A Main Street Festival for the Arts

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.

It was a bit of a chilly day throughout the town of Stroudsburg, PA on Saturday May 14^th during the annual Arts on Main Festival. Still, the warmth generated by the art, the energetic music, and the friendliness of the vendors lining the streets created a welcoming loving sensation that heated the soul. The day began with offerings from Monroe Farmers Market www.monroefarmersmarket.com who had a variety of fresh food and other items available for purchase at the town's Courthouse Square from 8am until noon. The festival officially began at noon and continued to present art, music, and other performances in various locations throughout the day until 5pm.

I arrived in town a bit late in the day so most of what was scheduled to occur was either ending or had ended beforehand. However, I did get to town in time to experience guitarist Vanessa Marchiano who performed in the vacant lot located between Josephine's Fleur-de-lis and The 14KT Outlet’s Fine Jewelry Design. The hypnotic qualities of the songs she shared were enhanced by her voice and instrument. I walked down the street after a while to the sidewalk in front of Brite Cleaners where I encounter a band known as “A Season Underground” www.facebook.com/aseasonunderground/?fref=ts who consists of Amber Sauls on vocals, Katie Evans, on bass, and Rafael Pimentel on percussions. The voice of Ms. Sauls and the musical abilities of her band mates touched spirit of not only the songs they performed but created new souls for the compositions that found themselves dwelling within the essence of each listener.

It was after a while that I left the site where A Season Underground were and strolled over to the town's courthouse square where a number of artists and other vendors were gathered. Artist Carly Kripps art.ck20@gmail.com, Rachel Black of Rachel's Animal Art www.etsy.com/shop/RachelsAnimalArt, Melissa Benzinger of Dancing Vulture Designs www.DancingVultureDesigns.com, Tracy Gross of Trae Be True Design www.etsy.com/shop/TraeBeTrueDesign, Artist Maria Ferreris www.fineartamerica.com, and Azizi Dayo of Soap Muffin www.SoapMuffin.com were among those whom I met. It was during my time exploring the courthouse square and all its offerings did I hear the familiar sounds of the duo known as “Woodrow” www.facebook.com/wearewoodrow which consists of Theresa Ratcliff on vocals and Brian Brancamp on vocals and Guitar. The duo played a number of tunes with the transcendent style and interpretations they have become well known. I then left the couple to enter The PoconoArts Community Cultural Center presented their 2016 PoconoArts Council's Membership show. www.poconoarts.org

The array of images, which numbered over 70, filled the senses as I moved from one piece to another. A flourishing energy was sensed throughout the gallery as the stunning variety of the work and the artistic approaches they embraced moved into the subconscious spheres of the mind's reality. The PoconoArts Council Members' Exhibition continues until May 27^th. Their next exhibition will be their Watercolor Exhibition with an Artists' Reception scheduled for Saturday June 4^th beginning at 5pm with the work continuing to be on display until June 25^th. Local Artists are invited to participate in the exhibit and the Drop off date is Thursday May 31^st. I could not stay for the artists' reception for Members' Exhibition, but I did know what prizes were to be given out later that day.

Awards were given to outstanding works in several categories. The recipients in the category designated as “Oils” were Mary Cebone who received the 1^st place award, David Palmer who received the 2^nd place award, and Margie Cohen who received the 3^rd place award with Honorable Mentioned going to Joyce Everitt. The recipients in the category designated as “Acrylics” were Linda Stockman who received the 1^st place award, Patricia Cartledge who received the 2^nd place award, and Wil Daskel who received the 3^rd place award while Stephen Kruger was awarded Honorable Mentioned. The recipients in the category designated as “Watercolor” were Jan Swift who received the 1^st place award, Paula George who received the 2^nd place award, and Linda Kreckel who received the 3^rd place award. The recipients in the category designated as “Works on Paper” were Jim Gloria who received the 1^st place award, Morgan Weissbach who received the 2^nd place award, and Debbie Procopio who received the 3^rd place award while Armando Baez was awarded Honorable Mentioned. The recipients in the category designated as “Photography” were Clavertis Miller who received the 1^st place award, Christine Medley who received the 2^nd place award, and Sherwood Samet who received the 3^rd place award while John Yetter was awarded Honorable Mentioned. The recipients in the category designated as “Mixed Media” were Iraina Caramelli who received the 1^st place award, Linda Mutchler Rushin who received the 2^nd place award, and Clair Marcus who received the 3^rd place award while Susan Obaza was awarded Honorable Mentioned. The recipients in the category designated as “Fine Crafts (Functional)”were Lenore Fiore Mills who received the 1^st place award and Jorge Cruz who received the 2^nd place award. Andrea Robbins Rimberg received the award in The 3-D Works Sculpture and Non-Functional Category and Cynthia Smith received the award for Best of Show for her watercolor work titled, “Me, Me, Me.” The Jurors were Leah Gottlieb, Lalaine Bangiln Little, and George Shortess.

