Arnold Galin was born in the Bronx and educated in Queens, New York. He received a BA in Speech, an MFA in Theater and an MS in Library Science from SUNY Albany. Upon graduation, he was employed as a Media Specialist first at BOCES and then at Rome Free Academy, a position he held for thirty years. While at Rome Free Academy he served as Drama Club Advisor, directing and producing numerous student productions. Simultaneously he conducted his own wedding photography business.
He has been President and Vice President of Rome Community Theater’s Board of Directors and volunteered at the theater for over thirty years; acting, producing and directing. Some of his more recent shows were Almost Maine, The Game Show, Kindertransport and Dr Jeckll No Place to Hide. Currently Arnold is a traveling adjudicator for the Theatre Association of New York State.
G. Robert Reynolds was born in Newton, MA. He attended Colgate University as a Physics Major and following that was commissioned in the US Navy until 1946 when he was Honorably Discharged. He received a BFA and MFA at Syracuse University.
He moved to Rome in 1951 to become the Director of Art Education for the Rome City School District, a position he held for the next four years. Although he changed his career path to eventually become Vice President,
Sales Manager for Canterbury Press he maintained his art skills by drawing and sketching. After his retirement from Canterbury Press he dedicated his career and personal life to enhancing access to the visual arts through his teaching, practicing, and volunteering in the fields of painting, drawing, calligraphy and topography. His work covered a broad range including designing the logos for: The Lake Delta Yacht Club, The First Presbyterian Church, Sampo Swivels, and Canterbury Press. He took up watercolor and dedicated himself to the art form often experimenting and improving his technique while painting hundreds of images from nature. He received numerous awards for his watercolors shown throughout Central New York.
Jerome Durr was born in Rome and graduated from Rome Free Academy in 1965. He earned an AAA degree in Math and Sciences from Onondaga Community College, after which he volunteered for the Army. Upon his return home he started working with glass and participating in local craft shows. He attended evening art classes at University College at Syracuse University which helped him to develop the abilities to render designs for stained glass in watercolor.
In 1977 he opened a studio in Skaneateles, New York designing, fabricating and installing architectural stained glass in homes, churches and commercial buildings. In 1979 the studio added etching and carving on glass. Project sizes have varied from the small gallery piece to the large sculptural hanging commission. His impressive client list includes the Carlisle Corporation, the Dreyfus Corporation, the Everson Museum of Art, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the chapel in Sing Sing Prison. Jerome is an accredited member of the Stained Glass Association of America as well as the Past President and Director of the Stained Glass School. His work has been exhibited in many shows including the New York State Museum of Art and the Atlanta Art Glass Guild, where he was awarded Best of Show. Jerome currently lives near Skaneateles and maintains a studio in Syracuse’s Delavan Center where he moved it to in 1987.
Kristen Kimball was born in 1971 in Rome, New York and graduated from Rome Free Academy. In 1994 upon her graduation from Harvard she moved to New York City where she worked at a literary agency, taught creative writing and freelanced form magazines and travel guides.
In 2002, she interviewed a wingnut farmer named Mark. At that point she made a major life change by marrying him and they created Essex Farm near Lake Champlain. Essex Farm is the world’s first full-diet CSA (Community Support Agriculture) enterprise. Kristin documented her journey in her book, The Dirty Life, a Memoir of Farming, Food and Love. Since The Dirty Life was published she has written for O Magazine about what it’s like to change your life completely, for Vogue on physical work, and for Gourmet Live on several farm and food related subjects.
Margaret Jevens was born in Nyack, New York. She credits her High School Music Instructor, Dr Edward “Doc” Carney with being very influential in her discovery of music which is her life’s passion. Throughout high school she played French Horn, Violin and Alto Sax. Margaret is a 1967 graduate of Ithaca College where she majored in music with a concentration in Strings and Vocal Music and also did additional graduate study at NYU, The Manhattan School of Music, CW Post and Elmira extension.
She started her teaching career in Rockland County and was hired as a string instructor by the Rome City School District in 1980, teaching at all levels until her retirement in 2001. On sabbatical 1982-1984 she taught Suzuki and traditional strings methods at the American School in London, England. Margaret began the Strolling Strings Program in 1986, giving the students a unique performing experience. The Strollers attended the Mid-West Conferences giving them the opportunity to work with other Strolling Strings groups and the National Founder, Stan Nosal. For 15 years after her retirement she taught violin/viola at her home. She currently performs with the Delta String Quartet, the Colgate University Symphony, the Catskill Symphony, also acting as personnel manager, and the Clinton Symphony.
