true to his word, he introduced Del Priore to master techniques of portrait painting in oil and pastel. Under Cassone's tutelage, he completed hundreds of portraits during a 5-year stint at the mall location. In 1979, Del Priore was commissioned to paint his first nationally known, publicly-elected official when Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn asked him to do his portrait for permanent display in the lobby of the new Dorn VA Hospital in Columbia, named in his honor. In 1980, on Cassone's recommendation, Del Priore moved to Charleston, SC, to study oil painting under renowned artist Ray Goodbred at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Goodbred, who had studied at the Art Students League under Ogden Pleissner and Robert Brackman, maintained dual residences in New York and Charleston at the time. Goodbred taught him master skills including palette organization, anatomy basics and manipulation of brushes by painting from live models and doing still life studies. After returning to Columbia in 1984, Del Priore entered a competition announced in The State newspaper for artists to do an official oil portrait of former governor, U. S. Senator Strom Thurmond for the Senate Chamber of the South Carolina Statehouse, honoring his 50th year of public service. Over 200 artists responded. The selection narrowed to two, Del Priore and famed portraitist, Robert Bruce Williams of Washington, DC. "In this case, being a South Carolinian worked to my advantage," said Del Priore. "Because Senator Thurmond was famous for supporting constituents from his home state, he chose me. Afterward, the positive response I received from the public helped me move from the mall to a studio, as I no longer had to search for commissions. It was a great blessing and a major milestone in my career." Del Priore established professional relationships with America's leading portrait artists, studying with John Howard Sanden, the late Daniel Greene, Richard Whitney, the late Nelson Shanks, the late Everett Raymond Kinstler, and many others. Throughout his career, he lectured and gave portrait demonstrations at the University of South Carolina, the Columbia Museum of Art; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Students League of New York; the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago. Gallery Honors Del Priore was past chairman and served on the board of directors of the American Society of Portrait Artists (now known as the