Everything Nac

As part of its monthly independent film series, the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House.

The 80-minute documentary focuses on Kevin Clash, the creator of Elmo, the beloved red puppet recognized around the world. The film includes rare archival footage and is narrated by Whoopie Goldberg.

Through interviews with such personalities as Rosie O’Donnell; Frank Oz, creator of and voice behind Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster and other “Sesame Street” puppets; and Carroll Spinney, who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, the viewer learns of Clash’s early years as a puppeteer, the fulfillment of his goal to work with Jim Henson and his current success as co-executive producer of “Sesame Street.”

“Being Elmo” has been screened at multiple film festivals and was winner of a Special Jury Prize for documentary films at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Rated PG, the film is sponsored in part by Dr. Melinda Wenner and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches. For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.

The songwriter behind mega hits such as “Wichita Lineman,” “MacArthur Park” and “Galveston” is coming to Nacogdoches to share his incredible catalog of songs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

In his intimate one-man show, Webb will present songs from his 40-year career as a songwriter and recording artist. The concert is part of the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts’ University Series.

Webb is best known for his hits sung by artists such as Glen Campbell (“By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Where’s the Playground, Susie”), Richard Harris (“Didn’t We”), the Fifth Dimension (“Up, Up and Away”), The Brooklyn Bridge (“The Worst That Could Happen”), Art Garfunkel (“All I Know”), Linda Ronstadt (“Easy for You to Say”) and Joe Crocker (“The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress”).

According to American Songwriter magazine, Webb is “a prodigious performer, and a night with Jimmy at the keys is not unlike getting to hear George Gershwin or Cole Porter live. It’s hard to believe one guy could have written all these amazing songs. Webb is still at it, thankfully, and if you get a chance to see him live, grab it. People ask why nobody writes songs like they used to. Fortunately for us all, Jimmy Webb still does.”

In addition to writing for other artists, Webb is an acclaimed performer in his own right. During the 11-year period of 1970 to 1981, he produced six albums, and he continues to record. His latest CD, “Just Across the River,” features duets with friends Billy Joel, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne and Glen Campbell.

Prior to the concert, there will be a 7 p.m. informative talk about Webb and his music in Griffith Gallery, located across the hall from Turner Auditorium. The audience is invited back to the gallery for a post-performance reception to meet Webb and honor the event’s corporate sponsor Commercial Bank of Texas.

Griffith Gallery and Turner Auditorium are located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

Tickets range from $17.50 to $35, with discounts available for seniors, SFA faculty/staff, students and youth. For tickets or more information, please go to www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

The SFA Gardens will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

A wide variety of hard-to-find, “Texas tough” plants will be available, including Texas natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs, trees and exclusive SFA introductions. Most of the plants are extensively trialed in the gardens before being offered to the public, and most are produced by the SFA Gardens staff and volunteers.

This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden and educational programs hosted at the gardens. These programs reach more than 15,000 students ages 1 to 100 on a yearly basis.

The public is encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon. For more information, call (936) 468-4404 or visit sfagardens.sfasu.edu for a list of available plants.

Local families are invited to join Stephen F. Austin State University staff, students and volunteers, along with representatives of partner organizations, for a fun-filled day designed to give families a sample of upcoming events and activities offered through Nacogdoches Naturally.

Activity stations providing opportunities to learn outdoor skills and increase awareness of forest resources will be set up at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., on Saturday, Sept. 8. The Family Outdoor Adventure Kick-off Day will take place from 9 a.m. to noon and will include archery, outdoor cooking, orienteering, fishing practice, birding, forest hikes and more.

Sponsored by SFA Gardens and made possible through a More Kids in the Woods grant from the National Forest Systems of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Nacogdoches Naturally provides enriching outdoor education experiences for families and youth.

“We were pleased to be one of 23 recipients awarded this grant from the USDA with the goal of providing outdoor educational programs for children and families that promote connections with the natural world,” said Kerry Lemon, project director. “This funding allows us to continue our monthly family programs and expand our after-school programming to include a day with students from Raguet Elementary, as well as our previous afternoon with kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Nacogdoches.”

Supporting partners of the program include SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture and Department of Agriculture, Boyette Consulting, Boys and Girls Club of Nacogdoches, City of Nacogdoches Parks and Recreation Department, Nacogdoches Bass Club, Pineywoods Audubon Society, SFA Garden volunteers, Friends of the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Texas Forest Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and U.S. Forest Service.

Family Outdoor Adventure programs will be offered at least once a month beginning with the kick-off event in September and continuing through July 2013. The schedule of upcoming events is available so families may register in advance. Educational programs, outdoor skill learning opportunities and field trips to nearby National Forest sites are included in the 2012-13 itinerary.

The Forest Awareness Kick-Off Day is free with no pre-registration required. Parking will be available at Raguet Elementary. For more information about this event or for registration and cost information about future events, call Lemon at (936) 468-5586 or e-mail lemonkb@sfasu.edu.

The 2012-13 Family Outdoor Adventure schedule is as follows:

Sept. 8: Forest Awareness Kick-Off Day – SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center (free)

Sept. 22: Our Friends the Trees – PNPC

Oct. 13: Hiking – SFA Experimental Forest/Nacogdoches History Day “Blast from the Past”

Nov. 3: Creepy Crawlers – PNPC

Nov. 17: Celebrating Birds – PNPC

Dec. 8: Evening program: Dutch Oven Cooking

Jan. 12: Texas Forestry Museum/Family Service Project – Lufkin

Jan. 26: Kid Fish – Lakeside Park in Nacogdoches (free)

Feb. 29: Day Trip – Ragtown Recreation Area/Sabine National Forest

March 3: Hiking – local Nacogdoches trails

April 6: Day Trip – Ratcliff Lake/Davy Crockett National Forest

April 20: Earth Day – PNPC (free)

May 4: Day Trip – Lake Sam Rayburn Nature Center/Caney Creek Recreation Area, Angelina National Forest

July 14: Day Trip – Lake Nacogdoches ($10 per family)