Marywood University Events

Marywood University Featuring Graduating Students’ Artwork

The work of graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students in the areas of graphic design, photography, illustration, and painting is on display in Marywood University’s Mahady Gallery through May 6. Additionally, the work of graduating Bachelor of Arts students in the area of art therapy is featured in the Suraci Gallery through May 6.

The Senior Art Exhibit is free and open to the public. The Mahady and Suraci Galleries are located in the Shields Center for Visual Arts on Marywood University’s campus, and hours for both galleries are: Mondays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting for the Living City Lab at Marywood University Set for May 4

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will formally kick off the Living City Lab at Marywood University on Thursday, May 4, 1 p.m., in the Insalaco Center for Studio Arts, where the Living City Lab at Marywood University is located. Along with Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Marywood president, Center for the Living City Executive Director Maria MacDonald, invited dignitaries, and guests will be in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Kimberly Dowdell, incoming president of the American Institute of Architects; current and former Mayors of Scranton and Dunmore; and members of the Board of Trustees of Marywood University and the Center for the Living City.

The date of the event is significant, because it marks the birthday of Jane Jacobs and also commemorates “Jane Jacobs Day” and the 2nd Biennial Observe Scranton: Jane Jacobs’s First City Festival in Scranton. Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), a Scranton native, was an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building. She had no formal training as a planner, yet her 1961 treatise, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, introduced groundbreaking ideas about how cities function, evolve, and fail. The impact of her observation, activism, and writing has led to a planning blueprint for generations of architects, planners, politicians, and activists to practice.

The Center for the Living City holds the singular distinction of being the only urbanist organization founded in collaboration with Jane Jacobs. In the years since its 2005 founding by a group of activists, practitioners, and academics, the Center has become a leading global urbanist organization. Maria MacDonald, program director of interior architecture at Marywood University, serves as the executive director of the Center for the Living City. The mission is to inspire civic engagement and leadership development, invite creative urban solutions, and expand the understanding of the ecology of cities. Keeping the next generation and activists engaged with community and actively participating in their cities is at the heart of the Center’s mission—by everybody, for everybody.

The Living City Lab at Marywood University is a co-created space for experiential learning, where students address global challenges on a local scale. It consists of three key components: education, projects, and networking. Through integrated coursework rooted in urban ecology and sustainability, students across all disciplines create action-oriented local impact, work on real-life public design projects, connect with and learn from community leaders and mentors, and develop strong interdisciplinary career-connected pathways and local relationships.

Image ID: A line of colorful Adirondack chairs is the latest visual addition to the Living City Lab at Marywood University, located in the Insalaco Center for Studio Arts, also pictured. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Living City Lab at Marywood University is set for May 4 at 1 p.m

F.M. Kirby Center Events

F.M. Kirby Center to Host Disney Concert Encanto

Disney Concerts presents “Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert,” at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, October 26th at 6 P.M.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 21st at 10 A.M. with a Kirby Member Presale beginning on Wednesday, April 19th at 10 A.M. More information can be found at kirbycenter.org.

Tickets can be purchased at kirbycenter.org and at the F.M. Kirby Center Box Office during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 10 A.M. until 5 P.M., or by calling 570-826-1100.

Disney Concerts today announced “Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert,” a 45-city tour where Encanto lovers of all ages have the opportunity to sing along with their favorite GRAMMY®-Award winning songs performed by a live band while watching the full film.

Produced by AMP Worldwide, “Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert” will include all the music of the Academy Award®-winning film, including iconic hits like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure” performed live.  Live characters do not appear in this event.

The fall 2023 national tour brings last summer’s outdoor venue run to performing arts centers across America.  The tour kicks off September 19 in Joliet, IL and travels throughout the US and Canada, concluding November 12 in Orlando, FL. Tickets for most dates go on sale on Friday, April 21 at 10 A.M. local time.  See below for a full itinerary and details.

Fans are encouraged to dress up as Mirabel, Luisa, Isabela, or any of their favorite characters from the film and to use their voices to transform each venue into one big celebration of the Madrigal family.

