Everything Nac

The Swingin’ Axes and Swingin’ Aces at Stephen F. Austin State University have “Something For Everyone” in store when the jazz bands perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

In the bands’ first concert of the fall semester, Axes Director Dr. Deb Scott and Aces Director Dr. J.D. Salas have planned a varied program that ranges from traditional swing to Latin tunes to old jazz standards and guarantees the concert theme: “Something For Everyone.”

The Swingin’ Axes will perform “Corner Pocket” by Freddie Green. “This is a traditional swing chart made famous by the Count Basie Big Band in 1955 and then recorded again by Harry James in 1976,” Scott said.

The Axes will also perform “Machito” by Pete Rugolo, which was recorded on Stan Kenton’s album “Cuban Fire” in 1947 and honored an influential musician from Cuba, Machito, who performed with the Kenton band, Scott explained.

Also on the Axes’ program are several Gordon Goodwin selections, including “Backrow Politics” featuring the trumpet section, “Horn of Puente” and “The Check’s in the Mail,” along with “Show Up” by Michael Davis and Cole Davis, a modern funk tune recorded recently by the Hip-Bone Big Band.

“Special guest joining us to play on the two Latin tunes is Paco Morales, our own SFA piano tuner,” Scott said.

A number of old favorites are on the Aces’ part of the program, including Sammy Nestico’s arrangement of “Satin Doll” by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; “Love for Sale” by Cole Porter; “There Is No Greater Love” by Isham Jones and Marty Stymes; and a great arrangement of “Softly, As In Morning Sunrise” arranged by Dave Rivello.

Concert tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House will partner with the Nacogdoches Public Library and its NEA Big Read Nacogdoches project to present a screening of a new William Shakespeare film adaptation by Casey Wilder Mott.

A free, one-night screening of Mott’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at Cole Art Center. This production is a fresh and stylish reinvention that takes an entirely different approach to one of Shakespeare’s most beloved creations.The story takes place in present-day Hollywood – a place where “glamorous stars, commanding moguls, starving artists and vaulting pretenders all vie to get ahead,” according to the film synopsis at edu.passionriver.com. “Hollywood is sometimes called ‘The Dream Factory,’ and like the world of Shakespeare’s ‘Dream,’ it’s a place where fantasy and reality collide.

“In the tradition of Baz Luhrmann’s rapturous re-imagining of ‘Romeo + Juliet,’ this modern vision breathes new life into a classic tale,” the synopsis continues. “Combined with a cast of established and emerging stars, as well as a pulsing original soundtrack, the film will appeal to ardent fans of the Bard as well as audiences discovering Shakespeare for the first time.”

The NEA Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. This program seeks to broaden understanding of the world and its communities, and of oneself, through the joy of sharing a good book.

This screening of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is just one of many events the Nacogdoches Public Library has planned during October as part of the Big Read initiative.

“I want to thank Cole Art Center for being involved with our city-wide program this year,” said Crystal Hicks, assistant director of the library. “We’re so glad to have such a wonderfully engaged and supportive community.”

There will be time for discussion of the film and the NEA Big Read novel, “Station Eleven,” following the film.

The Cole Art Center is Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown art gallery, located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

SFA horticulture alumnus Dr. Andrew King will present, “You Can Take the Boy out of East Texas, but You Can’t Take the Azaleas Out of His Garden: Growing Ornamentals in a Challenging Environment.”

King was raised in Tenaha, Texas, on a small retail nursery that was founded in 1915 by his great-grandfather. Through four generations, the nursery has remained in the King family. His father, mother and grandmother all instilled in him a love of horticulture. When it was time to further his education at the university level, it was an easy decision. King received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture with an emphasis in horticulture from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2004, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Texas A&M University in 2010 and 2015, respectively.

He has served as a lecturer in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at TAMU since January 2016, teaching many of the plant production courses, including nursery management and production, and plant propagation, as well as some introductory courses, such as garden science. Recently, he has introduced a class titled “Wild Edible, Cultivated and Poisonous Herbs” that focuses on the medicinal, poisonous and culinary aspects of plants that people often overlook. His research interests include plant propagation, trialing plant materials and nursery crop improvement.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare-plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.

Parking is available at the PNPC and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.

For more information, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Geology will join the American Geosciences Institute in celebrating Earth Science Week during an event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, on the third floor of the Miller Science Building.

For the open house event, visitors who have minerals, rocks or fossils they would like to have identified are encouraged to bring them for a free identification service. Guests also will have the opportunity to use an augmented reality sand table and create their own artwork.

At 6 p.m., photographer Paul Brandes, geology professor at Lone Star College-Montgomery and current president of the Houston Gem and Mineral Society, will present “Epic Earth, The Art of Geology” in Miller Science, Room 335.

“Our first Earth Science Week celebration is designed to increase awareness and help our community gain a better understanding of the planet we call home,” said Dr. Wesley Brown, chair of the department. “The enthusiastic faculty and students are eager to open the doors of the Department of Geology to the community and answer all Earth science-related questions.”

This year’s theme, “Earth as Inspiration,” emphasizes artistic expression as a unique, powerful opportunity for geoscience education and understanding, according to Dr. Liane Stevens, assistant professor of geology.

”The Earth is inspirational in so many ways – from children who are inspired to collect rocks, to those who travel to see grand scenery, to those who conduct research,” Stevens said. “The faculty and students in the Department of Geology are excited to work together to share our inspiration with the public.”

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Stevens at stevenslm@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2024.

By Joanna Armstrong, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.