Cornell College kicks off the fall season with a dynamic lineup of fine arts activities. Join us on campus for an art exhibit reflecting on the fragility of life, a reading by the National Poet Laureate of South Africa, a darkly comic psychological drama, and a musical concert showcasing Cornell’s rock stars.
Up-to-date information on all 2026-27 performances and exhibits is available on Cornell’s community events calendar. You can also download events to your personal calendars.
“The Room,” Oct. 8–11, Plumb-Fleming Black Box Theatre, Armstrong-Younker Hall
Step into the unsettling world of “The Room,” Harold Pinter’s gripping debut play, where an ordinary boarding house becomes a place of growing unease and mystery. As seemingly harmless conversations give way to suspicion and unexpected visitors, the boundaries between safety and danger begin to blur. Filled with Pinter’s trademark tension, dark humor, and haunting ambiguity, “The Room” keeps audiences riveted from beginning to end. Experience the play that introduced one of modern theatre’s most distinctive voices and continues to captivate audiences with its psychological power. The one-act play is approximately one hour long.
"Hallways: A Fall Dance Concert," Dec. 10–14, Kimmel Theatre, Armstrong-Youngker Hall
The Cornell College Department of Theatre and Dance will showcase new works choreographed and performed by Cornell students and Amy Simonson. Audience members will experience a dynamic showcase of contemporary modern dance, interwoven with elements of jazz, ballet, and other styles, all on the Kimmel Theatre stage. This will be Amy Simonson’s fifth year as the dance instructor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Cornell. She teaches ballet, modern, jazz, and musical theatre dance. Simonson earned an M.F.A. in dance from the University of Iowa.
Theatre and dance performances require tickets, and Cornell’s box office information is included in the calendar listings.
Musical concerts are free and open to the public.
Global Voices
International writers, Juan Carlos Reyes (fiction writer/screenwriter/filmmaker) of Mexico, Iván Hochman (writer/screenwriter/actor/director) of Argentina, and Human Ip (ecological writer/painter) of Hong Kong will share their work. This multilingual, multi-genre event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from writers who are visiting Iowa as residents in the International Writing Program.
Visiting Writer and Activist Wally Mongane Serote
Wally Mongane Serote, the National Poet Laureate of South Africa, will give a talk commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Soweto uprising, drawing parallels to the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement. He will also give a short reading from his work.
Visiting Essayist and Writing Coach Helen Betya Rubinstein
Writer, writing coach, and former Dana Fellow for the Center for the Literary Arts Helen Rubinstein returns to campus to discuss her new book, “Feels Like Trouble: Provocations on Writing, Teaching and Power.” Her talk will include a writing activity.
Visiting Fiction Writer David McGlynn
Lawrence University Professor David McGlynn will read from his latest novel, “Liberal Arts.” His previous books include “Everything We Could Do,” “One Day You'll Thank Me: Lessons from an Unexpected Fatherhood,” “A Door in the Ocean,” and “The End of the Straight and Narrow.” A nonfiction book, “The Channel: The History, Science, and Insanity of the World’s Most Famous Swim”—including the tale of his own swim of the English Channel—is also coming in 2028.
“Be still, life.” by Susannah Biondo-Gemmell, Aug. 28–Oct. 4, 2026
This Cornell College art professor will use mixed-media textile and ceramic pieces, tying in the themes of vanitas—Latin for “vanity”—and memento mori—Latin for “remember that you must die.” Both themes appear in still life paintings, especially those produced in 16th-and 17th-century Europe. She’s exploring the themes in relation to her own maternal experience, reflecting on how quickly the motherhood phase of life is passing and the overall fleeting nature of life.
“Tales of Mundane Black Joy: Who Gets to Rest?, Dadisi Curtis Jr., Oct. 23—Dec. 6, 2025
Dadisi Curtis, Jr.’s technicolor narrative prints depict fleeting moments of joy experienced by Black men navigating a familiar, but hostile environment. The artist uses blacklight to illuminate his work, emphasizing the perspective shift he asks his viewers to make: seeing something outside the dominant visual spectrum.
All shows are in Peter Paul Luce Gallery, McWethy Hall, and are open and free to the public. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays from 2–4 p.m.