VIP Reception: $65 plus fees
Join the Luzerne County Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame to induct the class of 2025 to honor and memorialize all those in our area who have made their mark in the world of arts and entertainment. Featuring an awards ceremony and live performance.
The 2025 inductees in the “Arts” category are:
• Lillian Cahn – The creative pillar that built the Coach line of luxury accessories into a global brand. Her business sense, understanding of leatherworks, and cultural foresight made her one of the most powerful women in the world of fashion design.
• Niccolo Cortiglia – The painter who crafted likenesses of politicians, public figures, and community leaders. In addition to his own impressive output, he taught some of Luzerne County’s greatest artists through his one-man art school in Wilkes-Barre.
• Bob Heim – The cartoonist, illustrator, and journalist with a charming sense of humor. His knack for finding the quirks in each new project is legendary, a fitting complement to his status as one of Luzerne County’s most fascinating artistic figures.
• Lyman H. Howe – The pioneering, traveling filmmaker who outpaced the ambition of his moviemaking peers. His turn-of-the-century achievements include the use of synchronized sound, filming in an airplane, and documenting military and political history.
• Marion Lorne – The Emmy-winning actress who is most remembered for her portrayal of Aunt Clara in “Bewitched.” Besides her famous television work, she acted in films and theatre productions for seven decades in both the United States and England.
• Rose O’Neill – The artist who created the Kewpie characters and became one of the earliest female cartoonists to achieve national recognition and acclaim. In a male-dominated industry, she illustrated with an unashamed, feminine touch.
• Lawrence Russo – The sculptor whose work is present across the Northeast United States. His most famous sculpture – the Christ the King statue on the King’s College Administration Building – is one of the area’s most towering works of art.
The 2025 inductees in the “Entertainment” category are:
• Andrea Bogusko – The longtime instructor whose Music Company has become a fixture in the local community over four decades of business. Generations of students have flocked to learn from a master who brings legitimacy to each initiative she touches.
• The Great Rock Scare – The energetic band that entertained audiences with their faithful renditions of classic rock hits. The group’s musical excellence and brilliant promotional backing took them to the peak of local popularity in the 1980s.
• Florence Foster Jenkins – The so-called “world’s worst opera singer” with a Carnegie Hall performance and fascinating life story to her name. Before a string of health issues dashed her genuine musical ambitions, Jenkins performed as a child prodigy pianist.
• The Leer Brothers Band – The supergroup that sprouted from some of the area’s most popular bands of the 1960s. Their groovy original material was an extension of the sounds that came before, helping to bridge the gap between two generations of musicians.
• Motionless in White – The aggressive metal band with a catalog that includes radio-ready hits and brutal deep cuts. Their gothic collective persona and haunting tones have brought them a devoted following of fans which stretches across the globe.
• Matthew Rogers – The Grammy-winning songwriter who has worked with some of country music’s biggest stars. His run of modern success has penetrated the competitive Nashville scene and resulted in a number of chart-topping tunes.
• Joe and John Stanky – The polka-playing brothers who have wielded their instruments for the enjoyment of listeners’ ears and feet. The ensembles they have led – the Cadets and the Coal Miners, respectively – are staples of the community.
• Alan K. Stout – The music journalist and radio host with an unrivaled dedication to local artists and entertainers. Through his work in the media and as an event organizer, he has platformed Luzerne County’s finest alongside some of the world’s biggest acts.
Paul Pringle, a native of Wilkes-Barre, will receive the “Distinguished Achievement Award.” Pringle is a Los Angeles Times reporter who specializes in investigating corruption. He won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with colleagues Matt Hamilton and Harriet Ryan in 2019, was a finalist in 2009 and a member of reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes in 2004 and 2011. Pringle won the George Polk Award in 2008 and wrote the non-fiction book “Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels.” He is the first recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Distinguished Achievement Award.
The Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame was formed in 2022. Its mission is to honor those that are natives or residents of Luzerne County, or those that have roots in Luzerne County, and have achieved success, gained notoriety, or have had a great impact on the world of arts and entertainment either in Northeastern Pennsylvania or beyond.
Those considered in the “Arts” category should have excelled in the categories of stage, film, television, dance, painting, sculpture, or artistic design.
Those considered in the “Entertainment” category should have excelled in the areas of music, radio, or other media specific to arts and entertainment.
“We are thrilled to be honoring the induction class of 2025 at The Kirby on October 4,” said the Steering Committee of the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame in a statement. “We are looking forward to noting their many accomplishments at what has become a great community celebration. All are welcome.”
