A COTA Meeting for May

The Celebration of the Arts (COTA) held a General Meeting on Monday May 11^th to begin preparations for their 38^th Annual Jazz and Arts Festival which is scheduled to be held September 11^th - 13^th throughout the town of Delaware Water Gap, PA. The meeting was held at the town's The Deer Head Inn www.facebook.com/deerhead.inn where the initial meeting between the festival founders, Phil Woods, Rick Chamberlain, and Ed Joubert, who thought it would be nice to have a jazz festival in the area was held. Over three decades later, a number of people who developed a great affection for the annual event met at the Inn to learn of and discuss the preliminary tasks and issues relating to the festival.

Among the topics that were explored were the Delaware Water Gap Borough Yard Sale that is scheduled to take place on Saturday May 16^th. COTA has a place among the vendors and will have music related items for sale with the proceeds benefiting the festival and all of COTA's endeavors. It was also mentioned that COTA will seek to have a presence at area festivals this coming Summer in order to increase awareness and attendance of this year's event. The Rick Chamberlain Life Celebration on May 29^th was also mentioned as it will be held at the town's Castle Inn to honor one of COTA's founders who passed away on March 27^th, 2015. The event will be a remembrance filled with music, merriment, food, and friendship beginning at 3pm with all invited to attend. Please visit the Facebook invitation at www.facebook.com/events/775562159230861 to learn more. In addition to all this, congratulations were shared with Erica Golaszewski who recently graduated from The Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA www.facebook.com/BerkleeCollege?pnref=about.edu&rf=112943238720133.

As all the issues pertinent to this stage of the festival's yearly evolution were explored, the meeting came to an adjournment as those who were in attendance bade each other adieu while catching up on what each other had been doing since the last time they met. The next General Meeting to plan for The Celebration of the Arts 38^th Annual Festival will take place on Monday June 8^th beginning at 6:30pm at The Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA. All are invited to attend, share their views, and learn how to become a part of the festival. I hope to see you there. In the meantime, you’ll find more photographs taken during The Monday May 11^th COTA Meeting at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153839530368761.1073741849.91146283760&type=1 as well as other meetings held throughout the year in The COTA Meetings 2015 Archive at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153287831535421.1073741970.636000420&type=1.

The mission of The Celebration of the Arts (COTA) is to present and to support the art of jazz in all its forms and historical breadth through youth education, performing arts presentations, scholarship opportunities, and community outreach throughout the Pocono area. Please Explore The Celebration of the Arts Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/COTA-Celebration-Of-The-Arts/234094683405815, their Website at www.cotajazz.org, or by calling 570-424-2210 to learn how you can become a volunteer and to learn for more information all about COTA has to offer.

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.