By Daniel Gonzalez • Special to The Current
The Stabin Museum is a marvelous place to eat, have a cocktail by an underground stream and wander around an art gallery. You become mesmerized by the fact that you are experiencing something authentic. Once in the museum, you must slow down and take it all in.
Proprietor and artist Victor Stabin: “All around you, the imagery has a mystery to it that involves storytelling in which the viewer plugs in their own story.”
It’s pretty stunning. Whether in the gallery, Jazz Loft, or Café, it’s all about the story, and nothing surrounding you is random. Just have a seat in Café Arielle, and you’ll be sure to catch a glimpse of a painting that has a Martini named after it. Just do “Behave.”
Joan Morykin and Victor Stabin have the vision to immerse everyone who enters the museum with a story and an authentic experience. The museum is a living realization of their life’s work, and you sense this right away as you gaze at their personal stories hanging on the inner walls of the gallery. They’ve opened their hearts and shared their personal life with everyone. A deep look at the painting of their daughters, Arielle and Skyler, jumping on a bed, will transport you.
Café Arielle. In the adjoining restaurant, Justin Tisi is an artist in his own right as he crafts the finest works of art you can imbibe. With this, you can see that their vision and influence are ever-expanding and attracting creative, like-minded people who share the desire to continue the legacy of innovation and experimentation within this renovated old wireworks factory.
Jazz Loft. During fourteen months of closure due to COVID, Victor Stabin relocated his art studio to another location, and the performance space was born. To Victor, art is making something you haven’t seen before, and this is quite evident when you enter the performance space.
The space emanates positive energy and inspires all who enter, whether patron or performer. It wasn’t long before young Skyler Stabin poured her art into the room with her jazz trio, and as a result, the vision of jazz in Jim Thorpe started to sharpen.
With Skyler performing in this magical space, the idea of a jazz club simmered. Fate had Skyler sit in with a band one evening in Hawley, PA, and after talking with the Stabins afterward, drummer Daniel Gonzalez visited the museum a week later to pursue a gig. Again, fate was at work because he recognized that he had become the artistic director by the time he left the meeting.
They launched from performances by their daughter’s jazz trio to hosting a sold-out crowd to see the legendary jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut within the space of six weeks.
Weekly jazz nights started in October – the beginning of a connection and vision to bring jazz to the community, to invigorate the audience with top-notch performers locally and abroad.
Jazz Loft at The Stabin Museum has risen, and it stands with Café Arielle within the Stabin Museum. At the Jazz Loft, you will find jazz artists from NYC like John Benitez and Bob Albanese, world-famous artists living locally like Bakithi Kumalo, and jazz masters like Adam Nussbaum, performing alongside the best locally known artists.
The renowned Kenny Werner will be in the Jazz Loft in 2022. The caliber of artistry that passes through the Jazz Loft is very high, and you will notice this immediately after hearing the first notes played. In fact, after the latest performance, Victor said that when he closed his eyes, he felt like he was in New York City.
While the temperature is sure to drop, the Jazz Loft at The Stabin Museum will heat things up in November. You’ll be able to catch vocal lyricist Michele Bautier and her trio, Tom Kozik and friends, William Ga, and others. December will bring Lehcats from NYC, Adam Nussbaum’s Parker Trio, and Horizons Quintet. There are several world-class jazz artists lined up starting in January. The horizon looks very bright for The Jazz Loft. Visit the eye-opening Stabin museum and let the enchanting environment sweep you away.
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