Coffee, Tea, or Origins

The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA held a Coffee House Night on Thursday May 21^st. The evening featured music from the duet known at “Woodrow” www.facebook.com/wearewoodrow which consists of Theresa Ratcliff on vocals and Brian Brancamp on vocals and Guitar. The evening also presented poetry, music, and comedy from members of the audience. It all concluded with an Art Raffle which topped off a great night to relax with friends.

As one entered The Origins Gallery, an Artisan Cup was given to each attendee who provided the $3.00 entry fee. The comfortable and welcoming environment of the gallery invited the audience to sit and enjoy what was about to transpire. Raffle tickets were plentiful and were made available to those who wished to purchase them with the hopes of winning an item that was being offered as a prize. After a short time, the show began.

It did so as the gallery's assistant Curator, Ashley Catherine Fontones, shared her appreciative welcome with the audience as well as some news relating to the venue's future endeavors as well as those by the artistic community as a whole. This included the newly formed St'Art Stroudsburg who is planning on flying a drone around Stroudsburg, PA to capture the flavor of the town especially as it's expressed through the Murals that were created last year by Project Street Art. They also hope to fly the drones in East Stroudsburg, PA to capture the images of the murals created there and along the scenic route 611 toward Delaware Water Gap, PA. In the meantime, the group will begin a painting project involving local businesses on Saturday August 1^st to commemorate the 200^th Anniversary of the formation of Stroudsburg, PA. The St'Art Stroudsburg projects are affiliated with the PoconoArts Council and are led by Kevin Comier, Ashley Catherine Fontones, and Jody Singer (Curator) of The Origins Gallery.

As Ms. Fontones concluded her remarks, Carlton Farnbaugh (aka The Carlton) took the stage to share his welcoming comments along with those which reflected life in general. He then introduced Woodrow who began performing a series of songs that enchanted and entranced all who opened their soul to them. These songs included those by The Grateful Dead of which Ms. Ratcliff shared a poem she composed that was inspired by it and an original piece written by Mr. Brancamp titled, “Walking to the Moon” that proved to be very well structured and filled with layers of meaningful lyrics while maintaining a simplistic countenance through the music embodied in it. Ms. Ratcliff also belted out her rendition of the song titled, “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” which was performed by the band known as The Police and recorded on their 1981 Album, “The Ghost in the Machine,” but was written by a band member known as “Sting” in 1977 as a demo recording for the band known as “Strontium 90” who would later evolve into “The Police.” Woodrow's performance concluded with a haunting version of the Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit.”

As the echoes of Wonderland and its hallucinatory effects filled the room, The Carlton took the stage to announce a break would ensue while he shared some thoughts with the audience. He then shared some poetry which told the stories of the soul after the break was over. The Carlton then introduced Ashley Johnson who shared poetry reflecting the dreams of identity. She was followed by Jake Hammond who shared his comic insights relating to many life topics that induced laughter. Jake was followed by RenDi Young of The Altar Tattoo Shop www.facebook.com/TheAltarStudios?pnref=about.overview who shared some poetry which brought a smile to many who felt its truths. Mr. Young was followed by Cee Rock www.facebook.com/crock113officialmusic?pnref=story who never fails to mesmerize an audience with his voice and guitar as his performance of songs he has written along with those he covers enhances their perceptions of the concepts each composition conveys.

As Cee Rock completed his set, a man know simply as “Brad” shared his thoughts on a variety of topics with the audience. It was after Brad's commentary did the evening's raffle begin. Excitement filled the air as each ticket was drawn and their numbers were read out. This was followed by the appearance of Comedian Russell Austin www.facebook.com/russellaustinmusic who took the stage to share tales of his life whose universality inspired laughter. He was followed by The Carlton who shared his appreciation to the audience along with some parting sentiments. It was at that time did the company bid their fare wells to each other as they looked forward to returning to the venue again for their future events. You can view more photographs taken during The Origins Gallery May 21^st Coffee House Night at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153870335763761.1073741852.91146283760&type=1.

In addition to the Coffee House Night, The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA host a number of bi-monthly (mostly) themed art exhibitions featuring artists from the local and surrounding areas. Their current exhibit is titled “3-Volley” and it features the never before seen works of Emilio T Ranieri, Ed Cormier, Adolf “Hank” Aldrich. Their work will be on display until May 31^st. Their next exhibition is titled, “Napkin Shmapkin - Whatever Happened to Saturday Morning Cartoons?” and will feature the work of local artist Artists who have created images on framed napkins. The Artists Reception is scheduled for Saturday June 6^th beginning at 6pm and the exhibit will be on display until June 30^th. Artists are invited to share their work for the exhibit by dropping their endeavors off at the gallery on Thursday June 4^th from 5pm until 8pm and Friday June 5^th from 2pm until 6pm.

The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA opens its doors to emerging and established artists and performers including musicians, poets, and actors. The gallery also offers a variety of workshops and classes designed to magnify the creative instinct that lies within. You can learn more about The Origins Gallery and how it serves the community by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/OriginsGalleryStroudsburg or their Website at www.originsgallery.org.

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.