Mural showcasing "The Office" sitcom underway in Scranton

Aug. 10—SCRANTON — Ain't no mural like a Scranton "Office" mural.

Installation of a larger-than-life mural featuring characters of the beloved NBC sitcom "The Office" began Tuesday on the eastern wall of the building at 503 Lackawanna Ave., said Scranton Tomorrow murals Chairwoman Rose Randazzo-Pizzuto.

Artist Kala Hagopian and her team at Hagopian Arts in Philadelphia created the mural, titled "The Story of Us: The Office's Relationship with Scranton," over the past year at her studio there.

The 86-foot-long-by-27-foot-tall artwork, or 2,322 square feet, will consist of 90 separate sections of synthetic cloth, each about 5 feet square, that will get affixed to the wall to create the image, Hagopian said. D&D Realty Group, the building owner, donated the wall for the mural.

The mural's panel sections got transported from the City of Brotherly Love to the Electric City during this past weekend.

It's the latest and largest of several murals that the nonprofit Scranton Tomorrow has produced downtown since starting a Mural Arts Program in early 2021.

The design will feature large, black and white portraits of 17 characters from the series, contrasted with a colorful geometric pattern background, imagery and quotes that represent significant objects and moments throughout the show's nine seasons.

"This is fine art (combined) with mural art and that's a rarity," Randazzo-Pizzuto said.

The "Office" mural took a year to complete because the finely detailed, realistic portraits were painted by hand with small brushes, they said.

"We're painting huge portraits with tiny brushes, as if it's small scale work," Hagopian said.

Details of the mural's portraits, including eyelashes and expressions, are "done so accurately that you would think it's a photograph," Randazzo-Pizzuto added. "Portraits by their nature have to be fine art. Every stroke counts."

The beloved sitcom set in the Electric City at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. ran nine seasons, from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013. "The Office" Wrap Party held in Scranton in May 2013 brought the show's cast and legions of fans to town to celebrate the conclusion of the series.

Since then, the show has endured through television reruns, streaming platforms and social media that have captured new generations of fans. The sitcom has become a popular mainstay on Peacock, the NBC streaming service that is now the show's official home.

With wall repairs, painting, installation, lighting, landscaping and signs, the mural is a six-figure project that would not have been possible without the support of Peacock, Randazzo-Pizzuto said.

She declined to divulge financial contributions. She also credited Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton as a key early supporter.

"The first local business that gave us a substantial donation was Cooper's restaurant. We were going to walk away from it. They stepped up in a big way. They made it happen," Randazzo-Pizzuto said.

Attempts to contact Cooper's owners were unsuccessful. The landmark restaurant that had been featured in the sitcom has long offered "Office" items in its gift shop.

Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau also has been a key supporter, Randazzo-Pizzuto said.

"The Office" also has continued to resonate and endure elsewhere locally.

In summer of 2020, On&On vintage/antique marketplace at 1138 Capouse Ave. in Pine Brook had a mural of the Dwight Schrute character painted on a side wall.

In May 2022, the Valley In Motion nonprofit community improvement organization held its inaugural "Office"-themed 5K fun run fundraiser in downtown Scranton. This past May, Valley In Motion held its second annual "Office" 5K downtown.

In June, Scranton unveiled a "downtown connectivity" plan that suggested creating an "Office"-themed civic art installation to capitalize on the show's enduring popularity. It was the most streamed television show in 2020, a plan consultant said.

In July, Matt Kester Productions and Circle Drive-In held "The Office" Fest 2023 at the venue in Dickson City.

And now the 500 block of Lackawanna Avenue will soon have an "Office" mural.

Installation of the 90 mural sections should take about two weeks. After that, Hagopian's touch-up painting of portraits and seams would take about another two weeks.

Scranton Tomorrow plans a dedication of the mural during First Friday in October.

"We're really excited" about the mural, Randazzo-Pizzuto said.

emailto:Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.

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