By Ibiyinka Alao and Kaila Buck Alao • Special to The Current
Last year saw the passing of the Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center’s founder, John Drury. John was a visionary, a path-blazer, and a revolutionist in his own right. During John’s Celebration of Life in July of 2025, friends, family and community members came together to remember him. The gathering of so many was a testament to what a pillar of the community he was and the legacy that he left behind.
One of his greatest legacies was that of the Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center. The preservation of the history of Old Mauch Chunk, Jim Thorpe, and Carbon County was John’s passion, evidenced even more by the myriads of artifacts, photographs, and stories told at the Museum.
Museum tours with some local high school students in the fall of 2025
Although his passing left a gaping hole in the hearts of many, including the Board of the MCMCC, they rallied and grew even stronger. In late summer of 2025, the Board unanimously voted Ibiyinka “Ibi” Alao as President and CEO, and Kaila Buck Alao as Vice-President and Executive Director. Ibi is an artist and architect and is the current Arts Ambassador to the United Nations. Kaila has a long-standing love for history and the arts and was the former Logistics and Programming Coordinator for Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation – an Indian performing arts nonprofit located in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Ibi and Kaila want to continue the vision for the Museum that their friend and mentor, John had and was in the process of doing when he passed. Some of the ways they wish to do this is by: Bringing more awareness to the cultural and artistic side of the Museum; implementing more children-friendly programming; and hosting a video podcast showcasing some of the artifacts and stories from Mauch Chunk and Jim Thorpe and talk about the current happenings of the town.
One of the more major plans is by building the Firefly Oyster Art and Science Center – a multi-level, multi-functional facility which will serve as an expansion of the Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center. The Art and Science Center will feature a large theater seating 1,500; an art gallery exhibiting Ibi’s extensive collection of artworks; firefly research and art therapy facilities; apartments; an observatory; an atrium; and an outdoor space for farmers markets and craft shows. The Museum is currently fundraising for this $10,000,000 project and will be hosting various fundraisers throughout the year.
The Firefly Oyster Art and Science Center will not only benefit the MCMCC but also the town of Jim Thorpe and surrounding areas. John was an early supporter of the new Center not only because Ibi’s giant painting – Eternity – was made in the Museum’s Ballroom but also because it is a celebration of light creatures (fireflies) which is the official Pennsylvania state insect.
Currently, Eternity is on display in The Ballroom at the Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center along with other pieces of Ibi’s vibrant artwork. It is the main art and cultural exhibit for the Museum in 2026 and features a light show and planetarium experience. The show centers around an early childhood memory of Ibi’s that he later turned into a book – My Fireflies: Memories of My Childhood – and a musical – My Fireflies. A portion of the musical has previously been performed in The Ballroom and at Jim Thorpe High School. There are plans to put on the full-length My Fireflies musical during the summer.
During the months of January and February 2026, Pennsylvania State University has invited Ibi and Kaila as the President and Vice-President of the Museum for a special art exhibition – “My Fireflies – Creating Peacemakers in Our Region” – of Ibi’s artwork to launch their brand-new Art Space in Schuylkill Haven.
The Mauch Chunk Museum & Cultural Center is located at 41 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 with the telephone number 570-325-9190 and email address: staff@mauchchunkmcc.org and website: mauchchunkmcc.org
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