For the Village of Montgomery’s 2010 bicentennial, resident artist Mike Jaroszko has created a series of paintings portraying the peaceful beauty of his community both past and present. Four of the images have been published as bicentennial postcards, with two more to be released soon. The postcards are available at several businesses throughout the Village. In addition, a limited edition of 100 signed giclée prints from this series are also available through the Village Sampler or the James Douglas Gallery.

The original paintings from this series, and other works by Mr. Jaroszko, will be featured in an art show at the Wallkill River School Gallery on Rt. 17K in Montgomery during the month of July. A free public opening reception will be held at the gallery on Saturday, July 10th from 5 to 7pm. Leading up to and during the reception, a raffle will be held for each of the first prints from the series, with the proceeds going entirely to fund the activities of the Village Bicentennial Committee.

Award-winning illustrator and fine artist Michael Jaroszko is a luminist painter in the tradition of the Hudson River School. Mike was born in Canada, studied at the Canterbury College of Art in England, and now resides in Montgomery, NY.

Mike’s work has been commissioned by numerous corporations, including Reader’s Digest, Avon, Scholastic Books, Smithsonian, and Time-Life Books. In 2009 he was chosen to illustrate the official poster for the ship Half Moon’s Hudson Quadricentennial. More recently Mike has been devoting much of his creative time to contemporary and historic landscapes inspired by the Hudson Valley.

Mike is currently accepting commissions for landscapes and portraits. You can see more of Mike’s work, including prints and original paintings, online at his website: mikejaroszko.com

Slideshow of Post Card Images:

Postcard

Postcard

Postcard

Postcard

Postcard

Postcards currently available at:

Ed's Deli
Village Sampler
Village Luncheonette
James Douglas Gallery
Borland House Bed & Breakfast
Iron Cafe

Ltd. Ed. Giclée Prints are available at:

Village Sampler
James Douglas Gallery

June 17th, 2010
By This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Wallkill Valley Times

Move over, Miss America — it’s Little Miss and Mr. Montgomery. A dozen little boys and girls gathered at the Senior Center in the Village of Montgomery on Friday, all of them competing for the title of Little Miss and Mr. Montgomery, during the village’s historic bicentennial year.

The kids were interviewed by a panel of three judges on a variety of subjects, including their favorite toys (Legos, action figures and dolls), and their future career paths (president, astronaut and policeman).

The judges, comprised of current and former local town and village clerks, deliberated for some minutes before finally reaching a decision, stating it was very hard to pick and they felt that the kids were all winners.

Julia McKenna and Nathaniel Daley were crowned Little Miss and Mr. Montgomery,neither of whom had ever entered nor won such a contest before.

Julia was in some Neiman Marcus fashion shows through family, but this is the first official contest she has ever entered.  Her mother saw a flier for the event and decided to enter.

“She was super-excited and couldn’t wait until I got home from work,” said Julia’s mother, Amy McKenna.

McKenna said her daughter is very much into hair, makeup, and dressing up.  Julia was looking forward to having curls put in her hair.  While happy that she won, Julia seemed more excited about dressing up than the actual contest.

She’ll get the opportunity at least twice more this year as she graces a float with Little Mr. Montgomery in both the Bicentennial Parade and the Montgomery Day Parade.

Little Mr. Montgomery, aka Nathaniel Daley, on the other hand, didn’t seem as interested in dressing up, but was definitely enjoying the crown and scepter he received after he won, brandishing the scepter as he played in the grass outside the center.

His parents, Carol and Shane Daley, decided to participate in the event because Carol did some work with the Bicentennial Committee.

“I just thought it was a good show of support for the events,” said Carol.
Carol and her husband did not expect the win.

“I was tearing up.  I wanted him to win, but didn’t expect it,” said Carol.

Julia, who loves green beans and ballet recitals, and Nate, whose favorite movie is Star Wars and wants to be a policeman, also won $50 gift cards to Toys R’ Us.  The second and third place winners won $25 and $10 gift cards to the store, respectively.

According to Rose Griffith, the deputy village clerk for the Village of Montgomery, the contest was a special event tying in with this year’s Bicentennial Celebration.  The village does not plan to hold the event again next year.

While that seems to leave Julia and Nate’s reign unchallenged, several parents stated they would enter the contest again next year if it were held again.  Younger siblings like Nate’s sister seemed eager to try their own hands.

Some members of the committee said the event might be brought back next year, but only if interested village residents took it into their own hands.  After this year, the committee that created the event will no longer exist.

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Bicentennial Commemorative Pins are on sale for $5.00 at the Village Hall. You can also purchase them at Eddie's Deli on Clinton Street.

The Village of Montgomery Bicentennial has been donated a logo design by local gallery owner James Hiller.

"I was happy to donate the design for the 200th anniversary logo to the Village. There’s some interesting history in that logo. It started with Robert Wiggins’ original black and white circular seal that he created in 1976 for the National Bicentennial celebration, a great illustration of the original Montgomery Academy building (current Village Hall)," said Hiller

In 2004, Hiller incorporated Robert Wiggins artwork into the full color Village Seal that is currently seen on our DPW trucks, and official Village signage.

Hiller added, "The addition of the 200th anniversary banner to the Village Seal pulled the whole logo together for the 2010 celebration, and it is truly an honor to have helped contribute to this historic milestone for Montgomery. The banners displayed at the Village Hall and Fire Department are a great source of pride for me. This will be a memorable year indeed for the Village."

Hiller, who owns James Douglas Gallery located at 22 Railroad Avenue in the Village, has also donated a banner design for the Montgomery Fire Department.

