Scranton artist Miranda Pikul reinvents art show for COVID-19 at Wonderstone Gallery in Dunmore on Aug. 8
From a press release:
A studio art major at the University of California, Los Angeles, Scranton native Miranda Pikul is home for the summer hoping the coronavirus outbreak in Southern California subsides soon.
In the meantime, she hasn’t let COVID-19 cramp her creativity. She’ll share her recent work at a new exhibit opening in person and online at The Wonderstone Gallery in Dunmore on Saturday, Aug. 8.
A group art show curated by Pikul and titled “How to Reinvent the World We Live In,” the exhibit includes recent oil paintings by Pikul as well as four additional artists from Northeastern Pennsylvania: Mary Chitsaz, Manon Riley, and brother and sister Mike and Marissa Messina of Scranton.
“It’s a hybrid show with a live virtual art tour at 4 p.m. with limited in-person reservations on Saturday and throughout the month,” Pikul explained.
“I started organizing this art show last year after curating an art show in San Diego for emerging artists, and I wanted to help provide opportunity for artists in my hometown. It’s also the first time I’ll be able to share my art with friends and family since I moved away in 2016.”
One of those family members is Beth Ann Zero, owner of The Wonderstone Gallery and Pikul’s great aunt.
“I am looking forward to this show, not just because it is Miranda’s art work, which I haven’t had the opportunity to see in person, but also because we continuing to move forward presenting art in COVID,” Zero said.
“In July, we presented Chrissy Manuel’s paintings on Facebook Live, but now we’ll be able to allow some people into see the work in person. It’s another baby step forward.”
The Wonderstone Gallery, which also features yoga classes, a mini cafe, and a gift shop, was closed for almost three months during the pandemic, only reopening gradually after Lackawanna County moved into the yellow phase on June 5.
The exhibit title expresses hope and a sense of humor common in Pikul’s images. Her colorful art portfolio can be viewed at mirandapikul.com.
“When I paint, I usually like to have a narrative story to my work. Some of my paintings are titled ‘How to Look Cool While Surviving Musical Chairs in the Middle of a Casual Desert’ and ‘How to Pose Awkwardly While Avoiding Eye Contact from People Who Look Like They May Want to Pick Your Brain for Five Hours or So,'” she said.
“When it seems like the world is in a bad place, creating art allows us to imagine a world the way it could be otherwise.”
Summer hours at The Wonderstone Gallery (100 N. Blakely St., Dunmore) are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays. The exhibit can also be viewed weekend afternoons as long as a yoga class is not in session. Call 570-344-2360 for more information or visit thewonderstonegallery.com.
