Artscene With Erika Funke

AJ Jump and Mike Slusser, members of theWilkes-Barre Cavalcade of Jazz committee, speaking about the second annual event to be held June 6, 7 &8, 2025. Bassist Endea Owens and The Cookoutwill headline the event on Saturday, June 7th at6:30 in the Chandelier Lobby of the F.M. Kirby Centeron Public Square. The Opening Ceremonytakes place on Friday at 5:00 at the Kirby Centerfeaturing the Marko Marcinko Latin JazzQuintet. Admission is free.There will be a Jazz Walk on Friday eveningwith another headliner at the River StreetJazz Cafe at 9pm--Jazz trumpeter CindyBradley. There will be a jazz brunch onSunday with the Joe Boga Trad Jazz Trio, and more livejazz over the weekend.For information: www.wilkesbarrecavalcadeofjazz.org/

K.K. Gordon, playwright, and Art Walsh, director,speaking about the play, For the Least of Them,centering on the "Labor Priest," Msgr. John J. Curran.There will be a performance on Sunday, June 1, 2025,at 2:00 pm in Courtroom No. 3 of the LackawannaCounty Courthouse in Scranton, presented by theLackawanna Historical Society.For information: www.lackawannahistory.org/

Marjorie Maddox and Jerry Wemple, coeditors of Keystone Poetry: Contemporary Poetson Pennsylvania issued by Penn State University Press, speaking about the collection and reading from its pages. There will be a reading on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the LycomingArts Gallery in Williamsport at 1:00 pm and many others to come.For more information: www.psupress.org/

Dr. Carl Frankel, President of the HAL Board; MichaelDelmonico, Board Member, & Summer Whitley,Coordinator of AYE14, speaking about Art YouthExpo14 that will be held Friday, May 30th andSaturday, May 31, 2025 at the Hayden Family Centerfor the Arts, 31 W. Broad Street in Hazleton.Friday from 5 to 8 pm (with the Open Mic at theLaunch Box), and Saturday from 3 to 8 pm.The Gallery Opening will take place on Friday,beginning at 5 pm. There will be live music,a bake jam, an artists' bazaar and more.For information: www.hazletonartleague.org/

Sarah Scinto, WVIA's host of Morning Edition andmember of the WVIA news team, speaking about"Bookmarks," a short feature she produces everyother week and posts on Saturdays. Book loversshare their favorite books on a given theme, &the topic for the column on May 24, 2025, is indigenousauthors and stories. Bookmarks can befound on the WVIA website: wvia.org/newsunder the "Features" heading.To submit a suggestion for a favorite bookwrite to sarahscinto@wvia.org/ with"Bookmarks" in the subject line.

Chason Goldschmitz, Executive Director of theNortheastern PA Philharmonic, introducing theorchestra's 2025-2026 season, with a widevariety of music and venues, including ascreening of the film "Jurassic Park"with the score performed live by the NEPAPhilharmonic under music directorMelisse Brunet. For the completeschedule and for tickets:www.nepaphil.org/ or 570-270-4444

Samuelle Green and John Bromberg,visual artists from Wayne County,speaking about their installation,"A New Path to the Waterfall" at theEverhart Museum, Nay Aug Park,in Scranton, running now throughJune 29, 2025.www.everhart-museum.org/www.samuellegreen.com/

Robert Savakinus, Chair of the Lackawanna County Film andMultimedia Commission, speaking about "Film Forward,"an event hosted by the Commission on Thursday, May 29, 2025from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at the Circle Drive-In in Dickson City.It is a chance to network with others from the region whoare interested in filmmaking and with the members of thecommission. There will be refreshments, and there is noadmission charge. For more information: rsavrobert@aol.com/

Bob Shlesinger, producer, actor, and artistic director of ScrantonPublic Theatre, speaking about the special Memorial Day tributefeaturing "The Last Thoughts of Gino Merli" by Tom Flannery, aone-man play about the Congressional Medal of Honor recipientfrom NEPA.There will be two shows on Thursday, May 22, 2025:a 10 am performance for students (admitted free of charge)and one at 7 pm for the general public. Tickets are availableat the door at the Peoples Security Bank Theatre at LackawannaCollege, 501 Vine Street in Scranton. Proceeds benefit theGino Merli Center for Veterans and the St. Francis Commonsfor Veterans. www.scrantonpublictheatre.org/

