Newspapers / Chowan University Student Newspaper / Oct. 1, 1978, edition 1 / Page 7
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Graduate Paints Mural Depicting History of ECU By Francine Perry ECU News Bureau GREENVILLE—If a picture is worth a thousand words, the 17x 12foot mural cover ing one interior wall of East Carolina University’s Whichard Building must be worth a million. The mural, painted by recent art graduate Phillip Harris of Hamlet and mounted on a wall of ECU’s Kate Lewis Gallery, il lustrates important highlights of East Carolina’s history. Harris, a graduate of Chowan College, is completing requirements for his degree at ECU. North Carolina Governor Thomas Jarvis is depicted in the lower foreground of the imposing mural, holding the shovel with which he formally broke ground in 1907 for what was to become East Carolina Teachers Training School. Behind him, less definitely portrayed are ranged shapes of persons present at that oc casion. Harris describes his work as a blend of “realistic and minimal abstract” styles, with some people and event brought into sharper focus than others. Those individuals who “played a signifi cant role” in the formation of East Carolina—Governor Jarvis; the school’s first president, Robert Wright; and early professors Kate Lewis, Herbert Austin and W.H. Ragsdale—are painted in a realistic portrait style, and are readily recognizable by Harris use of color and delineation. “Where figures were important as a group, emphasis was given to the group as a whole, and the individual figures are merely implied,” explained Harris. Such groups, significant as milestone, in clude the first graduating class, a row of young ladies with pompadour hairstyles holding their class banner. East Carolina’s first athletic team, the “Goblins,” is present also. Harris has relied upon architectural details as well as faces and figures in his work, two early buildings appear in detail, the Old Austin classroom building, now demolished, and Wright Building. Horizontal and vertical arrangments of balustraded stairs draw the eye upward to the top of the mural, where he has combined important architechtural details of the gallery’s interior. Since the mural is hung near the ceiling, the interior crown mouldings are repeated at the top of the painting. A series of large rectangijar side windows, ranged along the walls at right angles to the mural, are cmi- tinuded in perspective in ttie mural itself. Harris undertook the mural as a senior project while he was finishing his studies torward the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from ECU School of Art. For several months, Harris worked far in to the night, sometinoes all night long to complete the painting. Often, awed by the magnitude of his task, he deliberately took time out to study his unfinished work and just think about it. “I had to do some kind of inital action, Uke cleaning brushes or drawing, just any kmd of busy work to get some ideas flowing, ” he said. “And I had to discipline myself by setting deadlines to complete minor goals, a little at the time.” The completed mural wiU remain in East Carolina’s permanent collection as a memorial to people and events of the cam pus’ past. Harris will teach advanced and beginning painting classes at Sandhills Conununity College this fall, and eventually plans to resume his art studies at the graduate level possibly at New York University or at the Yale School of Art. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Mack Harris of 303 Entwhistle St., Hamlet. For October, 1978 Summer Is Busy Time Chowan students attending the tradi tional summer school session shared the campus with many different visiting groups this past summer. The Summer Camp Program attracted children and young people with interests in religion, music, athletics, cheerleading and conununity service. One of the largest groups was the Eastern Front Band Camp with over 400 students from Virginia and North Carolina in attendance. Perhaps the most spirited camp was sponsored the United States Cheerleader’s Association. Fifty-one girls, including a number from the im mediate area of Murfreesboro jmd Ahoskie, attended the special school. Professional Athletes Here Professional athletes were guests for the Concerned Athletes in Action camps for boys and girls, ages 11 to 17. These included professional basketball stars Bob Dan- dridge of the World- champion Washington Bullets and Geroge Gervin, the N.B. A.’s leading scorer of the San Antonia Spurs. Jack Dari(, AAU Karate Black Belt Cham pion, was also present to offer instruction to the campers. A String Workshop was sponsored by the college’s fine arts department. Also, for the first time, aKarate Can^) was held on campus and drew participants from as far as Florida. Champion Wrestlers Joins CKowon Squod Two Virginia high sc^iool state champions will play on tiie college wrestling team dur ing 197A-79. Coach Steve Nelson said Oiowan has sign ed Mike Neiland of Poquosin and Doug Saunders. Neiland was the Class A wrestl ing champ the past two years. Saunders captured the Class AA championship in 1977 when he wrestled for Carroll County High School in Woodlawn. He will transfer from a community college. Neiland wrestles in the 167-pound division and Saunders in the 119-pound. The wrestl ing team posted its first winning season last year. The Braves finished with an 11-6 record. The Braves finished third in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships. Nelson said Mike Ferrara of Mt. Holly, N.J. and Roger Randall of Rancocas, N.J., both who captured regional championships last season, will return. Reaching Out ... for Forever Right now you can reach out for forever. . . . It's not impossible or only limited to dreamers and poets. You don't have to be rich or famous if you know the secret of giving-yes, giving to help others. There's magic multiplier effect that continues into forever when you invest in others by giving to worthy causes. **The good that we do lives on...forever." Christian higher education for a young person is a lasting (forever) gift that can't be taken away. It endures! You can help give a forever gift to young people at Chowan College. Just imagine what wonders your gift might work and keep on working. Consider reaching for forever by making an endowed gift, a living trust, through your will or your estate. You can make a lasting gift which will keep on giving forever and that's a long, long time. It's easy to do. You can begin right now and we are anxious to help you. Limitless op portunities are open to you at Chowan College. Call me at (919) 398-4101 or write to me and I will personally share with you both opportunities and ways for you to reach out for forever. Bobby S. Cross Director of Development Chowan College P.O. Drawer 37 Murfreesboro, NC 27855 I wont to do my shore to aid future geoerations and to insure the continuity of Christian higher education through Chowan Col lege. I would Hke to know more obotrt; Forever gift opporturUiies ^ bequest through my will _A living forever trust _A special endowed fund Name- Address- Telephone- PAGE SEVEN
Chowan University Student Newspaper
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Oct. 1, 1978, edition 1
7
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