Kirstin is sitting at her 1927 Chickering grand piano; just one of the instruments she loves to play. She also plays a beautiful Martin Ott tracker organ, two manuals, pedal, three couplers, 14 stops, 19 ranks, installed in the 1980s. The sanctuary acoustics are live which adds to this organ’s versatility. Everything “works” in a variety of registrations, be it ensemble stops or solo stops. It can handle a vast spectrum of repertoire. She is currently the Principal Organist at the New Christian Church on Park Drive in Glenview. She mentions that colleagues of hers have played this organ and also enjoyed it very much.
Kirstin is also an avid collector of photographs taken by the renowned American nature and wildlife photographer, Thomas Mangelsen. You might know his famous pictures, especially the one in Alaska with the bear catching a Salmon mid-air. Unfortunately, that is not one of the ones she owns.
Okay, here is some fun info…
Thomas D. Mangelsen, who is now considered to be one of the World’s greatest nature and wildlife photographers, was once her music student in a college music appreciation class that she taught in Nebraska. They met again 40 years later at a book signing of his, at one of his Galleries. For the past 14 years, she has been collecting his photographic works and her exhibit is now the largest collection in the world.
Tom is a conservationist as well as an artist-photographer. He donates money to the protection of various animals, such as elephants, rhinos, apes, etc. in the fight to protect them from poaching. He has been a major force in the fight against governments removing grizzly bears from the endangered species list. He has won the Ansel Adams Award, and his work is permanently displayed in the Smithsonian where he won Wildlife Conservationist Photographer of the Year.
Tom’s masterpieces display the dedication, honesty, humility, and patience of a great artist. He photographs birds and animals in their natural environments, catching their lives in realistic and special ways! He is devoted to the preservation of animals and of our planet. His exhibit, “A Life in the Wild”, is currently touring the United States and elsewhere.
His works can also be seen over his website www.mangelsen.com and in person by calling Kirstin Synnestvedt’s phone number. She warmly opens her gallery to visitors. The Welcome Mat is out!