
This free program hosted by the Penn Museum and the Wharton School will feature the Juneteenth Freedom Stage, offering live music and performers, food trucks, and local small-business retail vendors. There will also be an activity zone for all ages, pop-up exhibitions, educational workshops, and access to all the Penn Museum galleries. The Wellness Empowerment Project —a collaboration between Wharton and Penn Medicine—will feature a health and wellness fair, financial literacy resources, health screenings, and access to community-based services. Registration is encouraged.
This webinar, hosted by the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at Penn Nursing, will explore why workplace belonging is essential for LGBTQ+ employees and for organizational success. This session will feature Kerry Evers, co-president and CEO of ProChange Behavior Solutions, who will present findings from the Bridges study, a pilot trial of a workplace belonging program designed for LGBTQ+ employees. Free and open to the public. Register to attend.
Penn Nursing will host a webinar featuring alumni who have built and launched their own independent practices across a range of specialties. Panelists will share their personal journeys—from initial inspiration to business planning, licensing, financial considerations, and the realities of running a practice day-to-day. This session is designed for nurses, students, and alumni who are curious about clinical autonomy, innovative care models, or starting a practice of their own. Free and open to the Penn community. Register to attend.
Penn Museum will host the annual Wawa Welcome America celebration. Participants are invited to explore more than 10,000 years of history, taking in the vibrant cultures of Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, Mexico, and Central America through ancient artifacts, world wonders, and contemporary artworks. Visitors are invited to explore the Native North America Gallery, shaped in partnership with eight Indigenous consulting curators and offering nuance and complexity to the nation’s story as it celebrates its 250th year. The event will feature activities for all ages. Free and open to the public. Reserve tickets in advance.
This new program at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens will encompass several mediums: sculpture, selected trees and shrubs, and garden features. Participants will view “garden rooms” and note how the texture, forms, colors, and movement within nature can be viewed as three-dimensional art. The 1.5-hour tour includes grassy walkways; visitors are advised to wear sturdy walking shoes. Free with Penn ID.
As part of the Typography of Independence program, funded in part by a grant from the Philadelphia Collaborator’s Fund, the Common Press will be at the Museum of the American Revolution (MoAR) for Declaration Days. There will be a portable press set up for a printing workshop themed around the prompt: “What does the pursuit of happiness mean to you?” Participants can print their own one-word response on a portable printing press using wood type, in honor of America’s 250th birthday and Philadelphia’s central role in the nation’s founding. There will be a second workshop offered Saturday, July 4, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Included with MoAR admission.
As part of the Typography of Independence program, funded in part by a grant from the Philadelphia Collaborator’s Fund, the Common Press will be at the Museum of the American Revolution (MoAR) for Declaration Days. This hands-on demonstration will invite attendees to learn how paper was made in 1776, including how this process was a community effort in 18th-century Philadelphia. Included with MoAR admission.
As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, multidisciplinary artist Holly Wilson, Delaware Nation Lenape and descendent of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, was commissioned to transform the Penn Museum’s East Entrance lobby with a large-scale mixed-media installation themed “Native Futurism.” During this public dedication, attendees will learn how the new installation centers an Indigenous-led perspective, offering a layered and thought-provoking addition to the nation’s evolving story. Free with Penn ID.