"While it is common knowledge that it’s the Village’s 200th Anniversary, less known is that it’s also the 200th anniversary of the Montgomery Fire Department! In recognition of that, a very supportive Ed Benson asked me to help him dress up the front window of Eddie’s Deli with a tribute to the Village and the MFD that would recognize their bicentennial, and illustrate the Fire Department’s long history. I dug through the MFD’s photo archives and pulled out some of the classic images, as well as some photos from my own collection," said Hiller.

"I scanned, retouched, and printed the images, and we’ve finally finished the display. The secondary benefit of this project was that I was able to digitally restore and preserve some of the deteriorating old photos for future generations to enjoy, and I was also able to repair and refurbish many of the old framed pieces that needed archival attention. It was great fun, with the assistance of Jim Ferguson and Charlie Wallace, to blow the dust off of some of these old images and show them off to the rest of the Village. Greg Kaufmann was also instrumental with the creation the historical display by supplying Montgomery Fire Department equipment, helmets and uniforms."

You can see the above and many more historical images at montgomerymemories.com. 

More Photos of the Display

1976 seal by Ro...

2004 Color Upda...

2010 Bicentenni...

Jim Hiller and ...

Eddie's Deli Di...

Eddie's Deli Di...

Eddie's Deli Di...

Eddie's Deli Di...

Eddie's Deli Di...

As Spring walks gently into our communities all embrace the warmth and festive atmosphere caused by her arrival. In the Historic Village of Montgomery, however, the festivities will continue for the duration of this year, for the year 2010 marks the bicentennial of the Village’s founding. In many ways, nostalgia will dominate as the Village ironically looks forward.  

To historically and artistically note the bygone days of the village, the noted pen & ink artist, Robert Score has initiated a Bicentennial Series of drawings replicating scenes from an earlier time; a time when the Village thrived and survived on the agriculture that surrounded it, the small businesses that nourished it and the people that populated it. To borrow from the ultimate crooner, Bing, it was and remains a village of kind hearts and gentle people who live and love in Historic Montgomery. Score’s reputation as an artist grew from his accurate and attractive portrayals of Orange County agriculture, specifically his representations of life on the farm, its chores, glories, tragedies and inspirations. These are found today in many of this county’s finest homes and galleries of note. The new series,

The Bicentennial Series, will be on display and offered for sale at the Di Bello Gallery, 3 Wallkill Ave. A meet-the-artist reception is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, 2PM – 3 PM. Additional information is available at 845-457-2773. The Di Bello Gallery is located at 3 Wallkill Ave., Montgomery Historic Montgomery.   

Score’s reputation as an artist grew from his accurate and attractive portrayals of Orange County agriculture, specifically his representations of life on the farm, its chores, glories, tragedies and inspirations. These are found today in many of this county’s finest homes and galleries of note. The new series, The Bicentennial Series, will be on display and offered for sale at the Di Bello Gallery, 3 Wallkill Ave. A meet-the-artist reception is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, 2PM – 3 PM. Additional information is available at 845-457-2773. The Di Bello Gallery is located at 3 Wallkill Ave., Montgomery and is adjacent to the Orange County Firefighters’ Museum, The Village of Montgomery Museum and Historic Ward’s Bridge Inn.

Reprinted wth permission from Hudson Valley Business Journal

Click to view original article

By PAUL HARRINGTON
Senior Correspondent
1st Responder Network

NEW WINDSOR, NY - Two hundred years of service. Only two departments in Orange County can make that claim.

Read entire story on 1st Respoder Network Website

Noted for its picturesque historic districts and venerable homes, the village of Montgomery  is nestled into northern Orange County, bounded by the Wallkill River in the shadow of Comfort Hills.  Filled with rare photographs dating from the 1870’s to the present.  Village of Montgomery focuses on the history of the community-its churches, roads, businesses including the Crabtree and Pacthett Mill, Fire Department, historic buildings and districts, schools and cemeteries providing insight into how village residents lived, worked, and played in years past.  The insightful text accompanying each photograph reveals intriguing and little-known facts about the village and its people.

The book is available now and can be purchased at Village Hall.  Sales price is expected to be around $21.99. 

Don’t Forget to Buy Your Village of Montgomery Book!

As a new year begins across the globe this month, celebrations, wishes and regrets will without doubt prevail.  In the Historic Village of Montgomery, however, the festivities will continue for the duration. The year 2010 marks the bicentennial of the Village’s founding.  In many ways, nostalgia will dominate as the Village ironically looks forward. .   

To historically and artistically note the by-gone days of the village, the noted pen & ink artist, Robert Score has initiated a Bicentennial Series of drawings replicating scenes from an earlier time; a time when the Village thrived and survived on the agriculture that surrounded it, the small businesses that nourished it and the people that populated it.  To borrow from the ultimate crooner, Bing, it was and remains a village of kind hearts and gentle people who live and love in Historic Montgomery.

Score’s reputation as an artist grew from his accurate and attractive portrayals of Orange County agriculture, specifically his representations of life on the farm, its chores, glories, tragedies and inspirations.  These are found today in many of this county’s finest homes and galleries of note.

The new series, The Bicentennial Series, will be on display and offered for sale at the Di Bello Gallery, beginning January 4, 2010 and continuing through the bicentennial year.

The Di Bello Gallery is located at 3 Wallkill Ave., Montgomery and is adjacent to the Orange County Firefighters’ Museum, The Village of Montgomery Museum and Historic Ward’s Bridge Inn.  Additional information is available at 845-457-2773.