When Origins Gets Technical

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.

A plethora of imagination and creativity populated The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA as they held an Artists' Reception for their Monroe County Technical Institute (MCTI) Student Exhibition on Saturday April 23^rd. The exhibit featured the work of the students of the institute manifested out of the materials representing the trades they are learning about. These trades include Flori-culture, Landscaping, Masonry, Electrical Technology, Welding, and more. Along with the work on display, the evening offered music as performed by guitarist Vanessa Marchiano and gallery's famous Art Raffle.

The evening's festivities began as the gallery's Director, Jody Singer, and his Assistant, Ashley Catherine Fontones, took the stage to share their welcoming remarks and news of what will be presented at the venue as well as in other galleries throughout the area. The completion of their words included an introduction of Ms. Marchiano who immediately cast her musical spell upon the large gathering utilizing her uniquely haunting interpretation of the song titled, “Purple Haze” which was written by Jimi Hendrix and released as the second record single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on March 17^th, 1967. She later sang an earlier piece sung by Mr. Hendrix in 1966 titled, “Hey Joe” whose authorship is unknown.

Although Ms. Marchiano is a sophomore attending High School, her soulful immersions into the music she performed were transcendental as she revealed the essence of each composition to the gathering. There are few individuals of her age who know, not alone comprehend the truth of, the work of many of the musical artists she honored with her skills. But, Ms. Marchiano's otherworldly grasp of the lyric and melodies inspired many among the audience to speculated upon the response of the now deceased artists would have to her renditions and whether their pleasure in them would inspire them to emulate her. Ms. Marchiano also performed a number of original pieces whose superb quality further entranced the audience. She was later joined on stage by a young man whose name I don't recall but his guitar and voice enhanced the performance to an even higher level. It was after their performance concluded did the Art Raffle begin.

A plentiful and varied array of objects adorned a table upon which the prizes offered for the Art Raffle were covetously displayed. The gathering that remained in the venue dwindled in their numbers by the time this moment arrived but the enthusiasm that greeted the raffle did not diminish in the slightest. Those who were present held tightly onto the tickets they had purchased throughout the evening while listening intently to the digits that were called out. Excited cries were heard as the numbers announced correlated with the winning tickets that were held and the items were embraced by its new owners. This repeatedly occurred until the last item was given out and the gathering to begin bidding their adieus to one another as they embarked upon their journey home.

The Monroe County Technical Institute (MCTI) Student Exhibition will be on display at The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA until May 1^st. Their next show will be their Outta Space Exhibition featuring the work Cat Burbage and local artists. The Artists' Reception is scheduled for Saturday May 6^th beginning at 6pm. The drop off dates are May 2^nd and 4^th. All artists are invited to participate. Musicians and other performing artists who would like to perform during the Artists' Reception are also encouraged contact the gallery.

In addition to their exhibitions, The Origins Gallery holds a number of special events like classes and workshops, their Last Minute Monday Series, their Underground Series (such as the one scheduled for Friday April 29^th beginning at 6pm featuring K-Oz along with C-Rock113, ONEmanSHO, and Azure), festivals (such as The Forwardian Film Festival which scheduled for May 14^th and 15^th featuring original cinematic works), and their Below the Surface: An Arts Experience Series (such as the one scheduled for Wednesday May 18^th beginning at 6:30pm featuring Lobo Marino) are presented. They are quite enjoyable and I hope to see you at many of them. In the meantime, you can view photographs taken during the Artists' Reception of the exhibit at The When Origins Gets Technical Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154812409148761.1073741965.91146283760&type=3.

The Monroe County Technical Institute (MCTI) provides tuition-free career and technical education for secondary students of the four school districts located within Monroe County, PA. They offer a number of courses in various vocations such as Automotive Collision Repair, Carpentry, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Diesel Technology, Electronics, Graphic Communications, Hotel, Resort, and Tourism Management, Marketing, Masonry, Plumbing, and more. MCTI also offers Adult Learning courses with many of them available on line. You can learn more about The Monroe County Technical Institute (MCTI) and all they have to offer by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/MonroeCTI or their Website at www.monroecti.org.

The Origins Gallery is located on the lower level of The Gamers Edge Comics and Games Store www.facebook.com/TheGamersEdgeStroudsburg?fref=ts which can be found at 580 Main St. in Stroudsburg, PA. The Origins Gallery is a contemporary arts gallery within the Pocono Art District having one of the highest and fastest sales records in the Stroudsburg area, provides a space to those who teach the arts to those who would like to learn from them, and continues to do everything with the local community in mind. You can learn more about The Origins Gallery and view images and videos of the event taken by members of their staff and others by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/OriginsGalleryStroudsburg or their Website at www.originsgallery.org.