Artscene With Erika Funke

Rose Randazzo, Chair of the Mural Arts Program of Scranton Tomorrow, and Eric Bussart, Mural Artist, speaking about the special event to dedicate the new mural, "The Big Band" at 217 Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton on Friday, October 4, 2024 at 5:30 pm. There will be a chance to meet the artist and to listen to the Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band under the direction of Marko Marcinko, with the Vince Brust Dancers.  For more information: www.scrantontomorrow/muralart or https://ericbussart.com/.

Simone Daniel, director, and Elizabeth Powell, cast member, speaking about the premiere of the new play "Mimosas" by Ruth Connors, as part of the 2024 Scranton Fringe Festival. The production is presented by the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University and will run October 3 & 4 at 8:00 pm; October 5 at 4:30 and 8:00 pm. at the Shakes Space in the Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton. The play is rated R. For tickets and information: scrantonfringe.org/

Barbara Spellman Shuta and Kate Bohan, speaking about the Lackawanna Historical Society's Genealogy Forum and the Genealogy for Beginners workshop they will offer with Tom Price on four Saturdays in October 2024. The sessions will be held at the Albright Memorial Library, 500 Vine Street in Scranton from 9:30 am to Noon. Attendees need to commit to all 4 installments. There is a modest fee to cover costs for materials. For information and to register: lackawannahistory@gmail.com

Ronnie Harvey, General Theater Manager & Film Booker at the Dietrich Theater, 60 E. Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, speaking about the 2024 Fall Film Festival that will run from September 20th through October 10th, with 20 films to be screened in 21 days. The Opening Night Gala takes place on Friday, September 21st with 2 movies and refreshments from regional establishments. For more information: www.dietrichtheater.com/ 570-836-1022

Ronnie Harvey, General Theater Manager & Film Booker at the Dietrich Theater, 60 E. Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, speaking about the 2024 Fall Film Festival that will run from September 20th through October 10th, with 20 films to be screened in 21 days. The Opening Night Gala takes place on Friday, September 21st with 2 movies and refreshments from regional establishments. Doors open at 5:30 pm. For more information: www.dietrichtheater.com/ 570-836-1022

Violinist Sophie Till of the Marywood University Music Faculty, and clarinettist Pascal Archer, principal with the NEPA Philharmonic, speaking about the Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen which they will perform with cellist Christiane Appenheimer-Vaida and pianist Ron Stabinsky, in the Marian Chapel at the Swartz Center on the Marywood campus in Scranton. The concert will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 7:00 pm, and the event is a collaboration between Marywood Music Faculty and the NEPA Philharmonic.  For tickets and more information: marywood.edu/mtd or  nepaphil.org/

Kimmie Leff, a founding member of the New Vintage Ensemble & director of "Tiny Beautiful Things," based on a book by Cheryl Strayed, speaking with us about the production that will be part of the 2024 Scranton Fringe Festival at the Ritz Theater, 222 Wyoming Avenue. The show will run Friday, September 27 at 8 pm; Saturday Sept 28 at 4 pm & 8 pm; and Sunday, Sept 28 at 4 pm. Tickets are available at www.scrantonfringe.org/ www.newvintageensemble.com/

Luz Cabrales, award-winning filmmaker & co-founder of Scranton Films, and Chloe Joyce, stage, film and TV actress, speaking about the new anthology horror film titled, "Shadows of the Past," with screenplay by Julian Santos. The movie was shot in NEPA and is based on a book by A.C Bernardi. The feature is produced by Scranton Films in collaboration with other regional production companies and will have its premiere on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at the Ritz Theater, 222 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, getting underway at 5:30 with a Red Carpet celebration before the screening. For information: www.scrantonfilms.com/

Violinist Sophie Till of the Marywood University Music Faculty, and clarinettist Pascal Archer, principal with the NEPA Philharmonic, speaking about the Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen which they will perform with cellist Christiane Appenheimer-Vaida and pianist Ron Stabinsky, in the Marian Chapel at the Swartz Center on the Marywood campus in Scranton.The concert will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 7:00 pm, and the event is a collaboration between Marywood Music Faculty and the NEPA Philharmonic.  For tickets and more information: marywood.edu/mtd or  nepaphil.org/

