Giving Arts the Business

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.

The Pocono Arts Council held their Annual Business Meeting for 2016 on Thursday December 1^st at The PoconoArts Cultural Center in Stroudsburg, PA. Excited conversations abound prior to the meeting as long time friends and new acquaintances shared their love for the arts while munching on the delicious goodies that were available to enhance the evening. A sizable number of art lovers attended the meeting and their eagerness to learn what the Pocono Arts Council has been doing during the course of the year and the adventures it will embark upon in the coming year made it an informative and enjoyable one.

The time for the Annual Business Meeting to begin arrived and the assembly was brought to order by Board of Directors' President, Jeffrey Kash, after some welcoming remarks. A number of reports regarding the group's financial, out reach, and membership situation were given by the Pocono Arts Council's Executive Director, Laura Goss. This was followed by a recognition given by President Kash to Board Members and Volunteers to honor their service to the group. These included John Bednar, Lisa Cardwell, and Jacquelyn Mathiesen who left the board of directors during 2016. Elections were held in order to re-elect Dulic Ridder to continue her service in the Pocono Arts Council's Board of Directors. After the elections were held, it was noted that The Pocono Arts Council's Board of Directors is presently composed of eight members but is designed to accommodate twenty. So, an invitation was issued for those who would like to join the Board to make their desires known. This was followed by some sentiments relating to the arts and the work of the group shared by President Kash and the Pocono Arts Council's Executive Director, Laura Goss.

It was soon after this that the meeting was adjourned. This provided an opportunity for those who attended to renew their conversations which included topics relating to those that transpired during the meeting. The opportunity to explore the Pocono Arts Council's Annual Holiday Store which presented a wide variety of arts and crafts items available for purchase was also embraced after the meeting. The quality and beauty of the work proved to be stunning and will be available for purchase until January 2017. You'll find more images taken during the Pocono Arts Council's Annual Meeting and Holiday Store in the Giving Arts the Business Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155525960958761.1073742039.91146283760&type=3.

The PoconoArts Council is an organization designed to build the communities of Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties, PA artistically and culturally by providing leadership, service, and education. It does so by offering avenues for artists to display their work through The PoconoArts Cultural Center and other galleries, educational opportunities for those who would like to explore and/or enhance their creative natures, and encouragement to those who seek to express and/or support the arts. The Pocono Arts Council's Board of Directors consists of Jeffrey Kash who serves the Board as its President, Betsy Buzelli-Clarke who serves the Board as its Vice - President, and Jody Singer who serves the Board as its Secretary. The position of Treasurer is presently vacant. Other members of the Board are Dulic Ridder, Jeff Baracafer, Amanda Reiche, Jack Swersie, and Eileen Noelle.

The next exhibition to take place in The PoconoArts Community Center's ARTSPACE Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA will be their Art as Spirituality Exhibition. The exhibit will be on display from January 14^th to February 18^th with an Artists' Reception scheduled for Saturday January 21^st beginning at 2pm. The exhibit is an open one and welcomes all artists to participate. The Drop Off Date is Monday January 9^th. This exhibition will be followed by their Earth Speaks III Exhibition in April 2017 with the drop off date scheduled for Tuesday January 31^st. You’ll be able to learn more about The PoconoArts Community Cultural Center and all it has to offer the creative community by exploring The PoconoArts Council Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/poconoartscouncil or their Website at www.poconoarts.org.