Family Legacy Project Archives

Behind The Scenes: Racquel Ward’s Baby Shower in LA

Behind The Scenes in LA

Racquel Ward, was invited to have a baby shower in LA and invited me and several other family members to enjoy the occasion. She booked us a fabulous place on AirBnb located at 336 Main Street in Venice. We checked in with Racquel’s partner Ryan and his son Roman who was planning to visit USC and UCLA, colleges he’s interested in attending after high school. The four of us got settled and took a walk down to the Venice Beach Skate Park where skateboarders were practicing their tricks while a magnificent sunset unfolded in deep red tones due to the fires recently in Malibu. It was a breathtaking moment for what would be a joyous few days in celebrating my daughter’s pregnancy. The shower took place in Baldwin Hills, at a lovely home hosted by Racquel’s friend, mentor and colleague .

This would be the first time I visited Los Angeles since 2018. I had mixed feelings about visiting in that this would be the first time I landed in Los Angeles since my friend and assistant Ed Simmons passed away. Every time over the past decade or so that I visited the West coast, Ed would be the first person I’d call. He was my eyes and ears on the ground in planning shoots, finding models and taking me to places I hadn’t visited in the past. The last time we spent quality time together in 2018 was when we took the train to Pasadena to see the Chambers Brother’s perform. We had a blast. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to drive by his old address in West Hollywood to pay my respects, but I did visit the Pacific Ocean where his ashes were dispersed along Venice Beach, just two blocks from where we were staying for a few days leading up to the day of the celebration on December 14, 2024.

The shower took place on a beautiful day in Baldwin Hills, at a lovely home hosted by a friend and colleague . Racquel started a tutoring business when she lived in LA and specializes in educational therapies for children who are neurodivergent. To learn more about Racquel Ward’s business and services, link here: https://thelearningspecialist.org/the-learning-specialists

Julian Gabriel Ward: The Hero In Me

Julian Ward: Indoor Champion, Marion Anderson Center, Philadelphia.

THE HERO IN ME

You pushed me hard

You lift me up

I smile today because of your love

You’re stuck in your head

Replaying the tape

Negative thoughts

That can’t be erased

The heart is broke

Cracked in half

Selfish and fearful

How long will it last

One day the hero inside of me

Will get me back

Where I need to be

No fear, no anger, no pity in me

Let go and let God know

I need him back

The hero that felt pain

Who fought his way back

About The Author: Julian Gabriel Ward is a professional soccer trainer and coach based in Philadelphia.

Racquel Ward: A Practical Artist

TW in his Elkins Park office. Copyright 2019

Making Money and Art in 21st Century Philadelphia

Philadelphia is expensive. That’s what grass-to-profit artists who have been in the game for 40 plus years will tell you about our transformed city. Consider this a public service announcement for artists of any age who are looking for stability. World-renowned and Philadelphia-based photographer Tony Ward has stuck around to see everyday life in Philly change and evolve. That means everyday life for an artist in Philly must change and evolve.

Since making money has always been the bane of the artist’s experience, Tony Ward has expanded into real estate development and education. At 63 and in his golden years, Ward has figured out the perfect recipe for a balanced life – selling art, securing property, and teaching at Haverford College in the Spring of 2020. A longtime professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Ward has chosen to sustain his creative lifestyle by working closer to home and continuing to illuminate his innovative skills through teaching photography to young artists at Haverford.

As a blogger, his well-trafficked websites tonyward.com, tonywardstudio.com, and tonywarderotica.com keep him busy publishing articles by a great supporting cast of creative writers including; A.H. Scott, Bob Shell, Katie Kerl, and Mikala Mikrut.

Through property development, Ward has recently created a stylish home for renters; making a beautiful, modern space in the historic Elkins Park neighborhood. The recent purchase and subsequent renovation has been a creative outlet for Ward. The project happily supports his photographic endeavors and allows room for his 5000 print photography archive to be stored at home instead of an offsite storage facility.

Artists of all ages, take note. Non-artists are doing it, why shouldn’t you? Better you in the neighborhood than a bank. Educate yourself on the bustling real estate market in Philly, sell your art whenever you can, and pass your knowledge onto the next generation – wherever you can.

About The Author: Racquel Ward is a writer and educational therapist living in Los Angeles. She holds a BA in Culture and Media studies and a BFA in Contemporary Music from the New School University – Manhattan, New York. Racquel also holds a Master’s of Science in Teaching. She has been published on ThoughtCatalog and most recently finished her first children’s book. To access additional articles by Racquel Ward, click here: https://tonywardstudio.com/blog/racquel-ward-expo/

Editors Note: This article first appeared at: http://dosagemagazine.com