Monthly Archives: February 2016

Home

Home, Markeim Art CenterWayne Klaw, Disconnected (2016), archival injket, Home, Markeim Arts Center

HOME

by Laura Storck

This exhibit is truly a diverse collection of images based on the idea of “home” from the myriad viewpoints of 35 local photographers. To be honest, I looked forward to seeing others’ interpretations of this topic with incredible anticipation and intrigue.

Home, Markeim Art CenterRichard Montemurro, Cozy Corner (2016), pigmented archival inkjet print

“There are many items throughout our home that are photographable and from time to time have been photographed. Most of them have been taken for granted as household decorations or ignored until I decide to photograph some of them. Such is the case with these figurines, tucked away on a shelf in a dark corner of our living room, behind a table lamp. Often seen and taken for granted – until now.” – Richard Montemurro

Home, Markeim Art CenterMelissa Hellwig, Mabel (2015), digital photograph

Mabel by Melissa Hellwig: “Home is where the heart is and my heart is my beautiful daughter, Mabel. I took this photo during her monthly photo shoot when she turned 6 months old. She loves having her picture taken!”

What is home? According to the prospectus: “Home” will be a show of images that presents compelling photographs on any of the aspects or themes of “home”.  Images submitted should be those that the photographer connects to an idea of “home” – this is inclusive of any definition or personal connection and could be home sweet home, home run, home town, home stretch, homey, home free, home base, etc.

Home, Markeim Art CenterEllie Wright, Twenty Gammons Road (2012), laser print

“Twenty Gammons Road passed into memory February, 2012. Its passing was attended by its most recent resident as witness to the 94 years of shelter it provided beginning in 1918. Twenty Gammons Road is survived by the memories of life lived within its walls.” – Ellie Wright

Home, Markeim Art CenterChristine Foster, Joey’s House (2013). archival giclee print, shot on film with a Holga

Home, Markeim Art CenterPat E. Fitzgerald, Homemade Apple Pie (2015), chromogenic print

“Ever since I ate a piece of Carolyn’s homemade apple pie, I have not been able to eat one that is bought at a store, served in a restaurant, or homemade by anyone else. As you can see from the photo, the consistency of the crust enhances its taste, but what makes Carolyn’s apple pie so perfect is that every apple slice is deliciously soft–there isn’t one hard apple slice in the entire pie!” – Pat E. Fitzgerald

Home, Markeim Art CenterSandra C. Davis, Home Invasion-Stealing Fruit (2015), archival pigment print

“The Home Invasion series are images which will be published in book telling the story of old toys that have been put away in a box and left forgotten in the basement. They come to life and make their way out of the basement and into the home to begin making mischief while the humans sleep. Did you ever wonder how that piece of fruit ended up in the middle of the floor? Or what happened to that other sock? How did that book get knocked from the shelf? Perhaps they are in your home and are answer to those unsolved mysteries.” – Sandra C. Davis

Home, Markeim Art CenterErik James Montgomery, Home (1998), chromogenic print

“My friend and I participated in a community outreach at a housing project in Newark where residents received free food and clothing.  While there I noticed an elderly woman looking at us from a distance through her window. I was intrigued so I grabbed my camera and took the first photo. As I walked closer to the subject I saw all of the broken and boarded up windows in her building. Amazingly, she secured her windows with store grates! I’ve seen a lot of peculiar things over my life but having store grates inside someone’s apartment was incredulous.

I approached the senior and asked if I could take her picture. She obliged and then told me that she has lived there for over 40 years and has seen her community decline because of crime and drugs. I asked her why she doesn’t simply move away from there because it’s so dangerous. She replied, “Baby, I can’t leave, this is my home.” Her weighty words taught me that compassion plus commitment is the foundation of any community.” – Erik James Montgomery

When I was invited by curator Norm Hinsey to participate in the group photography show themed HOME at the Markeim Arts Center, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to participate. To me, the word home evokes ideas of a warm, fuzzy, safe, and nurturing place — also a place of which I have never felt connected. After much pondering, Billy Joel’s ballad “You’re My Home” came to mind. Yes, that’s it. This song resonates with me. Home for me is not a physical place, but a feeling. Relationships. Comfort. Self-acceptance. Authenticity. Love. “Look within yourself”, my inner voice whispered, “and you’ll find your meaning.”

