Biographies

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Born in New York City, Ellery Kurtz attended public school in The Bronx and was briefly enrolled in Bronx Community College.  His youthful interest in both art and science led to a career in the art world in several different roles.  His career as an art dealer started in 1970 and continues to this day.  For a number of years in the 1970’s and 1980’s he pursued a career in the fine arts as well having several one man-exhibitions of his oil paintings in New York City.  Ellery Kurtz is also a certified appraiser of fine art.

With a natural interest in space exploration, growing up hearing about the first satellite; the first manned mission to outer space; and the first man on the moon; the mixture of interest in both Art and Space led to the concept and realization of this conservation experiment by Vertical Horizons.

Ellery Kurtz currently lives and works in New Jersey, The Garden State.  For more information please email : ellerykurtz@gmail.com

Howard Wishnow was born in the Bronx, NY.   Having had the good fortune to receive an excellent elementary and high school education, he attended and graduated from the City College of New York with a Bachelor Degree in Psychology.  After graduation, Mr. Wishnow became a New York City Board Certified teacher and taught sixth grade for three years.  After leaving his elementary school teaching position, Howard became involved in the design of, and teaching at S.E.R.A., an educational facility for returning addicted veterans from the Vietnam War.   Two years later he was accepted to Marist College where he received a Master Degree in Psychology.  Mr. Wishnow subsequently became involved in the field of security, where he eventually became the Vice President of a major, nationally recognized security organization.  

Throughout his high school, college and subsequent years, Howard’s personal passion for astronomy, cosmology and all things related to space was apparent.  While teaching elementary school, Mr. Wishnow became involved in model rocketry, and gave introductory lessons to young students on the subject.  At the age of twenty six he learned to fly, and received his pilot’s license.  As he stated on several occasions, “I always dreamed of being a part of, and contributing to the NASA space program.”  His good friend Ellery Kurtz had a similar dream.  One evening they serendipitously began talking about their common interest and Vertical Horizons was born.