Everything Nac

Plans are being finalized for the annual 12 X 12 Scholarship Fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Visual Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University and benefiting students in the SFA School of Art.

Mark your calendars for Oct. 7 through 21 to make sure you have time to participate in silent bidding, and plan to attend the art party and art auction from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

The silent auction features 12-by-12-inch pieces of art created by artists from Nacogdoches, Lufkin and other areas of East Texas, as well as School of Art faculty and students. This year’s featured artists are the late Jack Murff, to be honored posthumously, and Michelle Filer of Nacogdoches.

The purpose of 12 X 12 is to raise funds for the FVA scholarships and grants that are awarded to SFA art students. Between $12,000 and $15,000 is awarded annually in scholarships to deserving students in the School of Art.

“We’re delighted to host this scholarship fundraiser,” said Kerry Whitsett, FVA member and 12 X 12 co-chair. “The art party and auction provide the perfect opportunity to take home a one-of-a-kind masterpiece while simultaneously supporting SFA students – a win-win for any art lover.”

FVA board member Ben Sullivan donated Murff’s 12 X 12 entry to this year’s fundraiser.

“Jack’s kindness, generosity and love of the arts were felt by many,” Sullivan said. “I’m thrilled the FVA is honoring Jack’s legacy in this way and grateful for the opportunity to share his amazing art with the community.”

Filer submitted her 12 X 12 entry, titled “Jack’s Second Line,” in honor of her cherished friend.

“Jack was a special friend,” local artist Filer said. “Honoring him through art and raising funds in his spirit is a truly remarkable gift.”

The awards help students defray the costs of special projects for art classes or M.F.A. exhibitions. Some recipients have attended conferences or gone on school trips that will help with their professional development. This has included Maymester trips for art students to photograph areas of Big Bend in West Texas as well as study abroad trips to Italy. The organization also awards scholarships for elementary school students to attend the SFA Art Academy.

Silent bidding will take place at the art center Oct. 7 though 21 with a starting bid of $250, leading up to the event on Oct. 21. That night, bidding will start at 6 p.m. At that time, pieces without a bid will start at $100. Bidding will close at 7:15 p.m. when winners will be announced and pieces without a bid will be raffled.

In addition to the Friends of the Visual Arts, sponsors of this year’s event include Buchanan Wealth Management, Canty Forklift, Sam and Kristin Wright, Mockingbird Suites, Galleria Z, The Flower Shop and Greenhouse, Fredonia Brewery and Nacogdoches Chick-fil-A.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information about 12 X 12, contact the art center at (936) 468-1131, or email Whitsett at whitsettkd@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Earth Sciences and Geologic Resources will host an Earth Science Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Cole STEM Building Atrium.

This free open house event is open to the public and joins the American Geosciences Institute in celebrating Earth Science Week. Visitors who have minerals, rocks or fossils they would like to have identified are encouraged to bring them for a free identification service. There will be geology-themed activities for all ages, including “Digging for Dinosaurs,” smashing geodes and an augmented reality sand table.

“Our annual 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 Earth Sciences and Geologic Resources to the community and answer all earth-science-related questions.”

This year’s theme, “Geoscience Innovating for Earth and People,” emphasizes the many ways that innovations and problem-solving in the geosciences are helping communities around the world create healthier, increasingly more sustainable lives, according to Dr. Liane Stevens, assistant professor of geology.

“Our lives are so intertwined with the Earth that we often don’t realize the many ways that earth science impacts us,” Stevens said. “Beyond accessing resources and planning for natural disasters, earth scientists are working to protect our planet and environment.”

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

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 36 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

The Children’s Performing Arts Series at Stephen F. Austin State University will open its 2023-24 season with a touring musical of the childhood favorite “Cinderella” on Thursday, Oct. 19, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Bullied by her two mean stepsisters, Cinderella’s future looks bleak until her Fairy Godmother casts a spell and sends her to the ball. How will the Prince ever find her when she flees at midnight, leaving behind a single glass slipper?

“True to the story, bringing to life this tale for all time, ‘Cinderella’ is full of original modern songs, bursting with more hilarity than you can imagine and, of course, a happy ending,” said Diane Peterson, Fine Arts Box Office manager and director of the children’s series.

The Children’s Performing Arts Series, presented by the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, features shows designed to entertain, educate and engage young audiences of all ages, according to Peterson.

Presented by The Panto Company USA, “Cinderella” targets children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Turner Auditorium is located in Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

Tickets are $9 for individuals and $7 per person for groups of 20 or more. Call 936.468.6407 or 888.240.ARTS or visit sfasu.edu/boxoffice for tickets or more information.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and SFA’s filmmaking program will premiere of its summer film project, “CUT!,” at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Written and directed by filmmaking Professor Brad Maule, with special guest director Derek Wayne Johnson, “CUT!” is about a struggling film school in East Texas that hires a Hollywood filmmaker, Skippy Digler III, to direct a student feature film, “Massacre in the Pines.” The students get more than they bargained for when they realize Skippy isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.

Longtime filmmaking Professor William Arscott served as producer with Johnson as co-producer and film editor. The comedy-drama stars Maule as Digler, along with Triston Dodson, Carter Colvin, Riley Green and Bill Small. Music is by Greg Sims, and director of photography is Tim Johnson.

Derek Wayne Johnson, an SFA filmmaking alumnus, is known for his documentaries “John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs,” highlighting the life and career of the Oscar-winning director of “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid,” “40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic,” narrated by Sylvester Stallone, and “STALLONE: Frank, That Is,” detailing the highs and lows of Sylvester’s not-so-famous brother, Frank Stallone. Johnson recently joined the filmmaking faculty at SFA.

“Every summer, SFA film students make a full-length feature film,” explains Johnson. “This has been a longstanding tradition and separates the SFA filmmaking department from many other film schools across the globe. Although the students earn college credit for their efforts, the procedures, protocols and outcomes are nothing less than professional. I’m honored to join SFA as the new assistant professor of filmmaking and hope to bring my professional Hollywood experience to the program to educate and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.”

Admission to the premiere of “CUT!” is free. A question-and-answer session with the cast and crew will follow. For more information, contact the School of Art at (936) 468-4804.