diff --git a/notebooks/concepts/generate_mosviz_photometry.ipynb b/notebooks/concepts/generate_mosviz_photometry.ipynb
index dddd6bd18a..91925d932c 100644
--- a/notebooks/concepts/generate_mosviz_photometry.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/concepts/generate_mosviz_photometry.ipynb
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
    "source": [
     "### Import packages\n",
     "\n",
+    "- `os` helps us create a new directory for the final cutouts from the synthetic image.\n",
+    "- `glob.glob` lists local files that match a given pattern.\n",
     "- We use `astropy.units` to convert between degrees and arcseconds.\n",
     "- `astropy.coordinates.SkyCoord` helps merge lists of right ascensions (RA) and declinations (Dec) into one object.\n",
     "- `astropy.convolution.Gaussian2DKernel` smooths two-dimensional data by performing convolutions with two Gaussian functions.\n",
@@ -34,13 +36,14 @@
     "- The objects from `astropy.nddata` assist in creating cutouts once we have identified galaxies to take from the field image and also with re-importing our synthetic image.\n",
     "- The `sigma_*` methods from `astropy.stats` work with image data that is clipped to within a certain number of deviations from the mean. `gaussian_fwhm_to_sigma` is a float for converting full width at half maximum values to standard deviations from the image mean.\n",
     "- The objects from `astropy.table` help with reading an modifiying tabular data.\n",
+    "- We download a copy of the Artifactory spectra with `astropy.utils.data.download_file`.\n",
     "- `astropy.wcs.WCS` creates a World Coordinate System object that is useful for transforming on-sky data from one patch to another.\n",
-    "- `glob.glob` lists local files that match a given pattern.\n",
+    "- `pathlib.Path` allows for the creation of file paths that work across operating systems.\n",
     "- The objects from `photutils.segmentation` do the work of analytically finding bright sources, separating those that overlap, and creating a catalog of the resulting information.\n",
     "- We use `matplotlib.pyplot` to preview the field image, the cutouts, and various stages of our synthetic image.\n",
     "- We use `numpy` to facilitate several specialized mathematical and array-related operations.\n",
-    "- `os` helps us create a new directory for the final cutouts from the synthetic image.\n",
-    "- `%matplotlib inline` is notebook \"magic\" that helps display in-notebook plots consistently for different users."
+    "- `zipfile` assists with unzipping the downloaded Artifactory files.\n",
+    "- Finally, `%matplotlib inline` is notebook \"magic\" that helps display in-notebook plots consistently for different users."
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -53,7 +56,9 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "import os\n",
+    "import zipfile\n",
     "from glob import glob\n",
+    "from pathlib import Path\n",
     "\n",
     "from astropy import units as u\n",
     "from astropy.coordinates import SkyCoord\n",
@@ -63,6 +68,7 @@
     "from astropy.stats import (gaussian_fwhm_to_sigma,\n",
     "                           sigma_clipped_stats, sigma_clip)\n",
     "from astropy.table import Table, join\n",
+    "from astropy.utils.data import download_file\n",
     "from astropy.wcs import WCS\n",
     "from photutils.segmentation import (detect_sources, deblend_sources,\n",
     "                                    SourceCatalog)\n",
@@ -417,9 +423,39 @@
    "source": [
     "### (Try to) Extract destination RA/Dec from spectra files\n",
     "\n",
-    "Note that this section's cells only run on a connection with access to the STScI VPN. They use copies of JWST pipeline files from May 19, 2021.\n",
+    "We download copies of Level 3 data products from the JWST pipeline dated May 19, 2021 and hosted in a STScI Box folder. (For more current files, visit the [Artifactory](https://bytesalad.stsci.edu/ui/repos/tree/General/jwst-pipeline%2Fdev%2Ftruth%2Ftest_nirspec_mos_spec3.).) The files are saved in this notebook's current location. If you prefer to save them elsewhere, change `filepath`."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "73c7cd0a-1eed-4c1e-a7af-16247d6991b6",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "filepath = Path('./')\n",
+    "\n",
+    "# If necessary, download and extract spectra files\n",
+    "spec_link = 'https://stsci.box.com/shared/static/3rz8g1fizu6dh7zdymxouvdd8usnm3jc.zip'\n",
+    "spec_zip = filepath / 'artifactory_spectra-2021-05-19.zip'\n",
+    "spec_path = filepath / spec_zip.stem\n",
     "\n",
-    "To run them elsewhere and/or use more current files, visit the [Artifactory](https://bytesalad.stsci.edu/ui/repos/tree/General/jwst-pipeline%2Fdev%2Ftruth%2Ftest_nirspec_mos_spec3), ensure the `jwst-pipeline/dev/truth/test_nirspec_mos_spec3/` folder is the one selected in the directory tree, and download all files whose names begin with `jw00626-o030` and end with `nirspec_f170lp-g235m_x1d.fits` or `nirspec_f170lp-g235m_s2d.fits`. (The original version of this notebook uses six of these Level 3 data products.) Then, change `filepath` in the next cell to the location where you saved the downloaded files, remembering the trailing slash."
