WILKES-BARRE — The marquee at the F.M. Kirby Center for the performing Arts on Thursday was scrolling a message: “Welcome Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame.”
And what a welcome it was. The announcement was welcomed by all segments of the community and everyone attending had the same feeling — it was a really good feeling.
As my dear friend and fellow committee member Connie Wynn said, “We have faith this will knock people’s socks off.”
Connie represents the RACE Team (Rediscovering Ancestry Through Culture and Education) on the committee and she brings great knowledge and expertise to the committee.
As do all of our members who have been meeting for months to get to this point — Joe Nardone Sr., Gallery of Sound, who has had this dream for many years; Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, President/CEO Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber’; Tony Brooks, Wilkes-Barre City Council/Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society; Mayor George Brown, Wilkes-Barre City; Alan K. Stout, Visit Luzerne County; Jody Busch, musician/recording engineer; and my friend Constance Wynn; and this writer.
The eight of us are bound by our mission to honor and memorialize all those who have made their mark in the world of arts and entertainment by enshrining them in this prestigious Hall.
We have six committees that will begin meeting to decide who will be in our first class, which will be announced in the spring of 2023 — Music, Film, Television, Stage, Media, Art (painting, sculpture).
These are all-encompassing categories and we can assure everyone that all aspects of each category will be considered and honored.
Sadly, we have already heard from a few naysayers who for unknown reasons think that we would leave out deserving inductees, like authors and dancers. That is just not true. Our committees will consider all areas of Arts and Entertainment. And we will be fair to all.
Our goal is to announce the first class of inductees in early spring 2023 and to have a dinner in the fall, roughly a year from now, to honor those inductees and their families.
Brooks put our mission and purpose and reason in perfect perspective.
“We’ve all experienced that powerful swelling in your chest,” Brooks said at the news conference. “We often can’t describe the feeling, but we know it when it fills our heart.
“It’s the feeling you get when you’re moved by powerful art — an exquisite painting, perhaps, a song that transports you, or an actor’s dramatic performance.
“Luzerne County now has a way to especially honor the artists and entertainers who, make us better human beings by sharing their talents.”
I can tell you that after years of discussion and wishful thinking, Nardone and I decided to form a committee to discuss the establishment of a Hall of Fame and that day finally arrived last Thursday.
Luzerne County natives will be eligible, as well as all those who lived at one time or another in Luzerne County, or who made their mark in Luzerne County.
The criteria is simple — our committees will review all those whose names are brought forward and decide who will be honored. We expect that our first class will likely be our largest.
But the real work begins now as our committee begin meeting to pour through all of the nominees that will be brought for consideration. It’s exciting and it will be fair. Although our first class will be large, we can’t put everybody in, but as we go forward, all will be honored and inducted.
We want to be sure our first class includes those most deserving in all categories.
“The talent we have today and the talent we had in the past will be part of this wonderful Hall of Fame,” said committee member Stout, who has interviewed hundreds of musicians for newspaper articles and radio shows.
Mayor Brown said, “There are a lot of famous people that are from Luzerne County. It’s something to be proud of.”
Brown said he expects the Hall of Fame will “start out small” but will be “putting us on the map once again.”
Anyone can submit to the committee names of artists whose work they believe deserves to be recognized in the Hall of Fame. Potential inductees could be people who were born in Luzerne County, lived here “or who made their mark in Luzerne County.”
The public also is welcome to submit designs for an official logo of the new entity; details can be found on the Hall of Fame’s Facebook page.
“Arts and entertainment are a huge part of our culture,” said Griffin-Boylan, president and CEO of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce.
And now our community will see that all are honored and their accomplishments will be perpetuated forever.