Home, Markeim Art CenterLaura Storck, Revelation as a Wife and Mother (You’re so cramped here.), 2011, silver gelatin print

After much recollection and pondering, I realized that because of my nomadic spirit and constant cravings, the concept of home isn’t a place, it’s a sensibility. It’s the notion of feeling secure within myself.

My image “Revelation of a Wife and Mother (You’re so cramped here.)” was a decisive moment for me. Several years ago, I had just started a Holga camera and darkroom class at the University of the Arts and was playing around with the new detachable flash that had arrived in the mail. While watching a Serbian film with English subtitles made in the late 1960’s, I randomly snapped a photo while firing off the flash to figure out how it worked. It wasn’t until printing the enlarged 120mm film image in the darkroom did I hold a clear vision of what I had captured — not just a black and white image of my messy living room, but a snapshot which perfectly conveyed how I truly felt on that cool October afternoon in 2011.

Home, Markeim Art CenterAnne M. Ferara, Grandma’s China (2016), chromogenic print

“This image evokes memories of home and family gatherings.” – Anne M. Ferara

Home, Markeim Art CenterOla Wilk, Suzy (Walkersville, Maryland), 2014, chromagenic print

“Suzy, a proud teenage horse trainer and show competitor, at the entrance to a trailer on her horse farm in rural Maryland.” – Ola Wilk

Home, Markeim Art CenterSteve Tornone, Home-cooked Meal (2015), silver halide print

Home, Markeim Art CenterLionel Goodman, Home Sweet Home (2015), archival pigmented inkjet

“This photograph of a Roma (gypsy) was taken summer 2014 on the busy Paris left-bank boulevard, Rue Vaugirard. It is noteworthy that the photograph depicts a common Parisian street scene well before the Syrian migration. These (illegal) homes on the street frequently include tents, babies and even pets. Except for the Champs Elysees right-bank quarter they are generally tolerated by the police. These Roma encampments in Paris reflect a long standing internal European migration problem.” – Lionel Goodman

I draw much contentment and energy from the beautiful relationships I’ve formed over the years. Most of all, I’m learning to feel completely whole by allowing myself to pursue my deepest interests and passions without abandon — my art — thus evolving to self-actualization (finally) without judgment but with encouragement, patience, and pride. This is home to me — being comfortable in my own skin. I haven’t made it home yet but the journey is an interesting, poignant, and exciting adventure.

Home, Markeim Art CenterCollection of Norm Hinsey, Marvin’s Photo Album, Polaroid SX-70

Participating artists in HOME include: Anne Ferara, Ava Hartline, Blaise Tobia, Christine Foster, Dave Magyar, Ellie Wright, Erik James Montgomery, Geoff McClain, Gloria Whitney, Heather Siple, Hope Ardizzone, Joan Wheeler, Joel Blum, Joseph Gilchrist, Kate McGovern, Kevin Provost, Laura Storck, Lionel Goodman, Melissa Hellwig, Ola WIlk, Pat Fitzgerald, Peter Burt, Richard Montemurro, Ruth Haines, S Gili Post, Sandra Davis, Scott Johnson, Sky McClain, Steve Tornone, Susan Spitz, Valerie Williams, Vera Hinsey, Vera Resnik, Wayne Klaw, and Whit McGinley.

Curator Norm Hinsey is a photographer, as well as director of CREON Gallery in New York City. He has curated several shows at the Markeim, including  MYSTERIOUS, ALL NATURAL, INSPIRED, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, and PORTRAIT. CREON has recently shown a retrospective of photographs by Krzysztof Zarebski; and hosted EXPOSED, an exhibition that included work by Ellen Carey and Amanda Means exploring new and unique photographic processes.

