Darkroom: Black and white processing and printing services.
This is the darkroom where Tony Ward spent countless days, months and years making thousands of gelatin silver archival prints for his well known body of black and white photographs exploring various subjects including; portraiture, fashion, nude and erotic photography of which he became world renowned.
The darkroom was built in 1985. This unique creative space is available for rent to the public at The Ward Studio on a per project basis. Photographers that rent the darkroom may keep processing chemicals for developing film and prints stored at the studio for ongoing darkroom sessions.
Price for darkroom rental:
We offer a four hour minimum at $175.00. Any time over the first four hours is charged at $50.00 per hour. Photographers are responsible for their own chemistry. Amber bottles are best for storage.
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Price for darkroom consultation:
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Professor Tony Ward is available for one on one consultations regarding darkroom process and technique at $200.00 per hour.
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Location: 704 South 6th street Philadelphia, Pa. 19147
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To schedule a darkroom session:
Contact: Tony@TonyWard.com
Phone: 267-475-0828
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Note: Any person using the facility must present proof of being vaccinated for Covid.
Juneteenth: Long Time Coming (But, Is It Too Late?)
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“By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day, and learn from our history, and celebrate progress, and grapple with the distance we’ve come but the distance we have to travel.” – President Joseph R. Biden signing The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act at The White House, June 17th, 2021 [1]
At the June 17th, 2021 White House bill signing ceremony making Juneteenth [2] a federal holiday, President Joseph R. Biden and Vice-President Kamala D. Harris, as well as members of both houses of Congress were joined by an elegant elder dressed in white sitting in attendance upon the front row for this event.
Known as Grandmother of the Juneteenth Movement, Texas native Opal Lee [3] has been on a long quest to get the federal recognition for getting Juneteenth made a national holiday. As part of galvanizing a national campaign to get Juneteenth to become a national holiday, this passionate and persistent woman organized a walk from her home state of Texas to Washington, D.C. to ring the mighty bell of freedom on the events of over 150 years ago.
“I’m hoping that Juneteenth will not just be about festivals, but that it will be about uplifting each other.” – Opal Lee [4] educator and activist
Opal Lee’s focused mission on keeping the flame of the promise and premise of honoring Juneteenth’s meaning for all Americans came to a fruitful destination on her journey over these many years to be among the luminaries at the White House signing ceremony.
“To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we have to continue toward that promise because we’ve not gotten there yet. The Vice President and I and our entire administration and all of you in this room are committed to doing just that.” – President Joseph R. Biden signing The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act at The White House, June 17th, 2021
We can take in the events of celebrating Juneteenth from sea to shining sea and see it as a laudable moment of unity. And, yes, the banner of sisterhood, brotherhood, and human-hood flourishes beneath a blue sky and glistening sun.
President Biden’s words and actions are symbols of good faith in placing an olive branch out to his fellow Americans for unity. Yet, we live in the Divided Territories of Amnesia; where reality of the present and reckoning with the past are in a tug of war with the future.
Happy Juneteenth! Hallelujah!
Now, what?
A new national holiday has been placed onto the books and all is well and as it should be in America. Or, is it?
A piece of paper is a piece of paper, is a piece of paper. Be it the Emancipation Proclamation [5], the 1965 Voting Rights Act, or even the Constitution of The United States Of America. Inked signature upon finest parchment is meaningless without implementation or enforcement backing up the ideals and goals laid out in any of those documents.
On June 19th, 1865 when 2,000 Union troops entered Galveston Bay, Texas; the implementation of the words written in the Emancipation Proclamation by enforcement were the action that freed the slaves. A proclamation [6] by General Gordon Granger of the Union Army enforced General Order No. 3.
It wasn’t just a piece of paper that freed those human beings in Texas in 1865, but the physical presence of over 2,000 armed Union soldiers to make damn sure that insidious institution would crumble beneath the weight of their boots as they marched.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.[7]
Martin Luther King Jr. has said time and time again that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. For those of us who concur with that, should continue to beat the drum of justice and march our tired soles on that arc to help the bend of that arc to remain justified and righteous. Without vigilance of raising our voices and moving towards a more perfect union, that arc can become ragged and diminished beneath the dust of dismissal and derision.
Don’t stop! Won’t stop! March on! March strong!
“Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.” – Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [8]
Quilt of history has many patches woven into it; one thread is Juneteenth, another is Tulsa, and third is a throwback of today.