The Arts on Main Festival also featured other galleries located throughout the town who were continuing to display exhibits that began earlier in the year. The SOHO in the BURG Gallery www.sohointheburg.com presented their 50 Shades of Green exhibition and will do so until May 18^th. Their Summer Show will hold an Artists' Reception on Saturday June 4^th. Local Artists are invited to participate in the exhibit and the Drop off dates are May 19^th - 21^st. The Origins Gallery www.originsgallery.org presented their Outta Space exhibition and will do so until May 18^th. Their “A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words” Exhibition will hold an Artists' Reception on Saturday May 21^st. Local Artists are invited to participate in the exhibit and the Drop off dates are May 18^th and 19^th. DR's Custom Framing and Art Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA presented the work of Sean Turrell and will do so until May 31^st. I did not visit these galleries during the Art on Main Festival as I had to be elsewhere to prepare for The Forwardian Film Festival that would be held at The Origins Gallery. There will be more about that in another article. In the meantime, you’ll find more photographs taken during The 2016 Arts on Main Festival in our A Main Street Festival for the Arts Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154873957358761.1073741969.91146283760&type=3.

Origins Gets The Freeq Outta Space

Photography by Paparazzi Paul

Cosmic dreams filled the mind as The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA held an Artists' Reception on Saturday May 7^th for their Outta Space Exhibition. Along with local artists who shared their unique interpretations of the exhibit's theme, the gallery showcased the work of Cat Burbage whose comic strip character Freeq www.pictaram.com/user/freeqcomics/2102854200 and his friends lined the walls. Their images and antics lured the many who attended the event toward expressions of smiles which often led to sounds of laughter. Ms. Burbage delighted the gathering even further when she performed throughout the evening as a member of The Juggernaut String Band.

After a time was spent exploring the work on display and mingling with established and new found friends in attendance, the gallery's Director, Jody Singer, came upon the stage to share his welcoming remarks and news of what will be presented at the venue in the future. He then proceeded to welcome Professor Michael Kessler who presented a slide show on the geology of the universe. As Prof. Kessler completed his informative and entertaining presentation, Mr. Singer retook the stage in order to introduce The Juggernaut String Band much to the audience's delight.

The Juggernaut String Band consists of Pete Taney on Vocals, Banjo, Fiddle, and Harmonica, Tom Hughes on Bass, Guitar, and Vocals, Cat Burbage on Drums, Bass; Parade Snare, and Vocals, and Joy Taney on Trombone, Bass, and Vocals. Their familiar blend of swamp rock, bluegrass, Cajun, Irish, and Mardi Gras music filled the dancing souls of all who embraced the melodies in their hearts. You can learn more about The Juggernaut String Band by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/JuggernautStringBand/?fref=ts.

It was during a break in the music did the famous Origin's Art Auction take place. A number of beautiful and thoughtful items filled a table and were placed beside corresponding cups in which those who bought a raffle ticket was able to participate in an opportunity to win the item by putting their ticket in the container. Each ticket holder eagerly eyed the digits of their tickets as Mr. Singer called out each number while Marty Carr displayed the coveted piece whose desirability was enhanced by her beauty and grace. It was after the final item was collected did The Juggernaut String Band return to the stage to resume delighting the crowd with their musical abilities to wow them as they bade adieu to each other and the art.

The Outta Space Exhibition will be on display at The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA until May 18^th. Their next show will be their “A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words” Exhibition featuring readings given by Vincent Asaro from his novel titled, “Carrot Field.” The Artists' Reception is scheduled for Saturday May 21^st beginning at 6pm. The drop off dates are May 18^th and 19^th. All artists are invited to participate.