The Encanto Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features eight original songs by Academy

Award-nominated, Tony® and Grammy®-winning songwriter/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda

(“Hamilton,” “Moana”) with an original score by Academy Award-nominated and Grammy-winning composer Germaine Franco. The R.I.A.A. Platinum-certified soundtrack held the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 album chart for 9 non-consecutive weeks and the R.I.A.A. 3x Platinum-certified song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” topped the Hot 100 chart for 5 weeks.  The soundtrack and song held the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 simultaneously for five consecutive weeks. Music from Encanto swept the Visual Media categories at the 65th Grammy Awards®, winning Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and Song Written for Visual Media (“We Don’t Talk About Bruno”).

MANIA: The ABBA Tribute coming to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts

Take A Chance On MANIA…and you won’t be disappointed! The world’s number one touring ABBA tribute comes to the F.M. Kirby Center on Saturday, October 28th, 2023.

Ticket Prices: $20.50, $35.50, $45.50, and $55.50 plus fees.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 14th at 10 a.m.

The presale for F.M. Kirby Members begins on Wednesday, April 12th at 10 a.m.

MANIA (formerly ABBA MANIA) was formed in 1999 and the show has been selling out theatres and concert halls internationally ever since. This show has toured the world in its quest to bring the music of the Swedish ‘Supergroup’ to their millions of fans, old and new!

In 2007 it grossed over Aus $1 million at the box office in Sydney, Australia. The show has ventured to France, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, USA, Australia, and South Korea as well as touring the UK extensively.

The show has been successfully touring the USA annually since 2009 with over 400 performances, many of the venues book the show every year as it has become a ‘tradition’ for both the show and the audiences. The thirst for this sensational recreation of Abba’s concert is getting stronger every year.

Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid, collectively known as ABBA, dominated the charts for nearly ten years and enjoyed nine UK number 1 hits. At their height they became Sweden’s highest export earners, amazingly, outselling Volvo cars. ‘ABBA Gold’ was continuously in the Album Charts throughout the nineties and is one of the biggest-selling albums ever.

ABBA’s timeless songs were written to be enjoyed live and MANIA gives you exactly that. Two hours of uplifting, dance-inducing and sometimes heart-breaking songs, fully live with fantastic staging, lighting, and effects. The show recreates ABBA’s sound not only perfectly, but respectfully too. MANIA is not only for lifelong, die-hard ABBA fans but the new generation of fans, who never had the opportunity to see ‘ABBA’ live. Hits include ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Waterloo’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘The Winner Takes It All’, ‘Super Trouper’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Take A Chance On Me’ and many more that continue to fill dance floors worldwide.

If you’re looking for an excuse to party, reminisce or simply be entertained by the best music ever, then call the box office at 570-826-1100 or visit kirbycenter.org

“Beware of imitations…this is the real musical tribute!” – Polly Graham, Sunday Mirror

Johnson College to Host Annual Carpentry Auction

Johnson College’s Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology program will host an auction to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, inside the Moffat Student Center on the Johnson College Scranton campus. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the auction starts at 6:00 p.m. The auction is open to the public. 

More than 60 items will be available to bid on, including cutting boards, tables, cabinets, a bookcase, and more. All items were created by students in the Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology program. Many of the items were made from re-purposed material. The 2022 Carpentry Auction raised $5,781 to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA.

To learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA, visit https://cacnepa.org/.

Steamtown National Historic Site Seeking Vendors for Event

Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) is seeking proposals from vendors to provide mobile food services on Saturday, June 17, 2023 for the site’s Railfest event. Those submitting proposals will be required to follow the latest version of the FDA food code, follow Temporary Food Event (TFE) guidance provided by the Office of Public Health (OPH), and hold a NPS Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) with Steamtown NHS.

For additional information, applications, or clarification of requirements, please e-mail stea_permits@nps.gov or visit: www.nps.gov/stea/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm

Steamtown’s 2023 Railfest event is being offered in partnership with the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum’s Arts on Fire event held at the Scranton Iron Furnaces. Both sites are excited to be collaborating to provide an interactive and immersive experience showcasing our community’s industrial heritage. Details are still being ironed out for the events which are expected to include activities such as an iron pour, live music, arts programming, and more! Updates will be forthcoming.

Located in downtown Scranton, PA, Steamtown NHS is currently open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; at the time of the event and during summer months, hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From Interstate-81 follow exit 185 (Central Scranton Expressway); then follow the brown and white signs to the park entrance at Lackawanna Avenue and Cliff Street (GPS: N 41.41, W 75.67). General park information is available by visiting the park website anytime.