Some want to forget history, or even rewrite it as it is happening in the moment. Whether it be from a level of duplicitous amnesia; which a certain clique of persons play the game of pretending things are not as they seem. Or, an oblivious amnesia; which is like the ‘Lily Belle’ or ‘Beauregard’ kind. As to this pair, I’ll get back to explaining them a little bit further on in this article.
Another thread in that quilt of America’s history is the Tulsa Massacre, which took place one hundred years ago to this exact year. I didn’t learn about this bit of history from history books in school, but from exploring past history on my own.
In the early 1900’s in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the black community of Greenwood was known as ‘Black Wall Street’, due to the level of self sustainability by the citizens who owned businesses, lived and raised their families there.
One gem in the Greenwood district of Tulsa was the Stradford Hotel, owned by J.B. Stradford [9], who was the son of a Kentucky slave. Mr. Stradford, an Indiana University law graduate used his keen vision in real estate development with purchasing several land vacancies in Greenwood.
As well as Mr. Stradford’s namesake establishment were a plethora of other African-American attorneys, doctors, tailors, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs of varied professions who called that community their home.
May 30th until June 1st, 2021, the prosperity and serenity of Greenwood were set aflame and destroyed by rumors, resentment, racist rage, and insidious inhumanity which targeted the black citizens whose ‘American dream’ descended into a terror which seemed unending.
From the horror of 1921 to the present of 2021, only three souls have survived to speak witness to what they endured in testimony before a Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing in Congress on May 19th, 2021.
“I am seeking justice. “I am here asking my country to acknowledge what happened in Tulsa in 1921.” – Viola Fletcher, 107 year old survivor of the Tulsa Massacre [10] of May 1921
Newsmakers of many stripes can commiserate and commemorate in locations of racism’s touchstones around the United States of America such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, never seeming torespond with anything more than just powerful prose when the call for allowing survivors of the massacre of ‘Black Wall Street’ located in the Greenwood district to be made in some teensy way whole.
“We were laid refugees in our own country.” – Hughes Van Ellis, 100 year old survivor of the Tulsa Massacre [11] of May 1921, brother of Viola Fletcher, veteran of the United States Army
There are those who speak about a notion of uber-patriotism and how much they supposedly love this country more than any other person. They ramble on and on about their own figments of courageous intent. But, their chest thumping has such a hollow affect to it, when a man who served his country in an all-Black unit in the United States Army in defense of this country in World War II speaks on the reality of feeling to have to battle on two fronts when being a black man in America. It is an aspect which the black soldier has internally existed with from the seedlings of the American military to present. Now, I could take another avenue of getting into the segregationist history in the American military and that itself would lead me onto a long and lonesome highway all on its’ own.
“I have waited so long for justice.” – Lessie Beddingfield Randle, 106 year old survivor of Tulsa Massacre [12] of May 1921
Those who survived the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 deserve far more than just wonderful words [13]spoken by thoughtful people in high positions; as I along with others begin to nod our heads and applaud in unison of cheering in a respectful response to each of them, “Yeah! Yeah! You give good speech!”
But, can any of you cut a check for the last three LIVING survivors of the Tulsa Massacre and place it in the palm of their hands before they are DEAD. Well, of course, after they are gone from this mortal earth, these same people in high positions can rely on this trio not being around anymore by saying, “Why bring up reparations now, when there are no survivors of the Tulsa Massacre?”
NO check! But, YES speech!
Justice too late can be justice denied, for what remains may be less than that which is implied. In this case of a newly minted holiday, it might be a day of acknowledgement that leads not very far ahead. But, a few steps beyond where we have been.
In this moment of reckoning with history, there should be some sort of blueprint for an accurate tallying of history.
“It seems that justice in America is always so slow, or not possible, for Black people. And we are made to feel crazy just for asking for things to be made right.” – Lessie Beddingfield Randle, 106 year old survivor of the Tulsa Massacre [14] of May 1921
Some can obscure the reality lived by their fellow Americans of a different hue of humanity by just closing their eyes, closing their ears and burying their conscience in the bone-yard of manufactured persecution.
Once Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis and Lessie Beddingfield Randle are no longer around, then maybe a fig leaf of gathering together a multi-year study on reparations for the descendants of those massacre victims might have an airing out. But, then again, when things are a long time coming, they usually don’t come along at all.
Sparkle of amnesia flares up.