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, festivals, 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). 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 “Origins Gets The Freeq Outta Space” Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154873771998761.1073741968.91146283760&type=3.

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.

Until Death Do We Read

Photograph of Karen Allen provided by The Pocono Mountains Theater Company.

On Saturday April 30^th, The Pocono Mountains Theater Company presented a public reading of the work titled, “Until Death” which was written by Sarah T. Schwab. The production was presented in The Smith McFarland Theater located within the Fine Arts Building on the Campus of East Stroudsburg University of PA. The reading was the third and final installment of the Company's Inaugural 2016 Season.

The play is about an elderly woman who is faced with a life/death decision after her husband, who has be diagnosed with a terminal heart disease, informs her that he will spend his final days alone in order to spare her the emotional distress of watching him die. A work such as this requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief so the audience could become emotionally invested in the characters' lives and their perspectives of them. The challenges presented in a staged reading increases as many members of the audience may find it difficult to forget they're only watching a play since the actors are reading from a hand held script.

Yet, due to the excellent writing skills of Ms. Schwab and the extraordinary abilities of the actors to bring a life force to their characters, the presentation dissolved the circumstances which the piece was being offered as the reality of the play penetrated the heart of all who experienced it. Ms. Schwab's proficiency as a playwright was demonstrated by the manner in which she addressed the deep and sorrowful emotions embodied in the work's subject matter. She allowed a good dose of humor to permeate the play so the authenticity of its heart wrenching themes could be more psychologically palatable to the audience. This and the natural rhythm of the characters' dialog created a meaningful theatrical evening that enhanced the audience and their appreciation for the art form to great effect.

The actors who read from the well crafted script not only honored the work through their performances of it but enhanced its depth through their deftly rendered interpretations of each utterance and thought expressed through its words. The role of Joey was played by J. J. Condon who can be seen on the television program titled, “Outsiders” in the role of Enoch. The role of Barry was played by Jeffrey Demunn www.facebook.com/Jeffrey-DeMunn-267661009926761/?fref=ts who appeared in numerous films including “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “The X-Files: Fight the Future” as well as roles in several television series such as “Law and Order: SVU” and “The Walking Dead.” The role of Cora was played by Karen Allen who is best known for her co-starring role with Harrison Ford as Marion Ravenwood in the films, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Ms. Allen will be seen in the soon to be released film titled, “A Year By The Sea” and is currently in the process of making her directing debut for the film titled, “A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud.” www.ATreeARockACloudthefilm.com

Sarah T. Schwab is a fiction writer, opinion journalist, and playwright. Her work has been published in the magazines,“Tin House, “The Missouri Review, The Evergreen Review, and Writer’s Digest Magazine. She has written a Sunday column titled, “A Scribbling Woman’s Limbo” for the Dunkirk Observer. In addition to this, Ms. Schwab and Brian Long www.brianlongartistmgmt.com formed The Pocono Mountains Theater Company in 2015 to serve the Monroe County, PA area. You can learn more about Sarah T. Schwab by exploring her Website at www.sarahtschwab.com.

According to their Website, The Pocono Mountains Theater Company seeks “to produce and develop diverse new works by American artists, both local and national; to cultivate and develop audiences to support the future patronage of American theater; and to provide a positive collaborative impact to the community, both culturally and financially.” They also seek to provide residencies for local theater producers and artists while maintaining “a diverse new works and artist development platform for national and local artists.” You can learn more about The Pocono Mountains Theater Company, about what they offer to the community, and view images and video clips of their endeavors by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/PoconoMountainsTheaterCompany/?fref=ts or their Website at www.poconomountainstheatercompany.org.

Going Underground for Some Rap and Roll

Photography by Paparazzi Paul

An atmosphere of joy and excitement filled The Origins Gallery in Stroudsburg, PA as an evening of musicians and rap artist unfolded on Friday April 29^th as part of their Underground Series. The anticipation felt by the large gathering shared grew to fever pitch when the gallery's Director, Jody Singer, came upon the stage to share his welcoming remarks and news of what will be presented at the venue in the future. He was followed by the appearance of the event's host, Danny Ferron, who also shared his welcoming and appreciative sentiments before introducing the first performer.

