The award was established in 2018 by ArtsWestchester, the African American Men of Westchester and the Salley family to celebrate the life and artistic achievements of Lawrence “Larry” C. Salley, an active member of the Westchester community. The eight photographers on view are:
Tom Atwood
"I decided to photograph LGBTQ Americans because I felt there was a need for a contemplative photo series of the community. Many LGBTQ series depict scantily-clothed young subjects romping through the forest or lounging on the beach. There was a need for a series highlighting our manifold personalities and backgrounds. And I wanted to create a body of work that would strengthen the identity of and be a source of pride for the LGBTQ community, as well as feature role models." - Tom Attwood
Billy Porter, Tony-Winning Actor from Kinky Boots, Jesus Christ Superstar, New York, NY (21st Century) by Tom AtwoodArtsWestchester
"My approach is a blend of portraiture and architectural photography, to illustrate that subjects and environments are a unified fabric. I shoot subjects at home because our natural habitats bring out our character. The LGBTQ person’s home is an extension of him/herself. And for a community sometimes obsessed with image and beauty, our living spaces can also be the ultimate in self-expression." -Tom Atwood
Marianne Campolongo
"More than simply prosaic images of a tomato plant, I conceived my “Resilience” series as a commentary on the many fights we are facing right now: fights for justice, against oppression, against the coronavirus, for racial equity, and for democracy. The monochromatic palette helps to focus your attention on the cracks in the eggshell as the young plant breaks away and grows toward the light, a symbol of hope that we will succeed in every one of these endeavors." -Marianne Campolongo
Toward the Light (21st Century) by Marianne CampolongoArtsWestchester
"Working in black and white lets me extract the essence of my subject, focusing my attention on the interplay of light and shadow." -Marianne Campolongo
Tranquil Tree (21st Century) by Marianne CampolongoArtsWestchester
"Working in black and white also draws attention to pattern and texture." -Marianne Campolongo
Collette Fournier
"Queen Mother Monica has summoned the children to hear from Queen Mother Oforiwaa and to present the neediest children in the Village with the 150 lbs of school bags and supplies brought on this trip. In October four barrels of school supplies were received by the Village." -Collette Fournier
Durbar Celebration (21st Century) by Collette FournierArtsWestchester
"A durbar is a cultural celebration with music, dance, and food especially when a new King or Queen is enstooled. Dancing in honor of the new Queen Mother, Iddy Mohammad (left) and Kwame Ras Pinto (right) perform the Bamaya, the spiritual rain dance done by men at the request of the gods. It is from the Dagomba people of Northern Ghana. The dance was in search of water during a long drought. The men, disguised as women, walked from the village square to the shrine as they got halfway there it started to rain." -Collette Fournier
Two Queen Mothers (21st Century) by Collette FournierArtsWestchester
"The Asantes are a matriarchal society where the Chief is chosen by the Queen Mother. Queen Mother Monica spends time with Queen Mother Yaa Oforiwaa when she returns to the Village for a visit in 2017." -Collette Fournier
Elijah Goodwin
"Lightbox Series" explores the beauty and crucial ecology of flowering plants along roadsides, trailsides, and in agricultural fields through arrangements of flowers and plant pieces on a light box that emphasize ecological associations. These frequently unsung and/or unnoticed plants can provide crucial habitat to pollinators and birds taking advantage of the edges of human-impacted landscapes. While celebrating the beauty of the plant material, each piece also tries to celebrate the ecological whole of the community or the anatomy and functional aspects of particular species or plant groups." -Elijah Goodwin
Falling Water- Bald River Gorge Wilderness, Tennessee (21st Century) by Elijah GoodwinArtsWestchester
Lightbox Ecology- Mid-June Buttermilk (21st Century) by Elijah GoodwinArtsWestchester
Wambaw Creek Reflections- Wambaw Creek Wilderness, South Carolina (21st Century) by Elijah GoodwinArtsWestchester
This image comes from Goodwin's series called “The Smallest Wilderness Project.” Through this project, the artist's aim is to visit and photograph all sixty-five federally designated wilderness areas under five thousand acres that are stand-alone units. His goal is to create a body of work that documents the uniquely American concept of wilderness and in particular this idea of small wilderness areas, which weren’t even conceived by the framers of the original Wilderness Act, which suggested parcels of over five thousand acres. What makes a wilderness, wilderness? Can some traditional wilderness characteristics be compromised while still giving visitors a sense of “true” wilderness? What is the value of wilderness in the first place? Goodwin's goal is to make the public aware of these issues with the hope that it will help the public understand the value of these often unique areas and garner greater support and advocacy for their preservation and management.
