Lighting Assistant and Behind The Scenes Video: Anthony Colagreco
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The Next Vixen
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All of my life I have heard my mom talk about her modeling days. When she did she would always recall her fond memories of a photographer named Tony Ward.
As time went on I have grown to be tall and thin like my mother and received several compliments and suggestions that I should become a model.
When I turned 18 recently I remembered the fond memories that my mom spoke about and the desire to model because it was a life goal.
Learning that Tony Ward chose me to be part of his Vixen series was a welcomed surprise. I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think about this honor. I hope I can make my mom proud and prove to be the fierce vixen that Tony Ward obviously sees in me.
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Shawna and Nefertari Williams. Photo: Tony Ward, Copyright 2023
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Behind The Scenes
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Text by Shayna Williams, Copyright 2023
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The day we spent weeks preparing for finally came, the day of the photo shoot. It had been seemingly countless days since my mother mentioned it and it went by faster than expected. The night before the shoot we spent picking clothes, planning makeup, and even deciding which heels are the best. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen my mother in a photoshoot so I was expecting the same basics, but this photoshoot was different from others.
In the car ride there, sighing from exhaustion after spending a night preparing for the upcoming event, I heard “here we are!” and looked up to see a nice house. My first thoughts were “I’ve never seen my mom do a photoshoot at a house, I wonder how this will work” and “I hope we didn’t overpack, I wouldn’t want to make a mess in somebody’s home.”
We bring the bags past the front door, I look around and I notice how beautiful everything is. I immediately got an artsy vibe. I knew the photoshoot was gonna be amazing after seeing how nicely decorated everything was.
After being instructed to put the cases in a dressing room, as we walk in my sister says “look at the walls” and we see erotic photos. I’m personally okay with the idea of the human body being art, in fact I like the idea of it a lot. My concern was my niece who had also tagged along and saw the pictures. But she was fine with it as well!
My niece and I walk to the backyard, which is also decorated very nicely, and sit to relax. I notice a brown building that appeared to be under construction behind the main houses on the property with a door on it. I learned later this was the new Tony Ward Studio under construction. At this point I’m thinking the photoshoot will happen outside, but when my mom and sister came out they walked right into the new studio that was under construction. I followed along and saw a nice photography set with a Paris themed backdrop in the room. It was truly different, but already more intriguing, than any shoot I’ve ever seen my mother on.
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During the photo shoot I decided to walk to get ice cream at a place called Sprinkles with my niece. Elkins Park, the neighborhood about 10 miles north of center city Philadelphia where the shoot took place was very nice as well! On the walk back I decided to sit outside and wait for the rest of the shoot to finish. Once it did we started cleaning up and were told to get ready for the lunch that was prepared for us. I wasn’t really expecting one but it was really good! I enjoyed the food, especially the broccoli!
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After the shoot, lunch with the Williams family.
It was sadly time to go afterwards. As we were walking back to the car I was thinking about how new this experience was. I’ve never seen a shoot done in such a unique and remarkable way. I’d love to go back again. Even if we won’t be taking pictures the setting alone was amazing.
We invite you to join us for an exploration of human vulnerability and the timeless beauty of the unadorned form. “OBSESSIONS” is an ode to the human spirit, a celebration of the profound authenticity that lies with us.
Since birth I was involved in the visual arts and the spirit of creativity. My parents Ellen Powell Tiberino and Joe Tiberino, both had distinguished visual art careers. As a child, I always worked at home as an artist and attended classes at Fleisher Art Memorial.Over the past twentyyears I have been inspired and I’ve developed as a prominent artist. The largest part of my inspiration was in finding my medium. I truly enjoy working with stained glass and the entire process is a very soothing, almost a religious experience for me. From choosing the different rich colors of glass panes, then cutting and moving the glass pieces around until they work just right, to seeing the finished product emerge after grouting. I work with the stained glass in a method of mosaic that I would equate to painting with glass. It is a very thought out and precise. I like the colors of the stained glass to flow. Nature is one of my biggest inspirations, in which I am constantly amazed and astounded by the natural world around me, and I seek to glorify it in my artwork.
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Artwork by Ellen Tiberino. Copyright 2023
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As an African American mosaic artist from a prominent artist family in West Philadelphia, my connection to the community I create for, create with, and represent is rooted in my focus on cultural preservation, restoration, and racial justice. Through community-driven mosaic and ceramic practices, I aim to empower communities by providing a platform for them to share their unique narratives.
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Artwork by Ellen Tiberino. Copyright 2023
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My work is deeply informed by the experiences of the community. Their stories, struggles, and aspirations shape my artistic approach and the messages conveyed through my art. By actively engaging community members in my creative process, I ensure that their voices are heard, and their perspectives are authentically represented.
Notable examples of my work demonstrate this commitment. For instance, conducting a workshop and creating a permanent installation at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) to commemorate MLK Day in March 2023, allowed me to integrate the insights and experiences of the PAFA community, fostering a sense of collective ownership and representation.
Installing the mural titled “Opposing Forces” in Suburban Station in 2021 with the support of Color Me Back Participants provided valuable opportunities to connect with diverse audiences and gain a deeper understanding of their experiences. These interactions influenced my artistic approach and further fueled my commitment to social change and cultural preservation.
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Artwork by Ellen Tiberino. Copyright 2023
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Facilitating mosaic workshops and installations at Bartram’s Garden allowed me to directly engage with the community. These endeavors empowered individuals, facilitated meaningful connections, and contributed to positive social change through art.
