Everything Nac

    The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Art will open “Art of the Pacific Rim: Artifacts and Art from Northwest America, Oceania, Melanesia, Asia and Central America” with a 6 p.m. reception Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Griffith Gallery on the SFA campus.

Raven, a mask from the Kwakiutl tribe of the northwest Pacific coast, will be included in Art from the Pacific Rim, which the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art will open at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Griffith Gallery.

    The exhibition comprises over 30 pieces from the private collection of Nacogdoches residents Dr. Robert Gruebel and Jo Ellen H. Carlson.

    Included are masks from New Guinea, Yucatan, the northwest Pacific coast, Indonesia and Fiji; an Indonesian cricket cage and Chinese bird cage; food bowl and shields from New Guinea; weapons from the Phillippines; and dolls and artwork from Japan.

    During the opening on Sept. 14, Gruebel will give a gallery talk about the collection.

    “We are grateful to Dr. Gruebel and Ms. Carlson for allowing us to exhibit a portion of their extraordinary collection,” said Charlene Rathburn, SFA director of galleries. “This is a fascinating show for East Texans to come see.”

    “Art of the Pacific Rim,” which will run through Saturday, Dec. 16, is sponsored in part by Nacogdoches Junior Forum and SFA Friends of the Visual Arts.

    Griffith Gallery is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Dr. The gallery’s regular hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and admission is free. For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.

    In memory of the 3,000 men and women who lost their lives 10 years ago on Sept. 11, the Stephen F. Austin State University A Cappella Choir will present “Stars and Stripes Forever,” a multi-sensory concert, at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

    “For many of us, 9/11 was ‘the’ event that changed the way we live—two wars, personal privacy issues, security, etc. are all results of the fateful attacks,” said Tim King, SFA director of choral activities and the A Cappella Choir. “This concert honors those who sacrificed their lives that day and all those who have died to keep us free.”

    Brad Maule, former daytime television star and lecturer in the SFA School of Theatre, will serve as emcee for the concert. The first half of the program will consist primarily of well-known patriotic songs, enhanced with projected visuals.

    The concert’s second half is devoted to “Our Flag Was Still There” by Deborah Craig-Claar. The six songs included in this larger work will be interspersed with recorded interviews by local residents: WW II veteran Tom Wright, Viet Nam veteran Johnny Johnson and naturalized citizen Alicia Coffman.

    Additional recorded interviews were conducted with members of the SFA Children’s Chorus and A Cappella Choir member Joseph Dennis, who recently completed an internship in Italy.

    Joining the A Cappella Choir for this concert will be SFA Professor of Voice Deborah Dalton appearing as Kate Smith, the SFA Children’s Chorus and Junior Chorale, SFA orchestral students and the SFA ROTC. Representatives of all branches of the military will present the colors.

    The Nacogdoches Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will host a post-performance reception in Griffith Gallery, located across the hall from Turner Auditorium.

    The auditorium and gallery are located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Dr., on the SFA campus.

    Concert tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students. For tickets or more information, please go to www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.