The Rusty Iris is a fully transformed school bus/mobile sculpture that will feature a DJ booth, interactive elements, and fire performances at SOMA Night Lights.
Photo Credit — Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes University
SOMA Night Lights in Wilkes-Barre will take place Friday, April 25, with a range of art demonstrations and activities for the community.
Photo Credit — Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes University
SOMA Night Lights will celebrate local architecture and local artists with several video-mapped projections on buildings throughout the Arts District of Wilkes-Barre.
Photo Credit — Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes University
The Mobile Glass Studio from Keystone College will be on-site to feature live demonstrations at SOMA Night Lights.
Photo Credit — Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes University
WILKES-BARRE — SOMA Night Lights will be a celebration of art and technology in the South Main Street (SOMA) Arts District of Wilkes-Barre on Friday, April 25, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
This free, family-friendly event brings everyone together for creativity, community, and culture in the heart of Wilkes-Barre’s SOMA Arts District. This is also the first time Sordoni Art Gallery and Diamond City Partnership have come together to hold this special event in Downtown Wilkes-Barre and it’s bound to light up the night.
There, you can experience video-mapped projections transforming the surrounding buildings into original works of art by Jeff Dobrow, as well as a special community-compiled project and a whole lot more nightlife excitement happening throughout the block.
This literally larger-than-life process is a method that utilizes three-dimensional forms as a unique projection surface — meaning the surface to be projected on does not have to be a flat screen and instead, through a 3D model, can align video artwork to dimensional forms, like our city.
“I have to kind of say, it’s a dream of mine,” said Heather Sincavage, Director of Sordoni Art Gallery, who has been hoping to hold an event like this for a while. “We just thought this was a great way to distinguish ourselves from other places in the region.”
SOMA Night Lights will shine the spotlight on local architecture and local talent. Everyone of all ages and artistic skill levels will feel like they belong at this event to really kick off spring in Wilkes-Barre.
“I think it’s one of those things where we’re an academic gallery and sometimes that’s intimidating to a lot of people. We thought, let’s get out of the gallery space, let’s start doing art in our lived-in environment and show people it’s accessible,” said Heather Sincavage.
Headline artist for SOMA Night Lights, Jeff Dobrow, also referred to as Doc Jim, is a visual and technology artist based in Virginia. His work spans projection mapping, interactive installations, and live performance art and he’s bringing that modern mastery to Luzerne County on Friday night.
“He’s just the best because he’s community-minded and he really gets what we’re trying to do,” said Sincavage.
She met Dobrow at a smaller event about four years ago at Wilkes University. She said she came to him with her idea for Night Lights and he was all about it! With a background in global advertising and motion design, Dobrow has created immersive experiences worldwide. Notable projects include contributions for the University of Virginia and events like Let’s Glow SF in San Francisco.
“We just love working together,” said Sincavage. “It took a little bit of time to get him back here, but now is as good a time as any!”
Additional art activities and demos at SOMA Night Lights include Wilkes University Esports, Keystone College Mobile Glass Studio with live demonstrations, the Graffiti Bomb led by blitz.INK, the Kids Courtyard, and the Rusty Iris — a school bus transformed into a double-decker, mobile sculpture, art exhibit and venue. Find the full map here.
Heather Sincavage says the “Rusty Iris” is nuts! This school bus, to be set up in the Sordoni Gallery Parking Lot, has been wildly altered by a team of artists so that visitors will be able to walk through it and walk on it. It blows fire and has a DJ booth. Not to mention, it’ll arrive with a team of fire performers who will put on three shows at 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10:30 p.m.
“You’re really going to see the Iris come to life,” said Sincavage.
Also taking place in the Sordoni Gallery Parking Lot is the Graffiti Bomb led by Paige Edwards a.k.a. blitz.INK. This acclaimed campus muralist will guide people through turning a junker car into an art object! The public will be invited to spray-paint and decorate the car until it becomes a work of art. It will be made on Friday and Sincavage stays they hope to install the finished piece on the Wilkes University campus through homecoming.
Additionally, displayed on The Down Pour’s facade on South Main Street will be a community art project, compiled from a diverse range of submissions by local artists. And for the kids, the Kids Courtyard will offer the chance to make light-up crafts so that everyone can get a taste of this collision between art and technology.
“I see this as the beginning of many more,” said Sincavage. “We’d love to see this grow — we’d love to see this transform how people look at Wilkes-Barre.”
Also just opened on April 22 inside the Sordoni Art Gallery is a new exhibition called “Family Tree” that will be displayed through June 1, although it will not be open during the event on Friday night. “Family Tree” is a collaboration of four sisters working around the theme of trees as referenced in literature, poetry, history, and more.
“It’s so perfect since yesterday was Earth Day, we’re still celebrating our beautiful globe,” said Sincavage of the exhibit.
The Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University is always out and about in the community. Find them at Pride Fest, the Wilkes-Barre Farmer’s Market, The Fine Arts Fiesta, and more doing free crafts with families and anyone who wants to participate in art within the community.
