SCRANTON — The avian logo for Strange Birds, the recently opened art gallery and cultural space in Scranton, is based on the Himalayan monal.
“When it’s in flight, it looks like a pride flag,” said Charley Rude, an artist and trans woman who is co-owner of the art gallery and cultural space. “It is so many different colors. It’s incredible.”
The gallery’s tagline is “A queer space for queer art by queer people,” a term its co-owners said could be used for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community. The 3,700-square-foot gallery at 1149 Capouse Ave. opened next to the Retro Cafe in May.
Strange Birds has hosted music, open mic nights, raves, poetry workshops, art lessons and Zumba classes.
Cindy Weiler, an older adult from Clarks Summit, has gone to several events, including a speed-friending night, raves and art classes and finds it to be a “safe, nonjudgmental, welcoming and often entertaining place.”
Monday was a “Mending Monday,” with a lesson on buttonholes.
“Part of our mission, along with obviously creating a safe space for queer people and queer artists, is sustainability,” said co-owner and Scranton artist Theresa O’Connor. She co-owns the Retro Cafe, and her improv troupe, Pink Moon, practices at Strange Birds.
Owners Theresa O’Connor and Charley Rude stand for a photograph on the upper level of their business Strange Birds, located on Capouse Avenue in Scranton Tuesday, August 4, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Artwork decorates the wall of Strange Birds in Scranton Tuesday, August 4, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A photo studio is set up on the upper level of Strange Birds entertainment venue in Scranton Tuesday, August 4, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Owners Theresa O’Connor and Charley Rude stand for a photograph on the upper level of their business Strange Birds, located on Capouse Avenue in Scranton Tuesday, August 4, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Most workshops are around $12 and Strange Birds recently began offering $20 monthly memberships for open access to art supplies, discounts and member-only events. There are only a handful of members so far, but the gallery is on solid ground, the co-owners said.
Samantha Ruddy, an area native who has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” will perform Sept. 12.
Evan Greer, a punk folk musician and director of the national advocacy group Fight for the Future, will appear Oct. 11.
Strange Birds will host some Scranton Fringe Festival shows in October.
It had a “Back to School” theme for Pride Month in June, with school picture-style photo shoots, a book fair and a prom attended by 45 people. Rude didn’t go to a prom in high school.
“So it was really lovely,” she said. “It was great to see all the queer couples here in their prom gowns, and we did the whole thing. We had dinner, we did the pictures, and there was dancing. And then there was even an afterparty down at the bar down the street. So that was a lot of fun.”
O’Connor and Rude started planning around the time Rude started hormone treatment a year ago.
Rude said her transitioning journey was a long one, after growing up in the 1980s and 1990s.
“If I just had one person in my life that was openly queer or living the type of life I’m living, it would have been a lot easier for me to get here,” she said. She was over 40 when she came out. Her current age?
“A lady never tells,” she said, laughing.
The next open mic night is Aug. 17. They hope open mic nights become a regular thing and nurture talent for their main stage. There will be an All Ages Bookfair on Sept. 5-6 and a songwriting workshop Sept. 13.
Strange Birds’ website is strangebirdsnepa.com, and the organization is active on social media.