Springtime for COTA

The Celebration of the Arts (COTA) held their Spring Fling at The Willow Tree Inn in Stroudsburg, PA on Friday May 14th. The Fund Raising Event was organized to help recoup some of the financial loses the annual festival incurred throughout the recent years. Jazz and art lovers who have come to know the festival as a haven for the multitude of creative forms it supports gathering to show their support for COTA.

Many area businesses, artists, and photographer donated items for the silent and live auction to help in this fund raising endeavor. These included the works of Tim Helman, Liz Pemberton, Garth Woods, Dave Coulter, and Robert Doney along with gift certificates from such businesses like The Sweet Creams Café. The bidding added an excitement to the evening as individuals competed for ownership of the work displayed throughout the room.

However, no event benefiting COTA would be complete without some excellent Jazz moving the soul with its unique syncopations. This desire was amply satisfied by Nancy and Spencer Reed who performed on guitar and vocals along side Bill Goodwin on Drums and Rick Chamberlain on Trombone. Smiles and clicking fingers accompanied the musicians as the audience became part of the set. You’ll find more photographs in The Forwardian Arts Society COTA Spring Fling 2010 Gallery at www.myspace.com/forwardian_arts.

The Celebration of the Arts (COTA) Jazz and Arts Festival is held in Delaware Water Gap, PA over a three day period in September on the weekend after Labor Day. It consists of Friday evening events of an Artists’ Reception at The Antoine Dutot Gallery and Museum featuring artists participating in their juried “Music Motif” exhibition and presentations at The Presbyterian Church of the Mountain presenting theater, dance, classical music, and other forms of performing arts. The following Saturday and Sunday features Jazz performed by world class musicians and singers along with numerous booths filled with artist and artisans to be visited throughout the day.

COTA holds general meetings to help plan the festival the first Tuesday of the month and invites community to attend. Their next meeting will take place Tuesday June 8th at 7:30pm and The Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA. Please contact COTA at 570-424-2210 for more information.

Website of those mentioned in this article include Celebration of the Arts (COTA) at www.cotajazz.org, The Willow Tree Inn at www.willowtreeinn.biz, Spencer and Nancy Reed at www.reedjazz.com, The Deer Head Inn at www.deerheadinn.com, The Antoine Dutot Gallery and Museum at www.dutotmuseum.com, The Presbyterian Church of the Mountain at www.churchofthemountain.org.