With the hullabaloo that is coming from opponents of critical race theory, it seems to me how obvious their problem is truly with ONLY one of those words. If it was critical WAR theory, then they’d be cool with that.
In fact, every pre-schooler in America could be given their WAR cookies and milk right before naptime in class. Hmmm.
Okay, enough of my snarkiness about the fake outrage from people who are just whipping up hysteria about something they can’t even explain when talking about it. But, it makes me shake my head whenever I hear the conspiracy theorists who howl and moan that they are trying to save their children from the ‘horrors’ of learning about something outside of their own comfort zones.
Critical race theory is an academic discipline, which means unless you are a five or six year old going for your Master Degree, your underage self can’t even comprehend the breadth and depth of history that takes an analytical look at the social and structural elements of racism in the United States of America.
Being blunt, I think it might just be a touch of Shakespeare’s axiom of ‘doth protest too much’ is the reason people are acting like Critical Race Theory is beyond a reasonable instrument in showing the vast complexity of past and present events in this country.
This demonizing of the academic theory has even been drawn into the halls of Congress by Republicans during a military budget hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on June 23rd, 2021.
To see a frat-boy Congressman who is under investigation for under-age sex trafficking preen and denounce a twisting aspect of what he thinks Critical Race Theory means when questioning two men who have served this country is the height of bizarreness.
The only tour Rep. Matt Gaetz from Florida has served so far is one of a whole lotta doody (not duty) when he’s pretending to be this super-patriot saving America from the scourge of what he calls ‘the liberal left’.
As for his future, well maybe he’ll be serving another kind of duty in cleaning toilets with a toothbrush when he’s under the state’s lock and key.
Republicans are quick to do the warrior spiel and tout their love of country and freedom when that C-Span camera is rolling. But, the camera can also capture the eloquent clap-back from the most unlikely sources.
“So what is wrong with understanding, having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend? And I personally find it offensive [15] that we are accusing the United States military, general officers, commissioned and noncommissioned officers of being quote ‘woke,’ or something else because we’re studying some theories that are out there.” – General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, United States of America
Seated at the table with General Milley was the first African-American serving as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who also responded to the thinly veiled besmirching of the military from Gaetz and other Republican members of the Armed Services Committee.
“I trust my leadership from top to bottom that they will give me fair and balanced and unvarnished [16] input” – Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin
I wonder if Secretary Austin wasn’t so, hmm, how can I describe him…tall? Would that be the real reason why Gaetz was such a grouch to him? Maybe, it’s just a shade of cynicism I’m recognizing.
With egg on his face, Rep. Matt ‘Florida Man’ [17] Gaetz had to sit there and take the answer that both men unapologetically gave him.
“So what is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn [18] the Constitution of the United States of America? What caused that? I want to find that out.” – General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, United States of America
Instead of Rep. Matt Gaetz being so inflamed over one type of theory, he should shut his trap and do some reading. For one, I suggest he read Carl von Clausewitz’ “On War”, which comprehensively analyzes the nature, strategy, theory [19], and socio-political phenomenon of the decision of war. Furthermore, anyone worth their salt of respecting history has read and absorbed the 4th century masterpiece [20] written by Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”. I seriously doubt he would do a deep dive into either of these works, for there aren’t any glossy pages for him to drool over in either of these books.
Cunning and conniving their way through the political bloodstream are the hoaxsters and hucksters who are pumping the big lie filled with venomous, repercussions that will reverberate for many a day and coming year in the future.
Now, the snake’s tongue drips with equating [21] the scholarly research of critical race theory to the cross-burning, hate-filled, terror of the Klu Klux Klan.
Just pump the lie like a bellow and toss in anything about race into the mix and boy, oh boy the backlash gets going full steam.
And, of course those who want to believe or want to hide from the truth will just continue to drink that narcotic cocktail of amnesia and anesthetic.
Is it compliance or is it just happenstance?
Duplicitous amnesia is the kind that is a putrid half and half. One part is being a well used instrument for self benefit with the second part of becoming pied pipers of leading lemmings, who crave direction; no matter how bat-crap crazy it is.
In some ways, those who are dredged in duplicity aren’t as pernicious as persons who are whistling with clueless abandon.
Oblivious amnesia comes from those who think history is just one of those things. You know, just happenstance that has been going on around them for all these years.
Say a polite and gentle howdy to ‘Lily Belle’ and ‘Beauregard’.
