ArtScene with Erika Funke

George Graham, longtime producer/host at WVIA Radio, recently retired, and COTAboard member, speaking about the 48th Annual Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts taking place on September 12 and 13, 2026, in downtown Delaware Water Gap, PA.There will be two full days of jazz on the outdoor stage with other performances at theDeer Head Inn across from the festival site. Among the musicians, there will be Grammy-Award-winning veteran players and the COTA Cats all-star high school big band. The music will run from noon /12:30 to 8:00/8:30, rain or shine. For tickets and the complete schedule: www.COTAJazz.org/

Joe Slusser; Plymouth Historical SocietyPresident; Patrick Smith,Vice-President; Jim Youells, Board Member;Artist Joel Carson Jones, speaking about theunveiling and dedication of a new muralby Jones that commemorates the AvondaleMine Disaster that took place on September 6,1869, in Plymouth Township.The event will be held on Sunday,September 13, 2026 at 10 am at the Avondalesite, off Route 11 in Plymouth Township.The Plymouth Historical Society is locatedat 115 Gaylord Avenue inPlymouth. There will be an Open Houseto follow the dedication at 2:00. There isno admission fee.For more information:www.plymouthhistoricalsocietyluzernecopa.org/or call 570-779-5840.

Carl Ruck, Minister of Music at the Church of Christ Unitingin Kingston, PA, and Dr. Alan Hack,Director of Music Ministry at St. Matthew Lutheran Churchin Bloomsburg, speaking about their concert of keyboard duetswhich they did originally in April in Bloomsburg.The program will featuremusic by Saint-Saens, Mascagni, Widor, as well as arrangementsof The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Simple Gifts, and a number ofhymns, with audience participation.Carl Ruck will perform at the organ, and Dr. Hack at the piano,at the First Presbyterian Church of Wilkes-Barre, 97 S. FranklinStreet, on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 2:00 pm.For more information: www.fpc-wb.org/

Stephan Koplowitz, award-winning artist whose work includesinteractive media installations, photography, site-specific andstaged dance/theater performances and short films,and Curator Heather Sincavage, Associate Professor & Director of theSordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University, speaking about theexhibition, "Of Place and Passage: Actions & Images byStephan Koplowitz," running from September 1 throughOctober 18, 2026. There will be an Art in Context lecturewith Koplowitz on Thursday, September 17th at 5:00 pmat the gallery, with a reception to follow.The Sordoni Gallery is located at 141 South Main Streeton the Wilkes campus in downtown Wilkes-Barre.www.wilkes.edu/sordoniartgalleryThis is Part One of a two-part conversation.

James Lansing, Curator at the Everhart Museum,Nay Aug Park in Scranton, speaking about thecurrent exhibit titled, "Hubble Space Telescope:New Views of the Universe" running throughOctober 18, 2026--a show developed byNASA & the Smithsonian Institute TravelingExhibit Service, featuring Hubble's iconicimages and many hands-on experiences.There are related photography and paintingexhibits on display, as well.For more information: www.everhart-museum.org/

Chason Goldschmitz. Executive Director of the NEPA Philharmonic,and Romilda Crocamo, Luzerne County Manager, speaking aboutthe Luzerne County 240th Celebration concert on Friday,September 25, 2026, at 7:00 pm at the FM Kirby Center indowntown Wilkes-Barre, featuring the NEPA Philharmonicunder the direction of Melisse Brunet, with special guests.The program will feature music by Aaron Copland:Lincoln Portrait and Appalachian Spring. Appalachian Springwill be presented alongside a brand-new multimedia projection,with narration and dance, highlighting 240 years of LuzerneCounty's history. Tony Brooks will be the narrator.Broadway star Celia Hottenstein and Travis Taber willperform Broadway favorites, and Gracie Jane Sinclair willsing two of her original songs with the orchestra.There will be a special Young People's Concert thatmorning at 10:30 at the Kirby Center. Interested schoolsand homeschool families should contact the NEPA PHILfor more information: 570-270-4444.www.nepaphil.org/

Jeanne Sullivan, Chair of the Sullivan County Arts andArtists Tour, speaking about the 2nd Annual Tour to beheld on September 19th from 10 am to 4 pm, & September20, 2026, from 11 am to 4 pm. It is a self-guided tourfeaturing 35 juried local artists displaying, discussingand selling their work at venues throughout the county.For more information and the complete tour brochure:www.sullivancountyarts.comand follow them on Facebook "Sullivan County PAArt & Artists Tour."

Rev. Bill Carter, jazz pianist, composer, arranger, band leader, author and pastor of theFirst Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, speaking about jazz & democracy in 2026,about the annual Labor Day jazz service at FPCC on Sunday, September 6th at 10 am,centering on the music of Chuck Mangione, and about his new album with his new band:"This is for Albert," featuring Bill Carter and the Blue Note Jazztet Live at the FirehouseStage, engineered by WVIA's George Graham. For more information:www.presbybop.com/ and www.fpccs.org/The First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit is located at300 School Street.

Organist Mark J. Pall, Music Director at Christ Lutheran Churchin Hazleton, speaking about the CLC organ and the concert onFriday, August 28, 2026, at 7:00 pm to rededicate the instrument.There will be music by Mendelssohn, Bach and Stamm.Christ Lutheran Church is located at 210 West Green Streetin Hazleton, and for more information: www.clchazleton.org/

Florencia San Martin', Assistant Professor of Art Historyin the Department of Art, Architecture, & Design atLehigh University in Bethlehem, and Mark Wonsidler,LUAG Curator of Exhibitions & Collections, speakingabout the major fall exhibition, "This Land: Reimaginingthe United States of America on its 250th Anniversary."The show will run from September 1 through December4, 2026. There will be an opening reception on September1st from 5:00 to 7:00 to be followed by an evening withMartin Guitars from 7:00 to 8:30 inBaker Hall at the Zoellner Arts Center. www.luag.org/