A different kind of classroom.
Our Mission
The mission of the Sordoni Art Gallery is to encourage an appreciation of the arts and an understanding of its role in society through direct engagement with art. Our main focus is to present high-quality exhibitions, related programming, and publications in a wide range of media, topics, cultures and time periods.
Why Am I Sad
Why Am I Sad by Dana Stirling explores mental health and depression through still life photography. An estimated 280 million people worldwide live with depression; this exhibition shares the personal narrative of one of them—Dana Stirling. As a child of immigrants, she grew up navigating dual identities, often feeling like an outsider in both cultures. This sense of displacement fostered deep isolation and emotional unrest. Photography became her refuge, a way to express what words could not.
Formal / Informal: Innovations in Portraiture
Formal/ Informal: Innovations in Portraiture from the Syracuse University Art Museum explores the definition of portraiture, comparing that formal term to the compositions created by photographers. During the 19th century, formal studio or posed portraits flourished as a way to capture a vision of a person, whether known or unknown to the photographer. The artist, in turn, utilized their craft to tell the story of the sitter. Images from the 20th and 21st centuries evolved into both formal and informal views of people, as their environs began to play as much of a role in their portrait as their faces did. The result is a collection of portraits that could be serious, playful, have social or political ramifications, or whose purpose is to celebrate the people, famous or infamous, ultimately telling the story of our society as a whole.
About The Gallery
Location
Karambelas Media & Communication Center141 S. Main St.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Free visitor parking is available.
Hours
- Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Saturday-Sunday: 12 - 5 p.m.
- Monday & University Holidays: Closed
