Page 360 - index
P. 360
M
A OTHER’S L EGACY
As we revisited Ellen’s legacy, we spoke with her
family about her personal journey as an artist, wife and
mother. Her husband Joe and son Raphael helped us to
relay the following account:
When the Tiberinos were newlyweds, they moved
to the Powelton Village section of Philadelphia. Teir
home was always an organic, artistic entity. Te space
that Ellen and Joe Tiberino shared has been a “living,
Joe and Ellen Powell Tiberino.
breathing piece of artwork” for the past 35 years. Also,
If you never met artist Ellen Powell Tiberino, then it has been a museum for numerous years. Pennsylvania
surely you missed one of the most striking, personable It took time for our customers’ growing artistic Governor Edward Rendell issued a proclamation that
and creative ladies that we have ever known. Ellen (that’s appreciation to connect with the sensibilities Ellen placed their home on the Registry of Museums.
what we called her) had eclectic and eccentric taste. Her conveyed in her work. Also, Ellen’s art was costly,
style was manifested in everything she touched: her art, relative to African-American art prices at the time. As Ellen was a serious artist. Joe says that no one
home, clothing and conversation, for example. a result, our customers bought her work slowly at frst. artist, in particular, infuenced his wife. However, she
gravitated to Italian painters, especially those who were
Although Ellen was very ill when we met her in the When she made prints available, and subsequently more obscure (e.g., Andrea del Sarto, Vittore Carpaccio
late 80s, she would walk from her home to October allowed OG to publish graphics for her, our buyers and Ambrogio Lorenzetti).
Gallery (two blocks away) on some Saturdays to sign her responded favorably to these afordable products. Te
graphic art and talk to customers. She never complained prints increased her exposure, helped to accelerate the Although Ellen’s art was diverse, many people saw
about her illness, but would share her experiences and learning curve of her art and hastened the demand for her art through myopic eyes. Skilled at capturing the
her courage in dealing with the pain she endured as if her originals. essence and struggles of Black people, Joe refected,
“Having the ‘Black artist’ label is labeling and limiting,
it were news of someone else. Ellen had the ability to In 1992, at age 54, Ellen transitioned from this life.
teach without preaching and to discuss her point of view An excerpt from Ellen’s obituary, which appeared in the but Ellen’s paintings illustrate a good ‘recording’ of
frankly without burdening her listeners. We always Philadelphia Inquirer, is included below: Black history that transcends the label.”
looked forward to her visits and her artistic chapeau
(hat) and fashionable garments. “I paint life and life is not always beautiful,” she [Ellen]
said in a 1988 interview. In recent years, she did many
Some say that Ellen’s pencil, pastel and oil paintings pastel and pencil works from her hospital bed. “She never
were haunting and mysterious. Tat is to say, there was stopped working,” said Evelyn Redcross, a friend and one
so much honesty and power in each rendering that of the principals of the October Gallery in the city. “Her
viewers might have needed to set aside time to examine hospital rooms were full of pictures. She really fought the
themselves on an emotional level––Ellen’s immediate fght. She had a strong character and she prevailed as long
truth could hit hard. Perhaps her illness, refected in as she could. Few people could match her courage. Her
her philosophy, encouraged her to cut to the chase. work was very dramatic. She very often was able to show
you the other side of midnight. She was able to show you
Perfect Day by Ellen Powell Tiberino.
the sides of life that you may not want to deal with.”
360 361
A OTHER’S L EGACY
As we revisited Ellen’s legacy, we spoke with her
family about her personal journey as an artist, wife and
mother. Her husband Joe and son Raphael helped us to
relay the following account:
When the Tiberinos were newlyweds, they moved
to the Powelton Village section of Philadelphia. Teir
home was always an organic, artistic entity. Te space
that Ellen and Joe Tiberino shared has been a “living,
Joe and Ellen Powell Tiberino.
breathing piece of artwork” for the past 35 years. Also,
If you never met artist Ellen Powell Tiberino, then it has been a museum for numerous years. Pennsylvania
surely you missed one of the most striking, personable It took time for our customers’ growing artistic Governor Edward Rendell issued a proclamation that
and creative ladies that we have ever known. Ellen (that’s appreciation to connect with the sensibilities Ellen placed their home on the Registry of Museums.
what we called her) had eclectic and eccentric taste. Her conveyed in her work. Also, Ellen’s art was costly,
style was manifested in everything she touched: her art, relative to African-American art prices at the time. As Ellen was a serious artist. Joe says that no one
home, clothing and conversation, for example. a result, our customers bought her work slowly at frst. artist, in particular, infuenced his wife. However, she
gravitated to Italian painters, especially those who were
Although Ellen was very ill when we met her in the When she made prints available, and subsequently more obscure (e.g., Andrea del Sarto, Vittore Carpaccio
late 80s, she would walk from her home to October allowed OG to publish graphics for her, our buyers and Ambrogio Lorenzetti).
Gallery (two blocks away) on some Saturdays to sign her responded favorably to these afordable products. Te
graphic art and talk to customers. She never complained prints increased her exposure, helped to accelerate the Although Ellen’s art was diverse, many people saw
about her illness, but would share her experiences and learning curve of her art and hastened the demand for her art through myopic eyes. Skilled at capturing the
her courage in dealing with the pain she endured as if her originals. essence and struggles of Black people, Joe refected,
“Having the ‘Black artist’ label is labeling and limiting,
it were news of someone else. Ellen had the ability to In 1992, at age 54, Ellen transitioned from this life.
teach without preaching and to discuss her point of view An excerpt from Ellen’s obituary, which appeared in the but Ellen’s paintings illustrate a good ‘recording’ of
frankly without burdening her listeners. We always Philadelphia Inquirer, is included below: Black history that transcends the label.”
looked forward to her visits and her artistic chapeau
(hat) and fashionable garments. “I paint life and life is not always beautiful,” she [Ellen]
said in a 1988 interview. In recent years, she did many
Some say that Ellen’s pencil, pastel and oil paintings pastel and pencil works from her hospital bed. “She never
were haunting and mysterious. Tat is to say, there was stopped working,” said Evelyn Redcross, a friend and one
so much honesty and power in each rendering that of the principals of the October Gallery in the city. “Her
viewers might have needed to set aside time to examine hospital rooms were full of pictures. She really fought the
themselves on an emotional level––Ellen’s immediate fght. She had a strong character and she prevailed as long
truth could hit hard. Perhaps her illness, refected in as she could. Few people could match her courage. Her
her philosophy, encouraged her to cut to the chase. work was very dramatic. She very often was able to show
you the other side of midnight. She was able to show you
Perfect Day by Ellen Powell Tiberino.
the sides of life that you may not want to deal with.”
360 361
