While some planned for their future at the Involvement Fair last Friday, Sept. 14, artist and professor Vincent DiMattio reflected on the past 50 years that he has spent at the University with his new art gallery’s opening reception,
“Vincent DiMattio/50.” DiMattio’s work was on display at the DiMattio Art Gallery in Rechnitz Hall, Ice House Gallery, and the Pollak Gallery.
Friends and family came to the reception at the DiMattio Art Gallery to celebrate the achievements of DiMattio, who had played a large role in the lives they lived in and out of the University.
I wandered around the gallery to admire the art work of a professor who had so much passion for the job he has, educationally and artistically.
DiMattio has the touch of incorporating his own opinions and emotions through his art in a humorous way.
From the attitudes and remarks of his peers, DiMattio has quite the sense of humor, most of which is self- deprecating.
It’s worth checking out the Pollak Gallery, because some of his best collage work is there.
The University is not the only place where the artist has flourished; more of his artwork is accessible in Trenton and Newark Museums.
DiMattio is also widely recognized in places like Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico, where he had the opportunity to show his work.
And with the experience of traveling there, he gained further inspiration for his art.
The publication of the book which he co-authored with Professor Kenneth Stunkel, a former professor of history, entitled The Drawings and Watercolors of Lewis Mumford added to the popularity of DiMattio and continued to bring more attention to his art.
A lot of DiMattio’s work is abstract, and depending on the collections and the medium used, his artwork could be anywhere from erotic and colorful to a political stance in black and white.
In all of his collections, there is always a flow to his work that tied the pieces together, with creative lines, color or even just a common theme in his work.
When observing the behavior of those around him, I noticed how many people were there to support him and the distinctive connection they had with each other.
Upon further investigation, DiMattio had in some way changed the lives of every person in the room.
While admiring a personal favorite collection of the artist’s work in Pollak, I overheard a woman say that DiMattio had changed her whole life.
Obviously, that would be enough to spark anyone’s interest: I immediately whipped out my phone, pressed record, and asked if she could elaborate on the way in which an art professor could change someone’s life so profoundly.
As a 29 year old student who was convinced that she couldn’t pursue her passion, Vaune Peck is now the University’s Director of the Arts.
Peck, or as DiMattio called her, “The next Kathryn Hepburn,” came to the University with the intention of finally becoming an artist.
“He gave me permission to be an artist. I will always be grateful for that,” said Peck.
With the help of DiMattio, Peck was able to turn the part time position of Director of the Arts into a full-time position, which has affected the entire arts program at the University.
DiMattio’s help in establishing the University’s Gallery program illustrates the passion he has in his teaching and hope for future generations.
W.B. Yeats once said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
DiMattio most certainly ignites a fire in each of his students.
“I didn’t get an A plus, I didn’t deserve it. I got an A. That’s what I love about that man. He has so much integrity as a teacher and an artist. He gave me what I deserved,” Peck claimed.
The desire of his students to truly have to work to reach their own limits and then go beyond that pushes them to work for themselves and teaches them valuable life lessons.
In a video explaining the artist, previous students advocated that although DiMattio was hard on his students at times, it was his determination to help guide them to reach a place where in they believed in the art they were creating and believed in themselves.
The caring nature of the teacher moved beyond the classroom and students created a relationship with their mentor which I believe aided in their success.
It was evident that even after his 50 years of teaching, the impact which he has made on his students and the relationships he formed with them, had not faltered.
DiMattio greeted every guest with a smile and spoke to them as though they had just picked up on a conversation they left off at before.
It was a heartwarming experience to see the impact he has had on people who graduated long before any of the current students arrived.
Like Vaune, DiMattio also had his own life changed by the people at the University who supported him at the reception.
The number of students, friends, and family who came to support DiMattio had the artist in complete awe.
“I’m feeling overwhelmed; it’s more than I thought would happen. I knew people would come, but I didn’t expect this,” DiMattio said.
However, the overwhelming nature of the situation was surpassed by the amount of support and love everyone demonstrated, which is what DiMattio focused on, claiming, “It’s emotional for me… it moves me.”
It was a hallmark memory for me as well to witness how members of the University’s community, and the families of those who attended, came together.
I look forward to seeing more artwork from DiMattio.
Hopefully I will someday have the privilege to sit in one of his classes and learn from someone who is so dedicated to helping and teaching students to express themselves unapologetically.
“Vincent DiMattio/50” is on display through Dec. 7 and is worth admiring.
Whether you’re an artist or not, whatever passion lies within you, take advantage of it and use it to create something and express yourself.
In the words of DiMattio, “It’s not sitting around and waiting for a thunderbolt; it’s there.”
PHOTOS TAKEN by Matthew Aquino and Nicole Riddle
