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THE WASHINGTON POST
B2 Monday Dec. 4, 1972
PEOPLE

[[image]]
By Craig Herndon - The Washington Post
Artist Paul Jenkins with Alma Thomas and Vincent Melzac.

Friendly Gestures at an Opening

After 35 years of disciplining unruly children, finger-shaking tends to become second nature. Thus it was not unusual to find a tiny, 77-year-old former school-marm shaking her finger at two full-grown, full-bearded men still young enough to have once been her pupils. "Tut, tut," she appeared from afar to be saying as she pointed at their highball glasses.

Just as a photographer was about to snap the scene, ex-teacher Alma Thomas, now a recognized painter, caught herself. The objects of her "scolding" - Miss Thomas was holding a glass herself, so the finger-shaking must have been truly instinctive--were none other than well-known New York artist Paul Jenkins and art collector Vincent Melzac.

Miss Thomas laughed at her own gesture, then switched to a lapel-stroking motion to tell Jenkins how much she had enjoyed Friday night's opening of his show at the Corcoran Gallery. Melzac, the museum's chief executive until last Thursday when he resigned following a public altercation with the museum's director, Gene Baro, beamed.

The Jenkins show--a collection of about 100 watercolors--was one of the four Melzac and Baro planned together before they and the Cocoran parted company. The opening, with the antagonists both in attendance, went off without a hitch--or a punch.

Saturday's reception for Jenkins, which witnessed no more menacing gesture than Alma Thomas' finger shaking, was originally scheduled to be held at the museum. However, due to the "unforeseen circumstances" of his resignation two days before, Melzac asked Cocoran supporters Mr. and Mrs.  Elliott De Graff to give the party in their Woodland Drive home. Baro was not present.

Melzac declined to discuss his future plans except to say he and his wife would be leaving soon for a vacation in Jamaica.


Besides Jenkin's watercolors--variations of his better-known acrylic works--there are exhibits by photographers Roman Vishniac and Ron Stark, and  collection of Europe and American toys.
-Nancy L. Ross