Everything Nac

Santa hats, glitter and glue covered the tables inside Stephen F. Austin State University’s Human Services Building, as university students and more than 10 children from area schools attended a collaborative holiday celebration Wednesday.

SFA’s visual impairment, orientation and mobility program, SFA’s Braille and Cane Club, the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services – Division for Blind Services, and the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind hosted the event.

“This event is an opportunity to collaborate with different agencies and give back to the community. It gives our program students an opportunity to work directly on various skills with some incredible area children who are blind or visually impaired,” said Michael Munro, program director of the visual impairment, orientation and mobility program in SFA’s Department of Human Services.

During the event, the children worked with SFA volunteers and students on different activities at craft stations. Activities included painting, ornament making, card decorating, Santa beard making, a treasure hunt through the snow and more. Santa also made a special visit.

Laura Poynor, SFA senior and Braille and Cane Club president, helped coordinate the event and said its benefits are two-fold.

“This event is really fun for a variety of reasons. First, the club can come together in a creative way. Several of our student members have visual impairments and several of us don’t, but we are all together as a club,” Poynor said. “For the kids, the crafts and activities get them moving, which is great for fine motor skills, problem solving and a lot of developmental qualities, but in the big scheme of things everyone just has fun.”

Children from Nacogdoches ISD, Joaquin ISD and six schools in Lufkin attended.

Stephen Lias, professor of composition in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music, has once again been commissioned to write a new orchestral work celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service as part of the National Endowment for the Arts “Imagine Your Parks” initiative.

A grant from the NEA to the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra will support the commissioning of Lias’ work. The Boulder Phil will premiere the piece at Macky Auditorium on the CU-Boulder campus during its 2016-2017 season and also at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., at the inaugural SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras in March of 2017, according to press information released by the orchestra.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the NEA in 2015, and the National Park Service’s centennial in 2016, both agencies have been working together to encourage the creation of and greater public engagement with art relating to the work and mission of the national park system.

Lias comes to this project with experience in joining contemporary art music and national parks. He has served as artist-in-residence at five different national parks, and the resulting compositions have been premiered across the U.S.

Upon learning of the NEA grant on Tuesday, Lias told Colorado Public Radio, “After the Boulder Philharmonic’s wonderful premiere of my recent piece ‘Gates of the Arctic,’ I’m delighted to get to work again with such a great performing ensemble and such a champion of new music, Michael Butterman.”

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition,” said Michael Butterman, music director of the Boulder Phil. “We are so excited to have a new work by Stephen, this time paying tribute to a park in our own backyard, and are excited that it will help us enhance the Phil’s representation of Boulder, and Colorado, on the national stage. This grant is a great example of well-placed public investment in two areas that enhance quality of life – parks and the arts.”

Lias also has a connection to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was the first park where he served as artist-in-residence (2010), and the resulting piece, “The Timberline Sonata” was premiered by SFA faculty members Gary Wurtz and Ron Petti at the Estes Park Music Festival. Other pieces by Lias have been inspired by Big Bend, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Carlsbad Cavern and Mesa Verde national parks, among others. Several of these works have been compiled onto a CD recording, “Encounters.”

Lias plans to be in attendance when the Boulder Philharmonic premieres his work.

Fans of The 5 Browns still have time to purchase tickets to the popular sibling pianists’ holiday concert slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

The 5 Browns will bring their Christmas spirit to Nacogdoches with a program of festive favorites when they perform as part of the SFA College of Fine Arts’ 2015-2016 University Series.

Although there are still tickets available for great seats in Turner Auditorium, sales have been swift in recent days, according to Diane J. Peterson, manager of the SFA Fine Arts Box Office.

“We have seen a sharp increase in ticket sales and inquiries about the concert,” Peterson said. “Our loyal University Series patrons are excited about this performance and are looking forward to bringing their families to this holiday event. It’s going to be a great way to celebrate the season in music.”

The quintet has garnered extensive coverage from media outlets ranging from “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Good Morning America,” “Today,” and “The View” to “The Martha Stewart Show,” National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” as well as The New York Times, Parade, People, the Los Angeles Times, the Sunday London Telegraph and Entertainment Weekly.

This Christmas-themed performance features such holiday classics as “Carol of the Bells,” “Ave Maria,” “Nutcracker Suite,” “Sleigh Ride” and others.

Prior to the performance, Dr. Mario Ajero, associate professor of piano pedagogy at SFA, will present a 7 p.m. informative talk in Griffith Gallery about the artists and their music. The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium, which is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

The audience is invited back to the gallery for a post-performance reception to meet the performers and to honor the event’s corporate sponsor, Nacogdoches Medical Center.

Single event ticket prices are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students/youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

SFA students may purchase Rush tickets for $3 during regular office hours starting Tuesday, Dec. 15. Students must present a valid SFA ID for purchase and at the door on event night.