Ellen Powell Tiberino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellen Powell Tiberino
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| Born | 1937 |
| Died | February 28, 1992 (aged 54–55) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Tiberino |
| Children | Raphael Tiberino, Ellen Tiberino and Gabriele Tiberino |
| Awards | Cresson Traveling Scholarship |
Ellen Powell Tiberino (1937 – 1992) was an amazing artist. She created art that showed the spirit of African American life. Her artwork often explored themes like African American history and daily life. She also painted many pictures of girls and women, showing them in different parts of their lives, like being pregnant or a mother.
Ellen's art was shown in many places, especially in Philadelphia and New York City. Some of her drawings and paintings are kept in important places like the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A museum director named Anne d'Harnoncourt really admired Ellen's art. She said Ellen was great at showing people's true feelings and that her lines were "alive and forceful." Many people called Ellen Powell Tiberino Philadelphia's "top African-American woman artist."
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Ellen Powell Tiberino's Life Story
Ellen Powell was born in 1937. Her parents, William and Queenie Powell, were farmers. They moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Cape Charles, Virginia, just a few weeks before Ellen was born. When Ellen was 12, she became a Catholic.
She went to Overbrook High School. After that, she studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1956 to 1961. In 1959, she received a special award called the Cresson Traveling Scholarship. She was only the second Black woman to get this award. She used the scholarship to travel around Europe. After her travels, she lived in New York City for six years.
In 1967, Ellen married Joseph Tiberino. He was also an artist from Philadelphia. Joseph went to the University of the Arts. Ellen and Joseph had three children: Raphael Tiberino, Ellen Tiberino, and Gabriele Tiberino. All three of their children have also become well-known artists in Philadelphia.
Ellen Powell Tiberino passed away in 1992. She had been battling cancer for fourteen years. Even when she was very sick and had to stay in bed, she kept creating art. She told her husband, "I'm trying to work fast because I don't have a lot of time left." Some of the pictures she painted of herself later in life are similar to the famous artist Frida Kahlo's work.
Art About Important Events
Ellen Powell Tiberino's art often explored serious topics. She showed parts of life that people might find difficult to think about. Evelyn Redcross, from the October Gallery, said that Ellen "was able to show you the sides of life that you may not want to deal with."
One of her most talked-about artworks was a large sculpture. It was seven feet tall and called The MOVE Confrontation. Ellen and her husband created this piece after a sad event in 1985. This event involved a group called MOVE, where five children died. The sculpture showed people on fire. It also showed Mayor W. Wilson Goode, shocked onlookers, and a mask representing death. When the sculpture was shown at Temple University, some people found it upsetting. Mayor Goode's daughter was reportedly very distressed by it. Ellen Powell Tiberino explained her art by saying, "I paint life, and life is not always beautiful."
Ellen Powell Tiberino Art Museum
In 1999, Ellen Powell Tiberino's home became a museum. It is located at 3819 Hamilton Street in the Powelton Village neighborhood of Philadelphia. The museum is called the Ellen Powell Tiberino Memorial Museum of Contemporary American Art. It also includes a large courtyard area.
Ellen's husband, Joseph Tiberino, said they wanted to show art by other artists too. They planned to have special exhibits and a permanent collection of art by Ellen's friends and fellow artists. The museum displays Ellen's paintings alongside art from her family and friends. This helps people see her work in its natural setting, which is a mix of different styles and ideas, often with religious themes and showing both Black and white cultures.
Tiberino: The Art of Life Film
A filmmaker from New Jersey, Derrick Woodyard, worked with Joseph Tiberino and other family members. They created a full-length documentary film about Ellen and the Tiberino family. The film is called Tiberino: The Art of Life.
Art Exhibitions and Shows
Ellen Powell Tiberino's art was shown in many places. Here are some of her important exhibitions:
- In 1966, Ellen was one of 12 local artists in a show called "Exhibition of Contemporary Negro Art." It was held at the William Penn Memorial Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Other artists from Philadelphia in this show included Moe Brooker and Leroy Johnson.
- In 1992, her prints were part of an exhibit at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Other Black artists in this show included Howard N. Watson, Roland Ayers, Benjamin Britt, Robert Jefferson, Columbus P. Knox, Tom McKinney, Cal Massey, Joseph Holston, and Sam Byrd.
- Her very first solo art show was in 1977. It was the first solo show ever featured at the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum. This museum is now known as the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
- The Unflinching Eye: Works of the Tiberino Family Circle was a big exhibit. It showed 50 years of art by the entire Tiberino family. This exhibit was at the African American Museum in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2014.
- Ellen Tiberino's work was also part of the 2015 exhibition called We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s. This show was held at the Woodmere Art Museum.
Images for kids
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Ellen Powell Tiberino, a talented artist.
