“Touring the gallery spaces, filled with vibrant energy and enthusiasm, provided a reminder of art’s role in civic rebirth.”

This is what Hal Bromm, the juror of the 2015 Northeastern Biennial, said about our beloved Scranton, PA. Is Scranton the booming city it used to be? Not quite, but this biennial show proves that we have talented artists in the region who are keeping it alive.

This year’s Biennial featured artists from Scranton and surrounding NEPA communities. The show is currently on display not only at Marywood, but at the University of Scranton, the AFA Gallery, and the ArtWorks Gallery. This year you can see pieces of all kinds, from paintings to prints, and giant installations.

One of the coolest parts of this show was that Marywood was very well represented in it. Faculty in the show included Mark Chuck, Chris Medley, Lynn Pauley, Paul Nielsen, Laura Duerwald Alexander, Niko Kallianiotis, John Meza, Sam Olfano, Skip Sensbach, and Peter Hoffer. I spotted a few alumni, including Karen Reid, who was featured in one of my alumni updates. I also recognized MFA students Eva Polizzi and Annmarie Holler. Alexander, Medley, Nielsen, Pauley, and Kallianiotis were among the award winners too!

The Biennial, for me at least, was more than crazy good art. It showed that Marywood has a great presence in the Scranton art community and that our professors here are successful practicing artists. Professors, alumni, and current students all work in conjunction on and off campus to enhance art in NEPA. People come to Marywood and create great things that all start right in the classroom.

The Biennial will be up until November 12th, so stop by any of the locations and check it out!