In summary, my connection to the community I create for, create with, and represent is driven by my dedication to cultural preservation, restoration, and racial justice. By integrating the community’s experiences into my artwork and actively involving them in the creative process, I empower individuals, promote social change, and foster meaningful connections through Art.
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Editor’s Note: Ellen Tiberino will be exhibiting in September at Ultra Silk Gallery, 3808 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, and will run until the first week in October. The opening will be from 5 to 8 PM on Friday, September 8th. For details contact: UltraSilkgallery@gmail.com, and the phone number is 215-824-6656.
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Artwork by Ellen Powel Tiberino, Copyright 2023
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The theme of the show is empowering women, the strength of women. Ellen will be exhibiting works along side seven female artists including her mother, Ellen Powell Tiberino.
Photography and Text by Ted Kawalerski, Copyright 2023
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The Saudade of Neal Slavin
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On what turned out to be a beautiful morning in New York, I was walking along Greene Street in SoHo to meet with Neal Slavin in his studio.Tony Ward publishes a monthly blog and he asked me to make a portrait of Neal for an upcoming issue.I had no idea of how I was going to make this happen.I actually like to work this way and just let things evolve. When I hit #62 I rang the buzzer and entered what developed into a magical mystery tour.
Neal Slavin is a legendary photographer/director that I had never met before. He is probably most famous for the pictures that he made of large groups of people. However, there is a lot more work than that.In over forty years I have photographed many famous people and I usually work with assistants and a lot of equipment. For this adventure, I decided to work alone and low key. This proved to be the correct decision.
As soon as I made it to the second floor, I was greeted by Neal’s wife and Producer Anita Burkhart. That set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. She has the kind of persona that you immediately feel like this is going to be a real good day.Neal made his entrance with the same vibe and we went into the main studio. Their combined living/work space is the paragon of an artist’s environment – organized disorganization.It’s fabulous!We sat around a long table and drank a lot of coffee.Anita had to leave but Neal and I spent several hours talking – about a wide variety of subjects.In particular, Neal elaborated about his relationship with Portugal.
In 1967 Neal went to Portugal via a Fulbright Scholarship to photograph an archeological site but he became more interested in the people and he created a collection of black and white images that are incredible. He discovered Saudade, which is a unique Portuguese term that refers to a melancholic longing. This was a time when Portugal was under the brutal dictatorship of Salazar and his pictures reflect Saudade.
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Neal recently returned to Portugal to make a film – Saudade a love letter to Portugal which Neal refers to as “portrait of an artist in search of his soul.” He reconnected with people that he met fifty years ago and he interviewed them for the film. He also shot color stills which are an interesting contrast to the early black and white pictures. Portugal has transitioned to a much different place than when Neal was first there and he was fortunate to have the cathartic experience of personally witnessing this metamorphosis.
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So, finally Neal asked “What are we doing?” Fortunately I had the answer. While we were sitting at the table I was facing a wall that had a large work print of a picture that Neal did of a group of NYFD Chaplains.When I first walked into the studio I thought that I would do an environmental portrait of him.After our talk ended I wanted to do a simple photo.I asked Neal to stand in front of the work print, I moved a light panel that was on and WE made his portrait.I drank so much coffee that I was shaking so muchI had to use a tripod and cable release. Neal looked at the results, gave his approval and within minutes we were done.
Neal Slavin is one of the most interesting people that I have ever met!This is nothyperbolic bullshit! No attitude or egomania. Just intellect!
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About The Author: Ted Kawalerski is a New York based photographer and filmmaker who has been shooting for more than 40 years for corporations, graphic design studios, and advertising agencies.
He has done assignments worldwide of AIG, Bank of America, Chevron, Dominion Resources Services, Ernst & Young, Harris Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutal, MasterCard, Medico, Pitney Bowes, Praxair, United Technologies Corporation and The Hartford.
Ted lives on the Hudson River in Sleepy Hollow, NY and is involved in an ongoing project to photograph landscapes and portraits along the entire length of the river. This work has been exhibited in one-man shows in New York City at MV Gallery and a The Beacon Institute in Beacon, NY. Another project, “Windows” has been exhibited in NYC and Connecticut.
With two partners, Matt Stanton and Gene Mayer, Ted launched Cork Factory Films, a full service film/video production company. To access Ted’s film work, link here: https://corkfactoryfilms.com/
Photo of George Krause and Tony Ward courtesy of W. Keith McManus, Copyright 2023
Text by Tony Ward, Copyright 2023
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Quality Time With a Legend
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I first met George Krause at an exhibit of his work in 1974 at Photopia Gallery on South Street in Philadelphia. This was the first time I was introduced to his work and was taken immediately by his mastery of the craft. His early black and white street photography from the 1960’s are included in the canon of photographic history evidenced by his inclusion in the seminal publication in 1973, Looking at Photographs, 100 Pictures from the Collection of The Museum of Modern Art by John Szarkowski, who at the time was the director of photography at the MOMA.
We became friends when I invited him to exhibit his work while I was a graduate student at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 1977 to 1979. Here is a draft of a letter I sent to George regarding the invitation to exhibit his work at the institute and his response.
Letter to George Krause from the Tony Ward Archives 1978.
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From the archives of Tony Ward 1978
George, now 86 years young called me on the eve of the recent annual Photo Review picnic as he and fellow octogenarians Larry Fink and Neal Slavin were being celebrated at this years event which was held at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa. On the eve of the celebrated gathering George mentioned that he was going to visit noted photographer Lawrence Salzmann at his charming home in Powelton Village the day before the picnic. Many thanks to W. Keith McManus for capturing this intimate moment with a dear friend and mentor to many photographers world wide.