Maxima and Minima (21st Century) by Elijah GoodwinArtsWestchester
"In the series “Shapes Of Water” which celebrates all the wondrous mathematical, geometric, and flowing forms of water through in-camera multiple exposures. The multiple exposures are used to enhance and draw attention to the already existing patterns within flowing water, still water, and ice/snow. The goal of this body of work is to celebrate what a crucial and exquisitely beautiful resource clean water is and to encourage viewers to better appreciate the beauty around them." -Elijah Goodwin
Lisa Levart
"Goddess on Earth , my life long creative mission, celebrates contemporary women while drawing upon ancient stories to elevate their life journeys. Goddess on Earth illuminates the continuing relevance of archetypes and symbols. My collaborative process allows the subjects to recognize and give expression to their deepest selves." -Lisa Levart
Creation Story (21st Century) by Lisa LevartArtsWestchester
Hawk Woman (21st Century) by Lisa LevartArtsWestchester
"As a self-identified woman, artist and photographer based in the Lower Hudson Valley, my focus is on archetypal myths centered on the Divine Feminine. Through photography and digital manipulation, my artwork explores modern womanhood, ancient mythology and its interconnectivity with feminist, earth-based spirituality. Affectionately nick-named the “Annie Leibovitz of Goddesses,” my art reveals fierce and commanding identities grounded in larger narratives that weave together the personal and collective journeys of women’s lives." -Lisa Levart
Frank Matheis
"I don’t walk around claiming to be a big photographer. Mostly, I am just a music, arts and culture writer, and I photograph the people I meet along the way, but I take it seriously. I don’t make money with it. I try to dignify the people I photograph with the respect they deserve. I live in music. I photograph my musician friends. Many are famous, some are infamous and all are wonderful. Because these are my friends and brothers, I get behind the scenes, when we hang together, to laugh, drink and eat together. These are the people when they feel comfortable, with friends. My friends are mostly traditional blues musicians, keeping the African American folk traditions alive. The music has achieved international fame. These are great people to be respected. The real blues people are still struggling, but they stay true to their proud selves, their culture and their history. I am allowed to document. I am honored just to be a documentarian. I have exhibited and published my photographs in newspapers and magazines." -Frank Matheis
Adam Falcon (21st Century) by Frank MatheisArtsWestchester
Andrew Alli and Jontavious Willis (21st Century) by Frank MatheisArtsWestchester
Susan Richman
"For my series, Jenga, I’ve layered botanical and other materials, media and dyes on multiple sheets of glass that are separated by Jenga blocks. With each photo, created in camera, I feel that I too am creating Memento Mori to honor and memorialize insects and other small animals whose alarming decline due to habitat changes, pesticides, deforestation and global warming makes their recognition all the more poignant. The series is named for the game of stacked blocks that ultimately collapse as supporting blocks are removed, one by one. It’s not hard to imagine our world crashing down like the Jenga blocks as the supports necessary to sustain us are removed." -Susan Richman
Fallen Angel (21st Century) by Susan RichmanArtsWestchester
"During the Victorian era, photographs called Memento Mori were created to commemorate deceased loved ones. These photos, both beautiful and unsettling, exquisitely posed the dead in their finest clothes and surrounded by their favorite objects. The images were extremely popular in the mid 1800’s and were often the one opportunity to have a permanent likeness of a beloved family member." -Susan Richman
A Whirlwind of Activity (21st Century) by Susan RichmanArtsWestchester
"The Covid lockdown permitted me great deal of time in my garden and for long walks in the parks and Aqueduct trail near my home. I produced this series after observing the alarming decrease of the insect and small mammal population due to habitat changes. These observations made me want to celebrate nature and create Memento Mori to honor these endangered species." -Susan Richman
John Verner
"I made these photos in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. While some artists found this time to be uninspiring and depressing, I found this opportunity to be very creative." -John Verner
The Touch of Love (21st Century) by John VernerArtsWestchester
"The Touch of Love" is from the photographic series “Infrared Impressions". As the name implies, these images were created with a camera that was converted to make infrared photographs. Infrared images often have a surreal or mystical effect. Additional editing was done in post-production.
The Blue Princess (21st Century) by John VernerArtsWestchester
"I didn't have to worry about the health of the 'models' - and they were all very cooperative! When I look back on this project, there might have been an unconscious connection between cemeteries and COVID. However, I didn't think about this at the time. I was most interested in showcasing the historic and dramatic statues and architecture with the magic of infrared photography." -John Verner
Contributing Artists:
-Tom Atwood
-Marianne Campolongo
-Collette Fournier
-Elijah Goodwin*
-Lisa Levart
-Frank Matheis
-Susan Richman
-John Verner
Online exhibition curated by Logan Hanley, Gallery Manager, ArtsWestchester
*2021 Lawrence Salley Award Winner