The rapper, ONEmanSHO (aka Davey Beacher), took the stage and immediately began to his move words through the esoteric corridors of the mind until they were blended into one another to form a garland of perceptions. His performance was enhanced by recording of his own voice which formed a self induced duet until a gentleman, whose name I neglected to retrieve, joined Mr. Beacher adding his voice to the singular chorus. ONEmanSHO (aka Davey Beacher) has been performing since 2004 and has recently released his 5^th CD titled, “The Jewprint.” You can learn more about ONEmanSHO by exploring his Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/onemanshofanpage/?fref=ts

ONEmanSHO was followed by C-Rock (aka Chris “Cee Rock” Roberts) who performed a number of original compositions along with some songs written by other artists. Regardless of their source, Mr. Roberts' blending of the attributes of each song with his life experience created a concoction whose consistency and depth formulated a poetic communication with the soul through their conveyance. C-Rock (Chris “Cee Rock” Roberts) has and continues to perform in various venues in Northeast PA and beyond. He currently has his CD titled, “Common Cents” available for purchase and will be releasing another compilation of his songs in the near future. You can learn more about C-Rock (Chris “Cee Rock” Roberts) by exploring his Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/crock113officialmusic/?pnref=lhc.

C-Rock (aka Chris “Cee Rock” Roberts) was followed by the evenings featured performer, K-Oz (aka Rafael Martinez), whose raw emotion and passion moved the room to gentle laughter and thoughtful tears. Through his rapid fire delivery of the words he rapped, Mr. Martinez expanded the perceptual scope of the audience by instilling within them the power of listening to that one (uni) song (verse) played upon the orchestra of the soul. The meaningfulness found in Mr. Martinez's performance is drawn upon his continued battle with Tourrette's syndrome which has formed a desire to better the human experience through his life's course. You can learn more about K-Oz (Rafael Martinez) by exploring his Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/kdashoznj/?fref=ts.

As K-Oz (aka Rafael Martinez) concluded his performance, a break ensued while the band for the evening prepared their set. A great deal of conversation filled the room as many sought to learn more about the artists that performed up to that point, their music, and what inspired them. A number of delicious snacks were available to be consumed and they were devoured with great eagerness and delight. It was soon time for many to retake their seats as the band was ready to play.

The band known as “Azure” consists of Jazz Ortiz on vocals and guitar, Victor Velez on guitar, Andrew Baer on drums, and Lauren Bruckstein on guitar and keyboard. The mesmerizing tones of the musicians transcended the riffs and melodies of the classic songs they performed. A deep understanding of the material permeated the high school aged musicians and transformed those who remember where they were when they first heard each tune through the transmutable qualities embodied in their approach to the compositions. You can learn more about Azure by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/AzureBandPA.

As Azure concluded their performance, Danny Ferron took the stage to share his appreciation to those who performed and to the audience who were present. It was at this time did he bid farewell to the gathering and its members proceeded to follow suit by expressing those sentiments to one another. It was a great evening filled with fantastic performances, tasty treats, and good company. A communal desire to experience similar events in the future touched the hearts of those who were leaving. But, until these events arrive, you can view photographs taken during the first installment of The Origins Gallery's Underground Series in our Going Underground for Some Rap and Roll Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154828027178761.1073741967.91146283760&type=3.

The Origins Gallery's Underground Series was a collaboration between the venue and Danny Ferron who is an advocate for those afflicted by Tourette's Syndrome. It is a condition from which he suffers and he has created the documentary film titled, "My Life My Story My Tourette's.” The film is currently being shown in a variety of venues and festivals throughout Northeastern PA and beyond. You can read the article we wrote regarding a screening we attended titled, “A Life Touched by Tourette's” at www.facebook.com/notes/the-forwardian-arts-society/a-life-touched-by-tourettes/10154270979088761.

In addition to their their Underground Series, The Origins Gallery holds gallery exhibitions throughout the year. Their next exhibition 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 venue also holds a number of special events like classes and workshops, their Last Minute Monday Series, festivals (such as The Forwardian Film Festival which is 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.

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.