With the way things are in the current time, I the name for her could have be ‘Karen’, but, I decided to go old school (or should I say Old South) with ‘Lily Belle’. As for his name, well, ‘Beauregard’ just fits past, present and future.
It seems to me that every ‘Lily Belle’ and “Beauregard’ is under the consistent illusion that all is fine, bleached and right in this country. Of course, for them it is, as it always has been and remains. For them, no matter what happens, they’ll come out smelling like a rose. Maybe even a yellow rose of Texas.
For every law which expands, there are the subsequent actions in law and practice which are constrictive. For every action, there is reaction.
Past is present as present is past. As for what comes in the future, we hold that in our hearts and hands. If we truly want to honor that which is from years ago, we have to be honest. Or, should I say ‘critical’.
My history! Your history! American history is OUR history!
Republicans are going around flapping their gums in saying that the ‘Left’ are not talking enough about America progressing forward from the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the racist past is pitiful.
My retort to them is that progress is not blindness to the sometimes fouled nature and history of this country. Oh yes, we have come far from the past. Of course, that is true. But, the United States of America is not whole in the present moment.
“I fought for freedom abroad even though it was ripped away from me at home.” – Hughes Van Ellis, 100 year old survivor of the Tulsa Massacre of May 1921 and brother of Viola Fletcher
So, when a puissant politico who pays for his jollies via Venmo [22] spews his insurrectionist, conspiracy concocted bile over an academic theory he wouldn’t know if it bit him on his ‘Beauregard’ backside dares to lead with a glass jaw on the issue of racial truths in this country; he should be more concerned about having a good criminal lawyer on speed dial and checking how the color orange will look on him in the days to come.
But, oh no, I can’t stop yet and end just on critical race theory and how it’s being bastardized by those of a certain ideology to their clawing for power. As there is another thread which connects all the patches of the American quilt together – voting rights.
The story of America is on a constant continuum, as is the perception and reality of equality and justice.
One citizen’s free and fair election is another citizens’ submersion into a twisted quagmire of bamboo [23] fibers and table-spinning of ballots in an ass-backward carnival of a so called ‘audit’.
Taint of the big lie didn’t cease the moment a new hand took an oath. The repercussions of what was done before, during and after the election cycle of 2020 is one which will haunt this nation for longer than this author and readers of this article shall exist.
In the present, along with a flurry of bills [24] attempting to restrict voting rights across the country, there are two pieces of legislation to strengthen voting rights that under debate in the Congress. First bill [25] is the For The People Act, which is a comprehensive bill to pre-empt various state voting and election laws. Second bill [26] is The John Lewis Voting Rights act which focuses solely on restoring and reinforcing the 1965 Civil Rights Act.
The first of the two bills has hit a roadblock to a speedy passage to becoming a law, because of a single-focused reverence of an obsolete senatorial procedure. And, the thing about it is, is that the lines of ideology are not even what this hold-up is in getting those two laws passed in the United States Senate.
Some people are clinging to the filibuster as if it were handed down from the mountaintop and treated as if it were some religious artifact or orthodoxy. To love a technical procedure which isn’t even in the Constitution over a human right reflects on a politician’s arrogant affection for their elected moniker of the moment.
To those with the D after their name in the political class that have manifested the filibuster [27] as their lord and master, they better know that life is beyond the hallowed halls of the Congress and the stuffy backrooms of political contributors. Nobody and nothing happens in a vacuum. And, maybe just maybe when they come a’ callin’ to be re-elected those on the left might have amnesia of checking the box for them to stay in power.
One needs to clear their mind of that cobweb of contradiction and get a perspective in the fresh air of seeing what is going on around them in this country.
Just like Republicans, there are Democrats who are in the lane of ‘Lily Belle’ and ‘Beauregard’ who are the types of people who will always be fine; no matter if their constituents will be disenfranchised and diminished in the legal arena, as they too can preen for the spotlight with a smirk of similarity on their faces just like ‘Florida Man’.
These men and women must choose which do they respect more; a technical procedure which has an odious lineage behind it or the blood, sweat, tears, and triumphant stride of citizens. Affection for an institution should not have more of a standing than the events that are occurring simultaneously to undermine voting rights protections.
Yet, that distasteful brew of amnesia and anesthesia is churned again and again by the (once) Grand Old Party in need of proving their fidelity to a person no longer in the house of white. Yet, to me, sadly it seems because of that color’s classification and the perception all which it entails in the social order of political standing and power in this country, may be the last gasp of building an impenetrable wall of judicial and elected officials set in place as umpires of inequality based solely on a supremacist ideology.
