Wednesday night’s Cocktails & Culture event at the Sordoni Gallery on South Main Street kicked off at 5:30 p.m. and it didn’t take long for a capacity crowd to fill the space.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
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Sordoni Art Gallery Director Heather Sincavage talks to attendees during a guided tour of the gallery’s newest exhibit, featuring works from over the course of nearly 50 years by Dan R. Talley.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Diamond City Partnership Executive Director Larry Newman, left, and Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, right, pause from their conversation for a photo.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
From left: Yeison Santamaria; Madison Becker; Caitlin Hettler; Erica Acosta; Sarah Borland; and Gabriel Arauz, take a moment from the lively chatter at their table for a photo.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — Cocktails, culture, Cinco de Cuatro, and community: four words that capture the essence of Wednesday night’s ‘Cocktails & Culture’ event at Wilkes University’s Sordoni Art Gallery, sponsored by the Diamond City Partnership.
Doors opened at 5:30 p.m. and the crowd quickly filled up the lobby space outside the Sordoni Gallery in the Karambelas Center. With live music courtesy of John Shemo, a menu inspired by Cinco de Mayo, lively chatter amongst smiling faces, and a makeshift dining area set up in what was a classroom this morning, the stage was certainly set for a successful evening.
Mayor George Brown and DCP Executive Director Larry Newman took a break in their conversation to speak with a reporter on the importance of bringing folks downtown and continuing to appreciate the arts in all of their various forms.
“What you see here tonight,” Brown began, “is people that are interested in the arts, the Diamond City Partnership, and the downtown. And as we take the tour of the beautiful artwork in the gallery, it brings everyone together.”
Brown pointed to last weekend’s Cherry Blossom Festival, which brought out about 20,000 people looking to take in the weather and enjoy a community event, as evidence to the potential for more events moving forward in 2022.
Newman pointed out the opportunity for crossover work between other downtown galleries. “What I’m most excited about, give the Sordoni Gallery’s location here is the fact that we now have the ability to create some synergies and partnerships between the Circle Center for the Arts, home of the Wyoming Valley Art League, and Marquis Art & Frames second floor gallery across the street. You know, the sum is greater than the parts and this is one way we do it and you can expect to see more coming.”
Heather Sincavage, Director of the Sordoni Gallery took some time before offering a guided tour through the gallery’s newest exhibit to offer some insight into the current exhibition as well as her thoughts on the DCP’s ‘Downtown Rebound’ efforts.
“So, the new show is by Dan R. Tally. He’s a Kutztown-based artist originally from the south (Georgia). He’s a lens-based artist, meaning that he works in photography, video, and some performance, some drawing. The exhibition is a retrospective spanning from 1973 to now.”
Sincavage disclosed some feedback from the DCP in regards to March’s iteration of “Cocktails & Culture,” and said that the guided walk throughs, facilitated by her, have been imperative to helping folks feel less intimidated by the arts. They find that exhibits more accessible under Sincavage’s experienced and professional guidance.
“I think overall, the Sordoni Gallery has always been about accessibility, and ways for us to understand art but also ourselves through a different type of lens. So, doing programs or events like this or other types is increasingly important, not just to the vibrancy of this gallery but to us as a culture here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We’re really thrilled to be the seat of that.”
Susan Magnotta, DCP’s Director of Marketing and Development, spoke on the rising ‘appetite for downtown’ as more and more events come to fruition in the city center.
“I just spoke with someone that is back for their second event,” she said. “And I said, ‘thank you so much for coming downtown’ and the gentleman said, ‘it’s so good to be back’. So, our numbers keep growing. We have different people here every time.”
Both Magnotta and Brown offered similar sentiments on the efforts of those hard at work to help downtown recover.
Magnotta said, “This is part of DCP’s overall downtown rebound strategy, you know, to partner with the arts community, to have a great partnership with the city, the colleges and universities, and just bring all of our assets together and work together to bring downtown back.”
Brown offered gratitude, “I want to thank Larry and the Diamond City Partnership because they’re really doing a wonderful job in bringing people back out again in partnership with the Mayor and the mayor’s administration. So, it is just the beginning.”
