Vince and Maggie Farnsworth Endowed Scholarship

Vince and Maggie Farnsworth have an enduring interest in music. Maggie started piano lessons in elementary school. Vince played the clarinet in middle and high school. In college, he taught himself to play guitar. Vince started violin lessons after Maggie rented him a violin for Christmas in 1999. Vince has played violin with various groups and joined the Valley Symphony Orchestra in Montrose in 2013.

Maggie attended the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA and received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1976. She went to grad school at UCLA and received a Master of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology in 1976. Her career started in the clinical research laboratory, and she completed her career as vice president of sales for a genetic testing laboratory. Maggie attended California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA and received a Master of Business Administration in 1996.

Vince attended UC Santa Barbara and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1969. He received a Master of Arts degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 1971.

Vince’s love of photography has turned into a second career. Formerly a research scientist at the California Institute of Technology, he invented and developed analytical instrumentation for the biological sciences. He holds about 20 patents. He was active with the highly respected Ventura County Astronomical Society in southern California where he learned to photograph deep space. In Montrose, he is a respected, and sought-after nature photographer specializing in landscapes and the night sky. Many consider him to be the premier photographer of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. He’s the author of “Getting Up Early: The Visitor’s Guide to Photographing the Black Canyon.” In 2012 he discovered the Dragon’s Tongue, a natural lighting phenomenon visible at the Black Canyon.

Since retiring to Montrose in 2006, Vince and Maggie have opened several photography-related businesses. They operate two photo galleries, one at Montrose Center For Arts and one at the Black Canyon Corner. They enjoy meeting lots of interesting people from all over the world.

Vince and Maggie have always had a passion for music. They often attended LA Phil concerts while in California. One of their favorite composers is Beethoven but their listening repertoire includes classical, blues, rock and roll and recordings of all music genres.

Vince and Maggie established this scholarship with the purpose of assisting aspiring string artists with their education at Colorado Mesa University.