The University of Scranton Spring Events

In recognition of Pope Francis’s call toward environmental sustainability, The University of Scranton’s Sustainability Office has chosen the theme “The People’s Planet, Climate Justice” for this spring’s Earth Day celebration. The theme of climate justice focuses on the merging of civil rights and climate change to draw attention to the effects of environmental changes on different communities. Many of the University’s offices and departments have come together to offer numerous educational events in honor of Earth Day and Scranton’s ongoing sustainability efforts.

Events are open to the public, free of charge, unless otherwise indicated.

This year’s Environmental Essay Contest is open to all area students in grades 5-12. The essay will revolve around the theme “The People’s Planet, Climate Justice.” Submissions will be accepted until April 3, and winners will be announced at the Evening of Environmental Science event on April 20. For more details, visit the contest webpage.

World Water Day will be celebrated through an interactive event at the University’s DeNaples Center on March 22. Informative activities and displays will help raise awareness of water usage and its importance. March 22 will also start Plant Based Meals Week for University students, in which the positive impacts of eating green will be promoted at meals offered at the Fresh Food Company.

Tonyehn Verkitus, executive director at Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, will discuss environmental factors and how disparities in communities jeopardize health and well-being at a Community-Based Learning talk on March 23. The talk begins at 11:45 a.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center.

On March 30, the film “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva” will be screened at the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center at 7:30 p.m. The film shows many successful changes made through environmental activism and caring for all people. Vandana Shiva is a wonderful example of a woman’s lifelong leadership and activism that has improved the lives of millions of people around the world.  A very interesting, entertaining, and inspiring movie.

On April 14, an Environmental Art Show address will be given by artist Stephanie Williams in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library, beginning at 4:30 p.m. William’s work includes pictures of nature, people, creatures, sounds and energies. The library will also host an Environmental Art Show featuring environmental art of members of the University community from April 14 to April 25 in the Heritage Room during library hours.

On April 17, Nicole Negowetti, former clinical instructor at the Harvard Animal Law and Policy Clinic, will discuss her work concerning sustainable agricultural procedures. The talk, offered by the University’s Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities, begins at 5:30 p.m. at Brennan Hall, The Pearn Auditorium.

The Earth Day Fair will take place the following day, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center. The event will host University student displays as well as, displays from university departments, local non-profits and governmental offices, which will provide information about sustainable practices and products.

The Evening of Environmental Science, set for April 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center, will feature a display of essays received for the Earth Day Essay Contest, as well interactive environmental displays and activities. Awards for the Essay Contest will be presented at the event.

Earth Day celebrations conclude with a three-hour kayaking trip on the Susquehanna River for students on May 6, hosted by the University’s Sustainability Office and the Society for Sustainability and Conservation.

Visit The University of Scranton’s sustainability webpage for information about the University’s sustainability efforts and Earth Day events, or call the Office of Sustainability at 570-941-6267.

Outreach – Center for Community Resources 35th Anniversary Kickoff

Outreach – Center for Community Resources is celebrating our 35th Anniversary of moving families forward. Formerly the Employment Opportunity & Training Center of NEPA (EOTC), Outreach serves over 4,500 individuals each year by helping them move towards economic self-sufficiency and family stability. 

We invite you to celebrate our 35th Anniversary and have an “axe-ceptional” and fun evening with Outreach by attending our kickoff celebration at Electric City Axe Throwing, 1141 Capouse Avenue, Scranton on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, from 5 PM to 7 PM.

Enjoy Axe Throwing, food, beer, wine, raffles, and more. Tickets are limited to 60 guests, so purchase them soon! Visit www.outreachworks.org for tickets and information, or call Lori Ryan at the office: (570)558-7565. Scan QR Code to purchase tickets!

Outreach is happy to kick off our celebration at Electric City Axe Throwing, a veteran-owned business in Scranton. Owners Jose Bataller and Sam Williams first met in 2017 while serving in the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group program at US Embassy Podgorica, Montenegro.  Three years later, they were inspired by their visit to FXBG Axes, owned and operated by their former Detachment Commander, Gunnery Sergeant David Crawley, and his wife, Krista Crawley. Jose and Sam decided that Scranton was the perfect spot for axe throwing. Outreach is proud to serve Veterans and is excited about the opportunity to partner with Electric City Axe Throwing as our kickoff to our yearlong celebration. Please consider joining Outreach for a fun evening and support a Veteran-owned business in our community. Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers family educational and workforce development services and programs to the regional community to promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Outreach provides evidence-based early childhood programs that help families and children gain the skills needed to be healthy and productive members of the community. Outreach programs support families experiencing adverse life events, including economically disadvantaged families, individuals seeking services that are involved in the Women’s and Veteran’s Treatment Court System, residents at the Lackawanna County Prison, and justice-involved juveniles. Outreach improves the lives of over 4,500 adults and children each year with evidence-based family development, early childhood education, adult GED services, and workforce programs that support them as they navigate life’s challenges