HOME will be on exhibit at the Markeim Art Center, 104 Walnut Street
(Lincoln Ave & Walnut St) Haddonfield, NJ 08033
through March 5, 2016856-429-8585 info@markeimartscenter.org

Written and photographed by Laura Storck

Laura Storck Photography ARTIST. SCIENTIST. PHOTOGRAPHER. ROCK STAR.: https://laurastorck.wordpress.com/

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Billy Joel – You’re My Home (Live 1981)

Membership

Philadelphia Museum of Art Introduces New Membership Program for Artists

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is introducing two new memberships designed especially for artists. Starting this month, the Museum will provide a free lifetime membership to each of the approximately 2,000 living artists whose work is represented in the permanent collection. In addition, the Museum will initiate a new discounted Artist Membership, available to all working artists. To launch this program, the Museum is offering the Artist Membership at a reduced price from February 24-28, 2016, during the first five days of the major exhibition International Pop.

Timothy Rub, The George D. Widener Director and CEO of the Museum, said: “Artists are the heart and soul of any art museum, and we must recognize them as such. The Museum should always be accessible to them because they draw inspiration from our collections and, in turn, help us to inspire others.”

An Artist Membership is available for anyone working in any of the many media that are represented in the collection. Artists will be asked to show how they share their work with the public, at the time of the purchase of a membership. This can take the form of a website, Instagram account, Etsy page, Facebook, or publicity material from an exhibition. With the purchase of an Artist Membership, artists will receive unlimited free admission to the Main building, Rodin Museum, the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building, plus the two historic houses in Fairmount Park, Mount Pleasant and Cedar Grove, managed by the Museum.

The membership will provide admission and special exhibition tickets for all children (18 and under), previews of select exhibitions, members-only tours, trips to regional cultural attractions, programs presented by artists, curators, authors, and scholars, e-newsletters and a discounted $10 general admission for guests. Special parking rates in the Museum’s garage include the first hour free and $8 for the next four hours. Artist Members will also receive 10% off on Museum dining and shopping during every visit, a 20% off Store coupon, a 20% off Granite Hill restaurant coupon, and 20% reduction in the cost of educational programs and audio tours.

On Saturday, February 27, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will host an Artist Membership Welcome Lounge from noon until 5:00 p.m. Activities that day include a group photograph that is scheduled at 1:00 p.m. in the Great Stair Hall, and The Rose Susan Hirschhorn Behrend Lecture: Roadmap to International Pop, presented at 2:00 p.m. by Darsie Alexander. Ms. Alexander is the lead curator of the exhibition International Pop and Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Art. She will be joined by Erica F. Battle, the John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to discuss the ways in which Pop artists took the world by storm.

Artist Membership Rates

FREE Artists whose work is represented in the Museum’s permanent collection.

$40 One-year Artist Membership. (This membership is available for $25 if purchased at the Museum from February 24 to 28, 2016.)

On Saturday, February 27, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will host an Artist Membership Welcome Lounge from noon until 5:00 p.m. Activities that day include a group photograph that is scheduled at 1:00 p.m., and a lecture with Darsie Alexander Roadmap to International Pop, presented at 2:00 p.m.

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The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum. We are a landmark building. A world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.

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Invincible

April Saul, Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible, The List Gallery

April Saul, Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible, The List Gallery

William J. Cooper Foundation Sponsors Concurrent Exhibitions by April Saul, March 2—April 3, 2016.

The List GallerySwarthmore College500 College Avenue, McCabe Library Atrium,Our American Family, Swarthmore, Pa. 19081 Gallery hours: Tuesdays—Sundays, Noon–5:00 PM

Swarthmore College Libraries and The List Gallery are pleased to announce that they will host concurrent exhibitions of photographs by the preeminent documentary photographer,April Saul. Curated by Andrea Packard and Ron Tarver, the exhibitions will take place March 2—April 3, 2016 and are accompanied by a 60-page exhibition catalog. The List Gallery will feature Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible, which features approximately 50 images from Saul’s ongoing body of work documenting life in Camden, New Jersey. McCabe Library’s atrium gallery space will feature more than 25 photographs selected from Our American Family, a body of work that combines numerous series made possible through the artist’s ongoing connection to diverse individuals and families over years and even decades. McCabe Library hours can be found at: www.swarthmore.edu/libraries/hours. An Artist’s lecture will take place on Wednesday, March 2, 4:30 p.m. in the Lang Performing Arts Center Cinema.

