A Silver Anniversary: CATA Celebrates 25 Years
Community Access to the Arts (CATA) celebrated its silver anniversary at Shakespeare & Co. on May 12.
Bruce and Amy Humes pose with gala co-chairs Tyler Weld and Janet Elsbach
Twenty-five years is considered to be the “silver anniversary,” and that fact was not lost on the the organizers of Community Access to the Arts (CATA)’s annual gala and performances. Huge silver paper chandeliers, created with help from Crispina ffrench, shone from the ceiling at the cocktail reception at Shakespeare & Company’s Tina Packer Playhouse in Lenox, Mass. on Saturday, May 12. An even larger chandelier took center stage during the evening’s performances. All of the groups CATA supporters have grown to love were represented: dancers from The Moving Company and The People’s Tap Dance Theater, actors from Shakespeare’s Players, jugglers from The Juggling Connection, along with drummers from The CATA Beat, and fan favorite Scott Thomas, whose jokes left the crowd in stitches. A dinner followed, catered by Mezze, and dancing to DJ BFG ended the evening on a high note. Each year, CATA raises one-third of its annual budget at the gala event, allowing it to continue providing arts workshops for 700 people with disabilities in Berkshire and Columbia counties.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
