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The General Federation of Womens Clubs-West Side, along with members of St. John the Baptist Church in Larksville, art teachers from Northwest, Dallas and Wyoming Valley West and award-winning art students of Sue Hand”s Imagery all came together on Black Friday (Nov. 24) for a good cause.
The volunteers were part of the 20th anniversary of the Window Painting Project at Community Counseling Services in Wilkes-Barre in memory of Edward Luksha, a former therapist at Community Counseling Services.
This project was started 20 years ago by Luksha’s sisters — Rosemary Luksha, retired art teacher and portrait artist, and Barbara Luksha Roche.
During the project, 26 windows were pre-sketched by Rosemary Luksha and Brenda La Barr.
“This project is our way of remembering my brother Ed and his work,” said Rosemary Luksha.
Barbara Luksha Roche said, “This project was started to commemorate the life of my brother Ed Luksha and to continue to give to the clients and personnel whom he had devotedly served.”
The project has grown from completing 14 windows in 1998 to decorating the 12 panes on the four entry doors to the building and an additional 14 windows on the inside offices in the rear of the building for a total of 26 paintings in all for the last four years. Each artist completed one window that had been already pre-sketched.
This years groups of volunteers include dedicated community volunteers and also “royalty” of our local artists and art students.
In addition to Rosemary Luksha, artists helping were: Corinne Barchik, retired art teacher, Northwest; Ashley Lunger, Elementary Art Teacher, Dallas; Nicole Delevan, Student Art Teacher, Wyoming Valley West Middle School; Kira Zak, Artis Emeritus of Sue Hand’s Imagery. Award winning art students from Sue Hand’s Imagery who helped with teh painting were: Allie Stallard, Carolyn Stallard, Sara Stallard, Lexie Oster, Amelia Grudkowski, Kristin Pisano, Alyssa Pisano, Madeline Mohutsky, and Evelyn Migatulski.
These artists are joined by Colleen and Samantha Weiss of the St. John Baptist Church in Larksville, and The General Federation of Women’s Clubs West Side members Deidre Kaminski, Jacqueline Corbett, Carla Finn, Irene Mackiewicz, Becky McCuen, Christina Kinsman, and Mary Ann Augaitis.