The List Gallery reception will immediately follow, 5:30-7:00 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. A book signing and closing reception will take place in the List Gallery on Sunday, April 3, 3–5 p.m. Free copies of the exhibition catalog will be given to the first 100 visitors. These exhibitions, accompanying catalog, and related events have been funded through a generous grant from the William J. Cooper Foundation. Additional support was provided by Swarthmore College Libraries, the Department of Art, Swarthmore College, and the Kaori Kitao Endowment for the List Gallery.

For more than 35 years, April Saul has photographed American families as they confronted hardships such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, gun violence, addiction, and incarceration. Since 1980, when she became the first female staff photojournalist at The Baltimore Sun, she has provided new perspectives in a field that has not generally encouraged in-depth coverage of family relationships. Already acclaimed as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, her Swarthmore exhibitions and this accompanying catalog mark the first major presentation of her work in a fine art context. Through interweaving documentary, fine art, and social media practices, Saul advocates for underserved families and communities while creating images that are both moving and transcendent.

April Saul, Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible, The List GalleryApril Saul, Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible,The List GalleryGabriel Gambino “Bino” Crespo, whose father was murdered in Camden, 2013.

McCabe Library’s atrium gallery provides the opportunity to view several extended photo essays. The centerpiece of Saul’s McCabe Library exhibition, Our American Family, consists of selections from Saul’s many long-term photo-essays chronicling the trials and challenges faced by diverse families. Kids, Guns and Violence: a Deadly Toll consists of Saul’s written and photographic profiles commemorating each of the 24 children killed in the Philadelphia region by gun violence during a single year. Another series, Between Genders, portrays the experiences of Renee Ramsey, a Navy Veteran who was born anatomically male and pursued gender reassignment surgery at the age of 77.

April Saul’s List Gallery presentation, Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible, offers selections from her ongoing series of photographs chronicling life in that troubled city. Her images are alternately heartbreaking or uplifting: an anguished firefighter turning in her badge, a panoramic shot of a boxing tournament in the middle of a city street, an image of a girl playing in front of boarded-up homes. Striving to avoid voyeurism and objectification, she has developed relationships with individuals, families, and communities over time. Some photographs on display in the List Gallery were selected from the hundreds of images Saul has taken since 2014, when she became an embedded photographer at Camden High School.

As a participant-observer, Saul is careful to portray the successes that are often overlooked in the community. Saul publishes such affirming images, as well as sobering ones, on her Instagram feed and Facebook page, Camden, NJ: A Spirit Invincible. Online, community members not only view, download, and share Saul’s images but also provide their own commentary. Her Facebook page exceeded 95,000 views in one week. Thus, the photographs on display at Swarthmore College are part of an interactive and ongoing community dialogue.

Artist’s Biography

A Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist,April Saul made Camden, New Jersey her unofficial beat while working at The Philadelphia Inquirer, and has continued to document that community with the help of an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship and a National Press Photographers Association Short Grant. A graduate of Tufts University with an Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota, Saul became the first female staff photographer at The Baltimore Sun in 1980. She joined The Philadelphia Inquirer photo staff the following year. A single mother of two, Saul has won numerous honors for both her writing and photography including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the World Press Photo Budapest Award for Humanistic Photography, two Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism, and many awards in the Pictures of the Year International contest.

