THE CATAMOUNT ARTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Judy Kurtz

I am a fourth generation Hoosier from Indianapolis, Indiana, educated in the public schools, and a graduate of Purdue University with a combined major in Sociology, Psychology, and Child Development.  I also have an elementary education teacher’s certificate from Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC.  I worked as a teacher briefly and as an administrative assistant in a medical school for two years.  My primary work has been as a volunteer – a docent at two art museums, founder of two competitive swimming teams for children, and founder and president of a neighborhood association in Winter Park, Florida (the neighborhood became the first historic district in that city).

My interest in the arts stems from childhood.  Mother was a portrait artist and a high school art teacher.  As children, my sister and I were taken frequently to the art museum in Indianapolis.  I have wonderful memories of the mummies in the Egyptian collection.   Paintings I enjoyed included the beautiful portrait of Indiana’s Poet Laureate, James Whitcomb Riley, and an oil of an important group of art school teachers that influenced my mother.  My father loved the theater, desired to be a professional actor, and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.  Daddy worked for Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company, but followed his passion for acting as an amateur at the Indianapolis Civic Theater.  As children, we were thrilled to be taken to see him live on stage.

I have been a dabbler in the arts, “jack of all trades, but master of none”.  When we lived in Guatemala, enjoyment was found each afternoon sketching in black pen-and-ink and colored pencil the many beautiful sights found in Antigua. My classical guitar sits in a closet, after twelve years of lessons discarded temporarily by my passion for golf.  I have sung in The Bach Festival Choir in Winter Park, Florida and The North Country Chorus here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.  Beginning as a 50-year-old, I took ballet classes for four years at Rollins College (with the coeds).  I have enjoyed knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, hand-weaving, and am currently doing rug hooking.  A new adventure for the past three years has been trying my hand at writing in Bill Biddle’s writing group that meets bi-monthly in the Catamount Arts building.

My husband of 50 years is David Kurtz, a retired math professor and college dean.  We have one married son, and a 15-year-old granddaughter.  An important aspect of our family life has been traveling and living in other countries (1960-63 Philippines; 1980-83 Malawi, east central Africa; and 1994 Guatemala for 5 months).  We have had a home in Vermont for 47 years which was seasonal until two years ago when we moved here year-round.

How fortunate I have been to join the Board of Catamount Arts, family-like in spirit and focused on the common purposes of the arts in our community!

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