Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present guest artist Sidney A. King performing a double bass recital at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

King, who is associate professor of double bass and music education in the University of Louisville School of Music, will present a recital that he describes as” a model of a personal statement about what an artist has to offer, much like an exhibition by a visual artist or painter.”

“It includes one of my compositions, one of my transcriptions, a work I commissioned, a work by a close friend, and works especially chosen for collaboration with faculty artists at SFA,” King said.

“Four Short Pieces” by David Anderson is a work King commissioned and premiered in 1993 in his hometown of Beaumont. This set of pieces has become a standard work in the double bass repertoire.

King describes another program selection, “Croquis” by Serge Lancen, as “a charming and well-written work, which highlights the double bass along with a beautifully conceived keyboard part.”

“‘Tangos Ardientes’ is a piece I composed as a wedding gift for Paul Ellison (Rice University) and Elisabeth Steves in 2013,” he said. “It has received many performances around the country and provides a great opportunity to collaborate with SFA music faculty members Carlos Gaviria, Gene H. Moon and Brad Meyer.”

King’s multi-faceted career as a double bassist, composer and arranger spans over three decades. Since 1992, he has performed in the orchestra of the Grand Teton Music Festival, often serving in titled positions. He has served as principal bassist with the Houston Grand Opera, the Texas Opera Theater, the Sunflower Music Festival, and the Des Moines Metro Opera, and has performed with the symphonies of Detroit, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Nashville, as well as the Louisiana Philharmonic and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He currently serves as member-at-large on the board of directors of the American String Teachers Association. The American String Teachers Association of Kentucky named him Teacher of the Year in 2011 and 2015.

Admission is free. For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Tom and Peggy Wright Music Building.

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. The competition provides an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

The artwork submitted for the competition by students living within U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert’s congressional district will be displayed in Griffith Gallery on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

The entries will be exhibited beginning Tuesday, Nov. 28, and will be displayed through Saturday, Dec. 2, when an awards ceremony will be held and an open house/reception will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The exhibition will close following the reception.

Griffith Gallery is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building and is open from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during fall and spring semesters when the university is open. The exhibition will open at 10 a.m. prior to the awards ceremony on Dec. 2.

First place winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Since it began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of local artists in each district select the winning entries.

First place winning entries will be displayed in the hallway of the U.S. Capitol; second place winning entries will be displayed in Gohmert’s office in Washington; and third place winning entries will be displayed in Gohmert’s district office in Tyler.

The SFA Gardens will host a garden seminar, “Deck the Halls: Using Evergreens to Decorate for the Holidays,” from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St.

Evergreen branches and garlands once served as symbols of enduring life and a fruitful year to come. Join Dawn Stover, research associate with SFA Gardens, to learn how to create elegant wreaths and garlands using materials from the garden.

Participants will learn principles of wreath, garland and centerpiece construction and make a wreath to enjoy and take home for the holidays.

In addition to the traditional wreaths and garlands, Stover will introduce new crafts using natural items from the garden and forest. All materials will be provided.

Class size is limited, so register in advance by calling (936) 468-1832, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu. The cost is $25 for SFA Garden members and $30 for non-members.