In 1997, Saul—along with Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Michael Vitez and photographer Ron Cortes—was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism for a series of articles on end-of-life care. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in both 1994 and 1987. In 1985, she was the first recipient of the Nikon/ NPPA Documentary Sabbatical Grant for her work on Hmong refugees, and over the course of her career, has been named Photographer of the Year by the NPPA Northern Short Course, the Pennsylvania Press Photographers Association, and the New Jersey Press Photographers Association.

Thank you to Raven Bennett, Swarthmore College Class of 2017 for the content of this post.

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Inspiration

Looking at Other Artists for Inspiration, Robert BohneFrederick John Mulhaupt, Gloucester, Sotheby’s

Looking at Other Artists for Inspiration

by Robert Bohne’

I discovered long ago in my career as an artist that painters, just like writers, can suffer from what I refer to as painters block. Trust me on this. Plenty of people have written on this subject, and what works for me may not necessarily work for you, but I’d like to share what I’ve found to be a very effective way to, not only work through this issue, but to push your work to the next level. And it’s totally painless. As a matter of fact, it’s actually fun.

I, like most if not all artists have times when I just can’t seem to produce. My solution is something that came naturally to me, and it’s quite possible that you deal with this issue the same way that I deal with it. A simple trip to a museum. If you’re lucky like me, you have a wide variety of museums in your area to choose from. It doesn’t have to be a major museum. As a matter of fact, some of the smaller museums offer an environment very conducive for an artists to relax and to meditate on the works of those who are considered to be the best of the best. Why a museum instead of a gallery? Galleries are great, and now and then you will find an exhibit of an exceptional artist who’s work you can relate to, but why not set your sites high?

Will you be able to learn more from studying the works of an up and coming landscape painter or from studying a Daniel Garber? Now you could argue that at one time, Garber was an up and coming landscape painter too. But the idea here is to look at the best of the best. If you’re fortunate enough to be in an area rich with museums, I would suggest that you find a specific artist, style or genre that you are interested in, and focus on that. For example, I’m interested in representational work, with a focus on landscape and cityscape. For representational landscape, I can visit the Brandywine River Museum. There I can study Garber, The Wyeth’s, William Lathrop, Redfield, and a host of others who’s work is good enough to be included in the worlds greatest collections.

Looking at Other Artists for Inspiration, Robert Bohne

The Poetry of Nature: A Golden Age of American Landscape Painting at Brandywine River Museum of ArtMarch 19, 2016 to June 12, 2016, Louisa Davis Minot (1788-1858)

I study the technique, the composition, the palette, I even study the matting and framing of works. After all, presentation should not be overlooked. Keep in mind that this works for any type of art. If your style is similar to Paul Cézanne, go to the Barnes Foundation. Marcel Duchamp? Go to PMA. The idea here is to study the work of those who inspire you.

There are other way’s of doing this too. A good collection of books on your favorite artists is always a good place to start. And let’s not forget a search of Google Images. I was recently studying the works of Frederick Mulhaupt, a turn of the century landscape painter who’s work I have always admired, in an attempt to discover what it was that made so many of his paintings appealing to me. Using the Google image search, I was able to see pages and pages of Mulhaupts, and I discovered a common denominator. The use of strong diagonals in his compositions. Something that I could look for in nature when choosing a scene to paint, and something that I can use when composing a painting.

And last, but certainly not least, you should surround yourself with art that you love. And this doesn’t have to cost a fortune. I’ve built a sizable collection of beautiful and inspirational artwork on a budget. Much of it bought at auction and at thrift stores. I’ve learned from years of experience that you should buy what looks to be exceptional work, regardless of whether or not you recognize the name of the artist. Quite often I buy works that are unsigned, and quite often I’ll find a signature or some other identifying marks that will help in identifying the artist. If it’s affordable and it inspires you, buy it. Even if it’s just a good reproduction.

Looking at Art for Inspiration, Robert BohneUnsigned drawing bought for $20 at auction. Signature found on back – Harry Becker (British 1865 – 1928), Collection Robert Bohne’

To sum it up, most of the accomplished artists that I’ve studied with have reached the same conclusion. That the most important thing an artist can do to advance his or her artistic ability, is the constant analytical study of great works of art.

