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While still in art school, Stephen VERONA had one of his photographs selected by Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

After graduating, he eventually became co-creative director of Ogilvy & Mather advertising where he worked closely as Art Director and Producer with copywriter and Chairman David Ogilvy.

Having met John Lennon on location in England while directing a TV commercial for Ford, Verona created what are now called Music Videos. People Magazine said that he was the grandfather of Music Video. He directed the first two for the Beatles, then followed them up with videos for Barbra Streisand, Chicago, Simon & Garfunkle, Johnny Cash, Leonard Bernstein, Liza Minelli, Mick Fleetwood, Natalie Cole, Boy George, Santana and a hundred other world renown recording artists.

He was the protégé of famed acting teacher and actor Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio director’s unit.

By the time he was 27, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his live action short film, “The Rehearsal,” which he created, produced & directed.

Not satisfied with commercials or videos, Verona moved on to write, produce and codirect his first feature film, “The Lords of Flatbush”. This is the film that launched the careers of Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler, and Richard Gere, who were all discovered by Verona. It also created the song writing career for Paul Jabara and gave Joe Brooks his first film sound track. Both went on to wins Oscars for “Last Dance” and “You Light Up My Life” respectively.

Verona went on to give Gladys Knight her first acting role in “Pipe Dreams” which led to 2 Golden Globe Nominations: one for New Star of the Year and one for Best Original Song, “So Sad the Song”. He came full circle with Lee Strasberg when Lee and Ruth Gordon and Janet Leigh starred in Verona’s powerful motion picture “Boardwalk”.

All during his film making days, Verona always photographed and painted.

His paintings and photographs are in important collections and museums throughout the world. In 2008, the Getty Museum acquired his photography for their permanent collection. He has won over 100 Awards for his work. In 2009 he was invited to join an exclusive group of artists from around the world for an Audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican for His address to artists. This is the first time a Pope has hosted artists in the Sistine Chapel since the Renaissance, and a major validation of Verona’s work.

Vanity Fair Magazine has said of his “Holy Men – Medicine Men – Mad Men" gallery exhibit: “Stephen Verona’s work recalls the greatness of Steichen and Weegee with all of the passion of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. A Must see!” As he likes to say about himself:

“Sometimes I write my pictures, sometimes, I photograph my pictures, sometimes, I paint my pictures, and sometimes I make a movie of my pictures. In the end I guess you could call me a picture maker”.

Andy Warlhol III, 1977 Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 12 x 18 Lithograph 40 x 60 Mural, Chromogenic Print, edition of 10 Andy Warhol III	Andy Warhol Signing Can, 1977 Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 12 x 18 Lithograph Andy Warhol Signing Can	Andy Warhol Solarized, 1977 Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 12 x 18 Lithograph Andy Warhol Solarized
Andy Warhol, Coming Out of Can, 1977 Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 12 x 18 Lithograph Warhol, Coming Out of Can	Andy Warhol Signing IX, 1977 Chromogenic Print 12” x 44”, edition of 20 Andy Warhol Signing IX	Andy Warhol, 1977 Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 12 x 18 Lithograph Andy Warhol
Roy Lichtenstein, 1977 Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 12 x 18 Lithograph 40 x 60 Mural, Chromogenic Print, edition of 10 Roy Lichtenstein	Helmut Newton, ca. 2002 Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Helmut Newton	Andrea Bocelli, 2009 artists reception, Sistine Chapel, Rome, Italy Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Andrea Bocelli
Charlie Mingus, 1972 in recording studio Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Also available: 40 x 48 Mural, Silver Gelatin Print, edition of 10 Charlie Mingus	Johnny Cash, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Johnny Cash	Lee Strasberg & Ruth Gordon, 1978 set of “Boardwalk” Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Lee Strasberg & Ruth Gordon
Barbra Streisand, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Barbra Streisand	Barbra Streisand & Bella Abzug, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Streisand & Bella Abzug	Percy Faith, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Percy Faith
Liza Minelli, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Liza Minelli	Carl Perkins, 1972 set of music video, recording studio Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Carl Perkins	Stallone & Gere, 1972 during rehersal, “Lords of Flatbush” Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Stallone & Gere
Lords, Full Figure, 1973 set of “Lords of Flatbush” Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Lords, Full Figure	Henry Winkler, 1973 set of “Lords of Flatbush” Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Henry Winkler	Clive Davis, 1970 Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Clive Davis
Mick Fleetwood, 1983 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Mick Fleetwood	Donny Hathaway, 1972 UCLA Concert Hall, Los Angeles Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Donny Hathaway	Edgar Winter, Profile, 1972 set of music video, live in concert Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Edgar Winter
Natalie Cole, 1983 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Natalie Cole	Al Kooper, 1970 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Al Kooper	Richie Foray / Poco, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Richie Foray
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show 1, 1972 set of music video Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show	The Byrds, 1972 Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 The Byrds	Chicago, 1970 in concert, NYC Archival Ink Jet Print, Matte 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Chicago
Jeff Beck II, 1972 Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Jeff Beck II	Sen. Kennedy & Cardinal Spellman, 1965 St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Sen. Kennedy & Cardinal Spellman	Pope Benedict, 2009 artists reception, Sistine Chapel, Rome, Italy Archival Ink Jet Print, Gloss 13” x 19”, edition of 20 Pope Benedict