I'cbruary, 1970
THL COMPASS
PAGE 3
The Relevance of God
PROF OF THE MONTH
Immensely - occupied
with his duties as Art De
partment Chairman, and
as I’rofessor of Art, at
the Llizabeth City State
University, Dr. Vincent J.
de Gregorio, neverthe
less, still finds some
time to devote to the prac
tical phases of painting
in his studio in his iiliz-
abeth City home. Kecent-
]y, he completed a land
scape series of paintings
of the Pasquotank County
area, and of segments of
rustic Weeksville, in
North Carolina. These
canvases absorbed him
for some fifteen months
of what he refers to as
“periods of ‘off and on’
paintings,” whereupon he
has “painted and repaint
ed” arrangements until
he is completely satis
fied with them.
Several years ago, de
Gregorio concentrated on
the panoramic sights of
Lake Mattamuskeet and
its environs; with some
one dozen scenic vistas
of thickly-encrusted col
or, infused with emphatic
light and bright hues. The
largest canvas of the
latter series, “Harly Af
ternoon Still-life in Lake
Mattamuskeet Setting,”
was begun in the Lake
area, itself, and develop
ed to its completion in
his studio “with many
of my color sketches in
oils and pastels, and
drawings” as basic
guides, encompassing a
period of some 10 and
one-half months.
Through the years, de
Gregorio has revealed
an emphatic interest in
many aspects of painting,
including oils, tempera,
combined oils and tem
pera, pastel, and water-
color, Interestingly, he
prefers making his own
colors in large degree,
and only purchases a
minimum of manufactur
ed specimens. He feels
that the quality factor in
color - pigment usage
should be considered
as a “significant mat
ter by the professional
painter in developing.ap-
propriately, the ‘true col
or factor’ In a painting,”
In addition to easel paint
ing, de Gregorio is also
interested in mural ar
rangements, as well. Sev
eral of his murals are in
private collections, in
cluding those in the res
idence of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph R. Crain, Vien
na, Virginia; and else
where. His murals, like
his canvases, are in
fused with brilliant color
quality and a feeling for
light.
He has exhibited his
work extensively, through
the years, including
shows in New York City,
Philadelphia, Washing
ton, D.C. and elsewhere.
He has been the recipient
of numerous awards and
honors for work evolved
in all media in the realm
of painting.
I’he educational back
ground of de Gregorio
is extensive and long. He
was the recipient of the
Doctor of Philosophy de
gree from the Ohio State
University, in 1955. In
1951, he was accorded
the Master of Arts de
gree, as well, in the his
tory of art, from the Cath
olic University of Amer
ica; and a year earlier, he
completed all require
ments for the Bachelor of
Arts degree from Amer
ican University, in the
history of art and studio
art. From 1942 through
1945, he served in the
United States Army. Upon
his separation from the
Army, he was awarded a
Pulitzer Traveling Schol
arship of $1,500 by Co
lumbia University, New
York City. In 1941, he
was honored with a Tif
fany Foundation Fellow
ship for excellence in
art.
The artist- art educa
tor was presented with
numerous honors, as
well, when he was a stu
dent at the renowned Na
tional Academy of Design,
New York City, during the
years, 1934 - 1942, for
painting and drawing in
all phases and media.
While at the National A-
cademy of Design, he
was a pupil of Karl An
derson, Ivan 01insky,and
Gifford Beal. He had al
so attended the Art Stu
dents League, New York
City, studying under Ro
bert Brackman, Regi
nald Marsh, and John
Costigan, as well as the
celebrated anatomist,
George B. Bridgeman.
His professional ex
perience is extensive and
interesting. Since 1964,
de Gregorio has been
Chairman of the Art De
partment of the Eliza
beth City State Univer
sity. During the Summers
of 1965 through 1969,
he has been Director of
Art in the Public School
Workshops at ECSU.Dur
ing this period, he has
directed numerous art
(Continued on page 4)
By R. Irving Boone
University Minister
There is between man,
the creature, and God the
Creator, a relationship
that is immediate, mutual
and inseparable!
In this context, the
Psalmist speaks pointed
ly: “I will lift up mine
eyes unto the hills,whence
cometh my help. My help
cometh from the Lord.”
This immortal utter
ance expressed the deep
er emotions of universal
humanity, and gives voice
to the yearnings and con
victions of every human
heart.
“I will lift up mine
eyes unto the hills.”’
The hills - in all their
splendor, and majesty,
and loftiness - are sug
gestive ot the God of Cre
ation: a God of grandeur,
and beauty and greatness;
a God of order, and lov-
liness and completeness;
a God of strength, and
stability and power; a God
of vastness, and endur
ance and of eternity!
The thought emerges
that those who encounter
God and accept Him as
Lord and Christ become
themselves the benefi
ciaries of the eternal vir
tues; theirs become lives
that are beautiful, posi
tive, abundant!
Further, the point df
this scripture suggest
the fact of man’s total de
pendence upon a Higher
Being; it gives emphasis
to the fact of man’s reach
ing out for and man’s de
pendence upon that Su
preme Other.
It requires no
“stretch of the imagina
tion” to recognize and
appreciate this insepa
rable relationship be
tween God and man. Nor
does it require any pro
found wisdom of recog
nize that it is this bond
of relationship which
gives man his security
and his immortality.
Man the finite, God the
Infinite; man the frail
creature of a moment,
God the Everlasting - the
“same yesterday, today,
and forever.”
Man an “infant crying
in the night,” God the
Loving and Compassion
ate Father; man the
“empty pitcher,” God
the full fountain; man an
object of constant need,
God the All - Sufficient
One!
WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
i.
Mrs. Richards
Dr. Richards
Reception of Mr. and Mrs. Jerald Perry.
Betty Jean Blackburn
and John Russell Rich
ards were united in
matrimony on Friday,
January 30, 1970.
Dr. Richards teaches
Chemistry and Mathe
matics at E.C.S.U. His
employment began in Sep
tember, 1969.
Mrs. Richards is cur
rently studying graduate
course material in edu
cation at Ohio State Uni
versity. She will begin
employment in the de
partment of Education at
E.C.S.U. in April.
This marriage is of
particular interest since
it is interracial. Some of
Dr. Richards comments
about the interracial
marriage were:
"Once the nonsense a-
bout superiority of one
race over another dis
appears, the simple bio
logical fact will remain
that mutual attractions
between men and women
assuming other factors
are roughly the same,
are greatest between dif
ferent races. Prejudice
is really a form of ego
tism, where one places
oneself above other peo
ple.”
“Since apparently the
present definition of a
member of the Negro race
is anyone who has any
recognizable negroid
characteristics this sug
gests an interesting sol
ution to the racial prob
lem. Since a child from
a marriage of a member
of the V^ite race with
one of the Negro will al
ways produce children
of the negro race, then
through intermarriage,
everyone will eventually
be Negro.”
Shirley Bount and Jer
ald Perry were united in
.holy matrimony January
17, 1970.
Mrs. Perry is a senior
majoring in Social Sci
ence. She is doing her stu
dent teaching at Moore
Jr. High, Elizabeth City.
Mr. Jerald Perry is an
IBM specialist on E.C.S.
U. staff,
Mr. and Mrs. Perry
are residing in Eliza
beth City.