Paint on. Robert Bohne’

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Walk

Philadelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryPhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryTheresa Stigale

Philadelphia Photo League’s Photo Walk Exhibition at the

National Realty Art Gallery

by Laura Storck

I recently attended the Philadelphia Photo League‘s Photo Walk Exhibition at the National Realty Art Gallery in Old City on First Friday — and WOW! This exhibition documents very beautiful and insightful images from neighborhoods across the Philadelphia area from the varied perspectives of members of the Philadelphia Photo League.  

Philadelphia Photo League at National Realty Gallery

Philadelphia Photo League at National Realty Gallery

Philadelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryPhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryMike Klusek, South Kensington (top}, Fitler Square (bottom)

Over the course of several months, the PPL documented several neighborhoods as part of an on-going photo walk series. The creation of the work was coordinated by the PPL’s “neighborhood expert”, photographer Mike Klusek. This impressive exhibit will be on display through early March.

Philadelphia Photo LeaguePhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryTrevor Mayo, Navy Yard

Philadelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryPhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryJudy Murray

Philadelphia Photo Society at National Realty GalleryPhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty Gallery, Jennifer Brinton Robkin

Philadelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryPhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty GalleryJano Cohen, Brewerytown

The history and mission of the Philadelphia Photo League (PPL):

The Philadelphia Photo League is a cooperative of amateur and professional photographers who have come together around a range of common social and creative causes. The League was founded in July 2012 by a group of Philadelphia area photographers / activists who are committed to social change through the use of documentary photography. Our core mission is to help civic organization drive change through the use of photography. Our organization was inspired by the historic New York Photo League which was active from 1936 to 1951 and included among its members some of the most noted American Photographers of the mid-20th century.  

In 1936 a group of young, idealistic photographers, formed an organization in Manhattan called the Photo League. Their solidarity centered on a belief in the expressive power of the documentary photograph and on a progressive alliance of ideas and what photography could become. A unique complex of school, darkroom, gallery, and salon, the League was also a place where you learned about yourself. One of its leading members was Sid Grossman who pushed students to discover not only the meaning of their work but also their relationship to it. This transformative approach was one of the League’s most innovative and influential contributions to the medium. Sixty years ago, the Photo League fell victim to Cold War witch-hunts and blacklists, closing its doors after 15 intense years of trailblazing – and sometimes hell-raising – documentary photography. From unabashedly leftist roots, the group influenced a generation of photographers who transformed the documentary tradition, elevating it to heady aesthetic heights. We hope to continue, and advance, this legacy.

We pursue our mission by creating a unique environment, where all types of serious photographers, using all types of media, can gather together to share knowledge, ideas and inspiration – plus enjoy a sense of community, while fostering positive change in our world.

The PPL is actively seeking members in order to actively contribute to it’s growth and influence.  If you are a devotee of documentary or street photography, and have an interest in social causes, consider joining today. The PPL is open to all photographers, from amateur to professional.

See their amazing work on the PPL Flickr page, check out the official blog , or follow them on Facebook.  The Philadelphia Photo League advertises their upcoming events via their meetup page: photo walks, classes, critiques, and exhibits, and photographing events to support and document social activism and awareness.  Monthly meetings are held on the second Friday of each month at CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia, at The Philadelphia Building, 1315 Walnut Street at 7 p.m.  Come meet the members of PPL, see their work and accomplishments, network, and socialize. I’ve been a member of the PPL for 2 years and I currently serve as an assistant event organizer and communications leader. Feel free to reach out to me or any of the other members of the PPL leadership team if you’d like to share any social causes or events that need promotion towards a greater awareness.

Philadelphia Photo League At National Realty GalleryPhiladelphia Photo League at National Realty Gallery

Written and photographed by Laura Storck

Laura Storck Photography ARTIST. SCIENTIST. PHOTOGRAPHER. ROCK STAR.: https://laurastorck.wordpress.com/

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