Joseph Boga, native of NEPA and lead trumpeter with the group Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. He also leads his own ensembles, and he will bring The Scranton Ramblers to perform in the Houlihan-McLean Center at the University of Scranton on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 7:30 pm, with guest guitarist Stephane Wrembel. Also featured will be the U of Sc Concert Choir under Cheryl Boga's direction. Admission is free. www.scranton.edu/music

Julie Esty, Founder and Artistic Director of The Dearly Departed Players & the Annual Dunmore Cemetery Tour, and Wendy Belaski, long-time member of the Dearly Departed Players, speaking about the 2024 Dunmore Cemetery Tour to be held September 29th and October 6th, at 2:00 each Sunday, at the Cemetery located at Warren & Church Streets in Dunmore, PA. Admission is free. For more information you can find them on Facebook--The Dunmore Cemetery Tour.

Nancy Sanderson, Executive Director of the NEPA Philharmonic, speaking about the 2024-2025 season titled "Building Bridges." The first chamber music concert will take place at the Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University, September 17 at 7:00; the first Pops concert is titled "Queen!" and it will be held at the FM Kirby Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre under the direction of Melisse Brunet on Friday, September 27 at 7:30 pm; and the first Masterworks concert will be presented on Sunday, November 3 at 3:00 at the Scranton Cultural Center. For more information: www.nepaphil.org/ 570-270-4444.

Conor Kelly O'Brien, Executive Director, and Elizabeth Bohan, Managing Director, Co-founders of the Scranton Fringe Festival, speaking about the 10th anniversary of the event that will take place at various locations in Scranton from September 26 through October 6, 2024. There will be a special opening production featuring 3-D digital mapping of the facade of the Everhart Museum in Nay Aug Park, and many distinctive events for all ages throughout the festival. For more information: www.scrantonfringe.org/

Derek Jolley of NEPA, musician, scientific & biomedical researcher, founder of the band "Cuddledrug," speaking about bringing the sciences & arts together in his life, and sharing an audio diary from Toolik Field Station in the Arctic with his impressions of the area in September 2024. Jolley's music can be found under "Cuddledrug" on Facebook & Instagram and his own music at soundcloud.com/derek-jolley

Eric Faden, Professor of Film/Media Studies at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, speaking about the Japanese Paper Film Project at Bucknell that is dedicated to preserving films made on paper from the 1930s in Japan. There will be "An Evening of Japanese Paper Films" on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 7:00 at The Campus Theatre, 413 Market Street in Lewisburg, and admission is free. For more information: www.campustheatre.org/ and bufilm.blogs.bucknell.edu/

Karen Reid, practicing studio artist from NEPA, speaking about her significant work made from kiln-cast optical glass titled, "Creek." The sculpture is part of the major inaugural exhibition to celebrate the opening of the New Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. "Made in PA" will run through December 1, 2024. Admission is free, with a modest suggested donation. For information: www.palmermuseum.psu.edu/

Matthew Schooley, Former President of the Forty Fort Cemetery Association, speaking about the history of the cemetery and the Forty Fort Meeting House, in anticipation of the Forty Forty Cemetery Inaugural 5K/10K/ Run & Walk on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 9:00 am. The event will benefit the Forty Fort Cemetery Association and will feature different historical tours throughout the cemetery with the meeting house as one of the offerings. For more information: www.fortyfortcemetery.org/

Carol Nelson Dembert, President of the Board, and Carl Witkowski III, Chair of the Search Committee, speaking with Julie Sidoni, Director of Journalism at WVIA, about the retirement of Nancy Sanderson, long-time Executive Director of the Orchestra and the current search for a new director. For more information: www.nepaphil.org/ 570-270-4444

Members of the Cranberry Quilt Guild of Greater Hazleton--Debbie Kessell, President; Christine Gresh, Publicity Chair; Marie Shulenski, Group Leader of the Hazleton Area Chapter of Quilts of Valor, speaking about the Guild and its 2024 exhibition September 14 from 10 am to 5 pm and September 15 from 11 am to 4 pm, at the Weatherly Area Middle School Complex. For more information check "Cranberry Quilt Guild" on Facebook.

Carol McManus, Vice Chair of Pike Artworks & Co-Chair of the Milford Readers & Writers Festival, speaking about the 2024 event taking place September 13, 14 & 15, in Milford, PA. There will be a wide range of panels, speakers and topics, many taking place at the Milford Theater, 114 E. Catherine Street. A number of events are free. For more information: www.milfordreadersandwriters.com/