“Talk of brotherhood and “tolerance” (are we merely to “tolerate” one another?) might once have had a cooling effect, but increasingly it grates on the nerves. It evokes contempt not because the values of brotherhood are wrong–they are more important than ever–but because it just does not correspond to the reality [28] we see around us. And such talk does nothing to eliminate the inequalities that breed resentment and deep discontent.” – Bayard Rustin, civil and human rights activist
In fact, some who stand in the way of moving forward try to numb us into silence over the words and actions they take. I find this as an anesthetic effect. You know, it becomes a kind of fuselage of tossing so much stuff at the American citizens that at some point those in positions of power cross their fingers and hope they’ll slide through unscathed from scrutiny.
Take for example something that should be a moment of unity in bringing us all together in recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
As the Juneteenth bill’s passage was on the verge of not getting unanimous consent in the United States Senate, one person who has been a hawker of the big lie and cradler of whacked out conspiracies finally gave his tepid blessing for it to be sent off for signing into federal law by President Biden.
He is Republican Ron Johnson, Senator from Wisconsin. His amnesiac act over the insurrection of January 6th 2021 being recounted as the mob madness being just an overblown media story by the left-wing seems not out of the ordinary for him. But, his anesthetic arrogance over being on hand for this year’s Juneteenth celebration [29] in Wisconsin, as if the people’s senses have dulled and their memories were wiped clean, truly takes the rotten cake of this right-wing Senator.
As I was doing the research for this article, one thing that I could not avoid was the thing about timing. Timing of history. Timing of action. Timing of reaction. Timing of injustice. Timing of recognition. Timing of justice. Timing of reckoning. History never stops, nor does the timing or vastness of the interconnections of the people of this country.
“We need to advocate for an accurate history.” – Opal Lee, Grandmother Of The Juneteenth Movement
Juneteenth 1865 (156 years ago)
Tulsa 1921 (100 years ago)
Emmett Till (65 years ago)
Medgar Evers (58 years ago)
Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman (57 years ago)
George Floyd (1 year ago)
Juneteenth is a moment to celebrate, commemorate and give honor to the determination of the long journey to national recognition. But, as the years will pass by, my hope is that it doesn’t become transformed from a history learning exercise into some sort of diluted, advertising gimmick a la “Get Your Juneteenth Mattress On Sale at Manny’s Furniture Hideaway!”
Happy Juneteenth! Remember it beyond a single day on a calendar.
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“Juneteenth: Long Time Coming (But, Is It Too Late?)”- Footnotes
(1)White House Briefing Room (Juneteenth National Independence Act) –
Photography and Text by Abby Harris, Copyright 2021
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Floral Sunset
When I first looked at the syllabus for this class the assignment that I was the most afraid of was the individual project. I am not a confident person, I struggle with coming up with ideas and executing them, and overall it is very hard for me to be creative. It was only after I turned in my second assignment “ Get Vaccinated!” that I had a shred of an idea of what I would do for my individual project.
Professor Ward pointed out that even though I was highlighting the importance of getting vaccinated there was also an unintended theme of fashion in these photographs. This helped inspire and encourage my interest in fashion photography. Once I made the decision that I was going to shoot fashion for my individual project I went looking for inspiration in everything.
My girlfriend had recently purchased a sunset lamp from amazon and I saw the beautiful lighting it cast on her wall and I knew I wanted to include it in my project somehow. I made the decision that floral print clothing items would look best under this light and then I went about recruiting my friends to be models. For the shoot I picked everyone’s outfits, hair style, and makeup to keep it as uniform and professional as possible. Within every photo in this portfolio I wanted to highlight the floral clothing item as best as possible and have the sunset lamp add depth and intensity to each photo. One of the most difficult tasks of this photoshoot was directing and posing my friends but overall it was a good learning experience for me because after this project I now know I want to pursue fashion photography in the future.
This shoot taught me that I have a real passion for fashion photography and I have Professor Ward and his class to thank for pushing me to try this out.
After a year and two months, Philadelphia is about to lift all the restrictions put in place for COVID. I get my second Moderna Shot June 1st. I honestly am having a hard time wrapping my head around all of it to be honest. It was a Rainy Memorial Day weekend in the city. What better way to spend it than to inform people of some upcoming events, and other local small business re-openings.