+    "if spec_path.exists():\n",
+    "    print('Spectra already on disk.')\n",
+    "else:\n",
+    "    if not (filepath / spec_zip).exists():\n",
+    "        print(f\"Downloading '{spec_zip.name}'.\")\n",
+    "        box_file = download_file(spec_link, cache=True)\n",
+    "        \n",
+    "        # place link to downloaded file in current directory\n",
+    "        os.symlink(box_file, filepath / spec_zip)\n",
+    "    \n",
+    "    print('Extracting spectra.')\n",
+    "    \n",
+    "    # create target directory and extract spectra files \n",
+    "    (filepath / spec_path).mkdir()\n",
+    "    with zipfile.ZipFile(filepath / spec_zip, 'r') as zf:\n",
+    "        zf.extractall(spec_path)"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -430,9 +466,8 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# view level 3 spectra FITS header information\n",
-    "filepath = '/user/jotor/jwst-pipeline-lvl3-copy/'\n",
-    "x1d_header = fits.getheader(filepath + 'jw00626-o030_s00000_nirspec_f170lp-g235m_x1d.fits', ext=1)\n",
-    "s2d_header = fits.getheader(filepath + 'jw00626-o030_s00000_nirspec_f170lp-g235m_s2d.fits', ext=1)"
+    "x1d_header = fits.getheader(spec_path / 'jw00626-o030_s00000_nirspec_f170lp-g235m_x1d.fits', ext=1)\n",
+    "s2d_header = fits.getheader(spec_path / 'jw00626-o030_s00000_nirspec_f170lp-g235m_s2d.fits', ext=1)"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -472,7 +507,7 @@
    "source": [
     "# search for RA/Dec information from Artifactory observation files\n",
     "x1d_header_list = [fits.getheader(file, ext=1)\n",
-    "                   for file in glob(filepath + 'jw00626*x1d.fits')]\n",
+    "                   for file in spec_path.glob('jw00626*x1d.fits')]\n",
     "\n",
     "_ras, _decs = np.array([[h['SRCRA'], h['SRCDEC']] for h in x1d_header_list]).T\n",
     "_ras, _decs"
@@ -712,7 +747,7 @@
    "id": "8b518b39-3d22-42c4-a632-4c17801900a5",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
-    "We save the image to a local location. The default is this notebook's current directory; you can change that by adjusting `savepath` to your preferred path and remembering the trailing slash.\n",
+    "We save the image to a local location. The default is this notebook's current directory; you can change that by adjusting `savepath` to your preferred path.\n",
     "\n",
     "This cell will overwrite a same-named file if it already exists in that location."
    ]
@@ -724,10 +759,10 @@
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "savepath = './'\n",
+    "savepath = Path('./')\n",
     "synth_file = 'synthetic_mosviz_image.fits'\n",
     "\n",
-    "fits.writeto(savepath + synth_file, synth_image,\n",
+    "fits.writeto(savepath / synth_file, synth_image,\n",
     "             header=synth_wcs.to_header(), overwrite=True)"
    ]
   },
@@ -750,7 +785,7 @@
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "ccd_synth_img = CCDData.read(savepath + synth_file, unit='electron/s')"
+    "ccd_synth_img = CCDData.read(savepath / synth_file, unit='electron/s')"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -764,7 +799,7 @@
     "synth_cutout_list = [Cutout2D(ccd_synth_img, SkyCoord(r, d), synth_cutout_size)\n",
     "                     for r, d in zip(ras * u.deg, decs * u.deg)]\n",
     "\n",
-    "plt.imshow(synth_cutout_list[0].data, **imshow_params,\n",
+    "plt.imshow(synth_cutout_list[2].data, **imshow_params,\n",
     "           vmin=0, vmax=ccd_synth_img.data.std())"
    ]
   },
@@ -788,10 +823,9 @@
    },
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "savepath2 = './mosviz-cutouts/'\n",
-    "\n",
-    "if not os.path.exists(savepath2):\n",
-    "    os.makedirs(savepath2)\n",
+    "cutout_dir = savepath / 'mosviz-cutouts/'\n",
+    "if not (savepath / cutout_dir).exists():\n",
+    "    cutout_dir.mkdir()\n",
     "\n",
     "for i, cut in enumerate(synth_cutout_list):\n",
     "    sdt = cut.data\n",
@@ -802,7 +836,7 @@
     "    shd['OBJ_DEC'] = (decs[i], 'Source declination')\n",
     "    shd['OBJ_ROT'] = (0, '')\n",
     "    \n",
-    "    fits.writeto(savepath2 + f\"synth_cutout{i}.fits\",\n",
+    "    fits.writeto(cutout_dir / f\"synth_cutout{i}.fits\",\n",
     "                 sdt, header=shd, overwrite=True)\n",
     "    \n",
     "    plt.imshow(sdt, **imshow_params, vmin=0, vmax=ccd_synth_img.data.std())\n",