Dogwood Festival to feature artists from out of county
COSHOCTON – Many people outside of the Coshocton area have enriched the lives of Coshocton residents through art, music, and drama. This year, the Dogwood Festival will be a celebration of a handful of those people as they come to Coshocton to perform for the first time.
The theme for this year’s festival is “Linked In” and is a tribute to those who do not reside in the area, but who have a connection in some way to the county.
“The Dogwood Festival is a celebration of community art and people who are here,” said Anne Cornell, director of the Pomerene Center for the Arts. “It recognizes the artists, musicians, thespians, and the rich art life here in Coshocton County. This year, we are connecting with people that are living outside of Coshocton that we know as a community.”
Cornell’s dream is for this new idea to continue each year and to bring in artists from around the country and give them a new venue in which to perform.
There are many activities spanning the five-day festival, which will be May 4 through May 8.
“I think the anchor that people think of when they think of the Dogwood Festival is the lunches on the courtsquare during the week,” said Cornell. “It’s a great way to greet the spring.”
This year, the lunches will feature two performers who are not from one of the local schools. Wednesday will see Donovan Charles and Caroline Heading perform, and performing on Thursday is Maxine Metheney. Other performers include the Coshocton High School and Junior High Jazz Band on Monday, Ridgewood High School Jazz Band and Dynamic Chorale on Tuesday, and River View Jazz, Caribbean Drum, and Certified Gold Ensembles on Friday.
Perhaps the highlight of the festival will be the Grand Arts Dinner on Saturday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. on the courthouse lawn. This event will feature notable musicians including Momenta Quartet from New York with Adda Kridler, Cornell’s daughter, as a violinist, 40north Trombone Quartet, and the Walhonding Rube Band. Oscar Rose Steak and Seafood will be catering the event with a chef coming in from Newark. Tickets must be reserved and are $20. Call 740-622-0326 for your ticket reservation. If you don’t want dinner, the music is free, so stop by to listen.
During the dinner, 40north and the Walhonding Rube Band will be performing a selection composed by Charles Ives, an American composer who broke away from the European traditions of composition. The bands will start on opposing sides of the court square performing two separate marches and will meet in the middle.
Momenta Quartet will be performing Friday night as well at The Red House on SR 621 at 7 p.m. This is a fundraiser and reservations are required. Contact 740-622-0326 to reserve your seat. A $100 donation is requested.
The Dogwood Festival coincides with the opening of the Coshocton Farmer’s Market in the 300 block on Main Street. There will be a variety of art activities on Main Street and you can also make a Mother’s Day seed card with Geni Devens. Performing for the Farmer’s Market will be Arlo Aldo Indie Americana. Tony Bible will also be there using packing tape and wrapping tape to make a protected space over the PARK area where the picnic tables sit. The public is invited to help.
An exhibit will be at the Pomerene for the Arts Center featuring five artists from out of the county who are affiliated with Coshocton.
“There are so many people that the rest of us know who have enriched our lives,” said Cornell. “That’s what we want people to share, those people who have enlarged and enriched our lives here.”
To see more activities at the Dogwood Festival, see the schedule on page 18.
beth@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Arts & Entertainment