We all have setbacks and I am healing from the entire year. I have no idea what the fuck I am doing now, but its working for me…
My lips and Botox…….. I wake up every day and am so happy I did it. because adulting Is hard, but we really do not have to look old anymore.
My idea of fun has changed so drastically, I think I am still discovering what new things make me happy.
Personally, I do not think I am ready to be in large crowds even after being vaccinated. While others slowly got to see more and more people, some never stopped what they were doing to begin with, and I am still getting used to being around 5-10 people again.
Be mindful that not all your friends will be running out the door to large events. That has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with their own comfort level, and their experience this year. more importantly feeling freedom again.
The beginning of summer always leads me to the pool..
I belong to a quiet & a party pool (balance).
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Aronimink Swim Club
Address: 1180 Dermond Rd, Drexel hill Pa 19026
I am fortunate to belong to Aronimink Swim Club in Drexel Hill with my parents. A much more subdued non partying pool, but it is a perfect pool if you have children. There is a large main pool with a connected baby pool, diving board, and a slide. There is a smaller adult pool which is nothing but peaceful. Downstairs from the pool deck is basketball, tennis, volleyball, BBQ stations, food to order, and a playground for kids. My father’s family has been a member there for as long as I can remember. He coached the diving team when I was a kid, and I was a swimmer. Generational membership was a real thing there is the 1960s- 1990s. Families with their great grandchildren and everyone knew each other. It still has that vibe today. Sometimes I complain about things feeling like I am stuck in the 1950’s, but something about the pool never changing kind of reminds me of a scene from Dirty Dancing. That type of nostalgia I am completely ok with.
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Vesper Day Club
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Vesper Day Club
Address: 1031 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia Pa, 19123
Located in Northern Liberties and a convenient 10 minute walk from my house . I have been a member here for a few years now. When I had a regular 9-5 job, I could not take advantage of how peaceful it is there during the week. I want to go when there is not a large crowd. It really satisfied my need for me time, and quite a few frozen Pina Coladas. The slushie drinks are lethal in the sun. Be sure to have many and stay hydrated. I do not remember a time walking out of there without being a shade darker, and a smile on my face.
The staff there this year is nice. Another reason I like going places when it is not crowded. There is nothing worse than a bad attitude.
The host Gia was informative about renting out the private cabanas with tv, seating, and your own private elevated pool. Perfect for birthdays and business events. There are two levels to the pool deck. If you want a quieter experience the upstairs lounges are nice as well. There is a DJ on the weekends and music playing around the pool daily. They also do networking and wellness events. Be sure to reserve your lounge, daybed, or cabana, and the time slot you wish to go on the website.
To receive 20% off your season membership please use my link on the website:
Fold Theory and their large group of like-minded friends held a live stream fundraiser totaling $5k to benefit Warehouse on Watts. Seeing communities of people coming together to save a venue is huge. After losing so many restaurants/clubs in the city; it would be nice to see more of this.
Friday 6/18 with Vicetone, Saturday 6/19 Dj Stevie J
Friday 6/25 Andrew Rayel, Saturday 6/26 Dj Spade
I have had some amazing nights here before the shutdown. One of my favorite nights at NOTO was Fisher; his parties never disappoint!
I highly suggest booking a table, so you have room to dance.
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Old City Tattoo
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Old City Tattoo
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Olde City Tattoo
Hours open 11am -7pm
Address: 44 s 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
P: 215.627.6271
IG: oldecitytattoo, jag13badluck
They will soon be open later Saturday and Sunday.
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I may not be ready for giant crowds, but I was however ready to finish my Alice in Wonderland half sleeve. Jason Goldberg is the owner and has been tattooing my whimsical dream since 2017. I finish my half sleeve in June, after starting it right before the pandemic hit. The funny thing is; when I was at Vesper Day Club two of the people had been tattooed there!. Jason has been in business for 20+ years Check them out if you are looking for ink.
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Brittany Goldberg
Heavy Metal Hair Salon
1604 E. Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia Pa, 19148
215.467.1757
Hours: Mon- Fri: 10-6, Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5
Brittany Goldberg is married to Jason. They are quite the creative hustling couple. She opened her hair salon in the middle of the pandemic! I must give her credit for jumping through all the city’s hoops and restrictions. The rainbow of bold colors that come out of the salon are quite breathtaking. I walked out a perfect dark to light ombre pink. I had tried to get this color for a long time, and no one was able to do it in one shot, or as bold as Brittany did. I will be back there after the city re-opens fully.