Clarks Summit University to Host Spring Concert

On April 29 at 7 p.m. and April 30 at 6 p.m., Clarks Summit University will present their 2023 Spring Concert “A New Day Has Begun” in the historic Murphy Memorial Library on the Clarks Summit Campus. This concert will have an underlying theme of spring, hopefulness and positive reflection. 

Attendees will experience a very broad spectrum of repertoire at the concert. With everything from classical to jazz to bluegrass, the 2023 Spring Concert spans many musical genres to appeal to a wide audience. This musical array will be performed by Music Education and Worship Studies majors, and also students from many of CSU’s other programs. The evening will feature duets, a women’s choir, solos and much more. 

Aside from the concert’s vast musical offerings, the 2023 Spring Concert provides a chance for everyone to reflect on themes of hope communicated through music.

Music Department chair and professor Adam Schwamb, said, “in the busyness of life, a concert like this is always a good time to re-center oneself by hearing beautiful things. We have a gem in the community in terms of the arts.”

At CSU there’s an active arts scene recognized for its quality. According to Schwamb, many community musicians recognize CSU as a place of high levels of musicianship. “We should be intensely proud of how hard our students are working for something that’s not part of their degree audit. They do it because it’s valuable to them and they want to share it with others.”

For more about the Spring Concert and all on-campus happenings, visit ClarksSummitU.edu/events.

Clarks Summit University Provide Free Tax Services

At Clarks Summit University, free tax preparation services are available to qualified individuals on Tuesday evenings from 6–9 p.m. through April 11. Appointments are available; walk-ins are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

CSU students took a certification course through the IRS to become qualified tax preparers and are now certified to prepare individual taxes under the IRS program, VITA.

VITA is designed by the IRS to supply low-income individuals with free tax preparation services. The volunteers can complete federal, Pennsylvania and local tax returns. It is a strictly volunteer program—the students receive no compensation and no course credit. 

This experience has given the students practical experience preparing taxes as they provide this service to fellow students and community members.

Anna Morrill, a senior in CSU’s Accounting program, is one of the student volunteers. She said, “It has been fun to meet new people and interact with students that I don’t know as well. This is something I want to do because I’m gaining knowledge of how the tax preparation process works and providing a free service to the Clarks Summit area.” 

This coming summer, Morrill plans to be an intern at an accounting firm where she will be rotating through the different areas of accounting. “This tax service will provide some real-world experience and knowledge that I can take into my internship and my future career,” she said.

“I hope that this is the first of many years we are able to run this program on CSU’s campus,” said faculty member Rebekah King. For questions and appointments call 570.585.9216 or email rking@ClarksSummitU.edu

Lackawanna College Hosts Exploration Day

Lackawanna College will host a STEM Career Exploration Day, a fair for local high school students interested in STEM to see all the upcoming programs the Center for Technology Innovation (CTI) has to offer. The event will take place on Thursday, March 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at Lackawanna College Student Union Gymnasium 500 Jefferson Ave, Scranton, PA 18510. Invited are High school students in grades 10-12 interested in making college/career preparations and taking science, technology, engineering and math.
Those attending will view firsthand the new equipment and presentations for each of the CTI’s areas of study including cybersecurity, robotics & integrated technologies and electric vehicles & advanced automotive technologies.  
Coordinated by Lackawanna College’s Business Division, Career Services and Pre-College Departments, this event will increase student financial literacy and career awareness through a hands-on, immersive experience. Students will balance a monthly budget, compare careers and salaries and “try out” some of our programs from the perspective of a Lackawanna College student.
Lackawanna College’s vision for the CTI is to expand the College’s role as an economic, social and community development leader that supports the future industrial ecosystem. The CTI will offer undergraduate degree programs, corporate training, as well as short term, stackable certificates, to prepare individuals for the jobs of tomorrow and is now accepting enrollment.