Brenda Grunza, Co-President, and Ann Manganiello, Music Director & Conductor,speaking about the 76th Spring Concert of the Catholic Choral Society of Scranton,on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 7 pm, at Mary, Mother of God Parish: Holy Rosary Church,316 William Street in Scranton. Also Sunday, May 18 at 7 pm at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, 339 N. Maple Avenue in Kingston.The group will be joined on May 16 by the Mary, Mother of God Music Ministry;and on May 18 by the Good Shepherd Academy Middle School Choir.For more information: www.catholicchoralsociety.org/

Matthew Rupcich, Music Director & Conductor of the Arcadia Chorale, speaking about theSpring Pops Concert with the Doug Smith Jazz Trio titled, "What a Beautiful World."The performance will take place on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 8 pm at CovenantPresbyterian Church in Scranton. For information: www.arcadiachorale.org/

Rev. Bill Carter, jazz pianist, composer, band leader & author, speaking about thenew album, "Brand New Day" featuring the Presbybop Quintet. There will bean album release concert on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 4:00 pm at the FirstPresbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, 300 School Street, where Carter is pastor.Admission is free and a free-will offering will be taken. The concert is the last ofthe Arts at First Presbyterian 2024-25 season. There will be a Meet the Artistsreception following the performance. www.fpccs.org/

Violinist John Vaida and Violist Amy Iwazumi, co-founders of the NEPA Chamber Music Society, speaking about the final concert of the 2024-25 season, Fire and Serenity, tobe presented May 17th at 7 pm at St. Stephen's Church, 35 S. Franklin Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre and again on May 18th at 3 pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg. Featured will be piano quartets by Faure & Brahms.Joining Vaida and Iwazumi at WVIA were members of the NEPA CMS Young ApprenticeProgram: Sarah Park, violin 1; Lily Romanowski, violin 2; Claire Choo, viola & Hannah Salesky, cello. They will perform the last movement of Mozart's "Hunt" Quartet on theMay 17 concert at St. Stephen's. For information: www.nepacms.org/

Gary Womelsdorf, Visual Arts Chair, and Darlene Smith, Member of the Fine Arts FiestaBoard and Visual Arts Committee, speaking about the 69th Fiesta taking place fromMay 15 through May 18, 2025, on Public Square in downtown Wilkes-Barre. 4 full daysof art, music, dance and family activities. Fiesta is free and open to the public.For information and performance schedules: www.fineartsfiesta.org/

Gina Malsky of the Dance Theatre of Wilkes-Barre andCarl Achhammer Jr of Zenchaser Bonsai, members ofthe Fine Arts Fiesta Board and Co-chairs of the Performing ArtsCommittee, speaking about the 69th Fiesta taking placeon Public Square in downtown Wilkes-Barre from May 15through May 18, 2025—4 full days of art, music, danceand family activities, and there is no admission fee.www.fineartsfiesta.org/

Eric Lutz, director, Brenda Fager & TylerFloryan, actors, speaking about theupcoming production of "Arsenic andOld Lace" at the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre,537 North Main Street. The show will runMay 9 through May 18, 2025, Fridays and Saturdaysat 8:00 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm.www.ltwb.org/ 570-823-1875

Ronnie Harvey, General Theater Manager & Film Booker at theDietrich Theater, 60 E. Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, speakingabout the 2025 Spring Film Festival & the 23 films scheduled over thecourse of 21 days--through May 15. There are many showingsof each movie, and brochures are available as well as informationonline. www.dietrichtheater.com/

Violinist Sophie Till, Associate Professor of Violin & Directorof the String Project at Marywood University in Scranton,and Nick Revel, multi-Grammy-nominated violist, composer,educator & audio engineer, speaking about the NotationProject and the Spring Gala Concert on Monday, May 5, 2025,at 6:30 pm at the Nazareth Student Center in the Latour Roomon the Marywood campus, presented by the String Project. The program will feature guestartist Nick Revel and the premiere of the new workcreated by the Notation Project. Admission is free andthe public is invited to attend. www.marywood.edu/

Dr. Joshua Harper, Assistant Professor at Wilkes University andArtistic Director & Conductor of the Choral Society of NortheastPennsylvania, speaking about the annual Spring Concert titled,"New Americana," to be presented on Sunday, May 4, 2025,at 3:00 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 550 Madison Avenue,Scranton. The chorus will be joined by the Big Valley BluegrassBand from Allentown. There is no admission fee and a receptionwill follow. For more information: choralsociety.net/