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Heavy Metal Hair is also Having an event on 6/6
The Sick66 Jewelry Pop-Up with special guest Necronomicharm
Independent Philly has been around for quite some time. They will be up and running again next week as well. I remember them running around the venues to get the perfect shots at all the shows. This was when you could go to three amazing events in one night in Philadelphia.
I think we were fortunate enough to live though the height of the Philly nightlife scene. I was chatting with Dave about it when I asked for this info. We have seen three cycles of venues here over the years. In each the dynamics were a bit different, but it is cool to see the change in the city.
The photographers working with him all take amazing photos. They have been recognized in one way or another for their creativity in capturing a moment.
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Dave Grohl. Foo Fighters. Photo: Dave Miller, Copyright 2021
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Dave has also created an NFT Interactive gallery storefront.
Dave has taken some of his photos and put them onto the Ethereum blockchain network. Creating an NFT (non- fungible token) store front. Which simply means it cannot be replaced with something else. If more creatives got together to learn this forward-thinking way of dealing art; there may not be so many starving artists in the future.
NFT’s are new to me so I am going to leave this link with the basics:
I write about Revive every chance I get to support women run businesses.
Not to mention you leave there feeling and looking like a goddess. I have my Botox, and lip filler done there. Aubrey has yet to disappoint me, although the entire staff is the nicest! There are no stupid questions, no mean girl attitude, and all the information you would want to know about your service. That is absolutely something to celebrate
. Aubrey also balances being a working wife, mom, and has a cool little guy at home to raise. The more I write about the small businesses here you really get to know the people behind them. I think that it is a big factor people do not always investigate when starting a business. What is your mission, and what kind of vibe are you giving off to the community?
I have been friends with Kevin for quite some time now. I am always floored at his creative energy, and ability to pick fabrics that look amazing on everyone. He took the time to hustle out in the pandemic and did pop-up shops, designed masks to go with his scarves, and coordinated a spring photoshoot in Rittenhouse Square for his line. The thing about Kevin that I love is; he is always changing and onto the next thing.
There is never a dull moment, and he is well respected in the Philadelphia arts community. The launch of his new website & Instagram events posted through the week. My grandmother told me no outfit was complete without a scarf. She was not incorrect .
Looking back, I know some amazing business owners that were able to maintain their shops. A few opened new ones in the middle of a pandemic & a shut down!!
Resilience in the face of anarchy is what we need to survive. People who live Alternative lifestyles that have different careers seem to be the ones winning. Also, empathizing with people going through it this year. We seem to be much better with this drastic change. If you are used to life not being normal, why would this be any different?
We adapt, grow, soften with every tragedy, help others win, and support the people who have made an impact on your life.
It is the effort we put into our lives that will direct us from here.
Good luck to all the businesses in the city about to fully open.
Happy Memorial Day!
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Katie Kerl: Summer of 2021
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Katie Kerl was raised in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. She is currently living in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Katie has a background in Psychology from Drexel University. She is a manager in the commercial/residential design field . Katie can be reached on Instagram @kerlupwithkate
When I first looked at the syllabus for this class the assignment that I was the most afraid of was the individual project. I am not a confident person, I struggle with coming up with ideas and executing them, and overall it is very hard for me to be creative. It was only after I turned in my second assignment “ Get Vaccinated!” that I had a shred of an idea of what I would do for my individual project. Professor Ward pointed out that even though I was highlighting the importance of getting vaccinated there was also an unintended theme of fashion in these photographs. This helped inspire and encourage my interest in fashion photography. Once I made the decision that I was going to shoot fashion for my individual project I went looking for inspiration in everything. My girlfriend had recently purchased a sunset lamp from amazon and I saw the beautiful lighting it cast on her wall and I knew I wanted to include it in my project somehow. I made the decision that floral print clothing items would look best under this light and then I went about recruiting my friends to be models. For the shoot I picked everyone’s outfits, hair style, and makeup to keep it as uniform and professional as possible. Within every photo in this portfolio I wanted to highlight the floral clothing item as best as possible and have the sunset lamp add depth and intensity to each photo. One of the most difficult tasks of this photoshoot was directing and posing my friends but overall it was a good learning experience for me because after this project I now know I want to pursue fashion photography in the future. This shoot taught me that I have a real passion for fashion photography and I have Professor Ward and his class to thank for pushing me to try this out.
