Everything Nac

The School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University will open its annual faculty exhibition Tuesday, Aug. 13, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

Each year, the faculty exhibition features a wide variety of artwork in ceramics, sculpture, photography, painting, prints, metal work and mixed media, according to John Handley, director of SFA art galleries. The exhibition runs through Oct. 13.

“This is an annual event to highlight the artistic achievements of our artists,” Handley said. “Outside the classrooms, our faculty have vibrant artistic careers of their own. Many have works in museum collections across the country and abroad, and many are also represented by commercial galleries.

“This exhibition takes a look at the current work of our artists, whose styles and approaches to art are always changing and maturing,” he added.

A reception is planned for 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the gallery and will feature “the typical fanfare,” according to Handley.

“Great food and drink, great people, and great art – what could be better,” he said. The public is welcome free of charge.

This year’s featured faculty artist is Wesley Berg, assistant professor of drawing and painting in the School of Art. His exhibition, “Shadow Plane: Works on Paper by Wesley Berg,” opens the same night as the reception and shows through Oct. 13.

Wesley Berg received an M.F.A. in painting and drawing from the University of Florida, with a B.F.A. from Miami University of Ohio. After graduate school and three years of working as an art preparator in the Chelsea gallery scene in New York, Berg continued his studio work at several national and international artist residencies, including extended stays in Vermont, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand and Spain. Continuing with his international research, Berg received a 2019 Research and Creative Activity Grant from SFA to create a series of work in Tokyo, Japan. Recent solo exhibitions include Marshall University, West Virginia, Adah Rose Gallery, Washington, D.C., and his upcoming exhibition at the Cole Art Center. Berg’s work has received several awards including an award of distinction at Drawing Discourse at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, awarded by juror Claire Gilman, chief curator of the Drawing Center in New York City. Berg continues to exhibit nationally and internationally and will be featured this December at the PULSE Art Fair, Miami Beach.

Berg will discuss his work at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, at the gallery. His artist statement: “These drawings distill individual drawn elements, creating moments of visual curiosity. The drawings ask questions of flat and perspectival space, exploring delicate balances of line weight and tension, culminating in a drawn suspension of belief. Playful and boldly simplified, the work is intended to be sparse of material, deep in spatial construction, and seemingly light in mood.”

Art exhibitions and receptions are sponsored by the Friends of the Visual Arts, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, William Arscott and The Flower Shop. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

The Stephen F. Austin State University Division of Multidisciplinary Programs has added a new degree in medical humanities.

Beginning in fall 2019, students can work toward either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in medical humanities. This program is only the fourth of its kind in Texas.

Dr. Anne Smith, professor of philosophy, was instrumental in designing this new program for SFA. The degree is an interdisciplinary field of study that fuses humanities and sciences to create a multifaceted approach to human health and wellness.

“The medical humanities program will provide elements such as historical context, psychological insights, sociological awareness and ethical principles that can all be used to help medical professionals make tough decisions, find often-elusive solutions and achieve consensus among diverse perspectives,” Smith said.

This multidisciplinary degree allows students to examine questions related to health care through multiple disciplinary lenses. The program emphasizes the study of the human condition, dignity, ethics and sociocultural context for health care and health policy. These studies will benefit those seeking a career in medical law, medical advocacy, narrative therapy and other health care-related fields.

“This is an expanding field that meets a demand in growing health-related industries,” said Dr. Joyce Johnston, director of the Division of Multidisciplinary Programs. “For example, health care law continues to be a growing field in our state. This is one area in which future graduates who excel in our program will be well-poised for success.”

Students will take courses from areas that include philosophy, sociology, anthropology, communication and psychology, as well as a specific medical humanities introductory course. They also will complete a combined sciences minor. Elective courses from across the university allow students to explore multiple areas of study in the humanities and beyond.

To learn more, contact the Division of Multidisciplinary Programs at mdp@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-6537.

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.