Sponsors of this year's Winners' Circle reception included, from left, Ron Johnson, CBH Insurance Agency and Nacogdoches Film Festival; Chris Sidnell; Gary Stokes, Nacogdoches Medical Center; Susie Patterson, Cal-Tex Lumber Company; Dr. A.C. "Buddy" Himes, dean, College of Fine Arts: Tom Boggs of Old Souls Food Truck and Jackie Boggs, Aaron Diggens and Misty Boggs. Not pictured are Cecil and Gloria Settle, Jimmy Mize, First Bank & Trust of East Texas; Scott Street, Nacogdoches Memorial Health; Scott Diggs, Grogan's Cleaners; Jason Sobel, Regions Bank; and Bill Sherrod, Flashback Café.
This year’s recipients, who were announced and honored in April, were re-introduced at the reception. Recipients included Megan Eve Henderson, Round Rock art major, recipient of the Ed and Gwen Cole Dean’s Award in Art; Amanda J. Sheriff, Houston music education major, recipient of the Jack and Naioma Ledbetter Dean’s Award in Music; Kaylea A. Fleming, Kingwood music education major, recipient of the Dr. Robert Sidnell Memorial Dean’s Award in Music Education; and Shelby K. Gilliland, Frisco theatre major, recipient of the George and Peggy Schmidbauer Dean’s Award in Theatre.
Each recipient was selected by the faculty of their respective schools on the basis of their potential to further develop their artistic goals and serve as role models, according to Dr. A.C. “Buddy” Himes, dean of the College of Fine Arts.
The Dean’s Awards not only recognize the recipients for what they have already accomplished, but the awards are also designed to inspire them to reach deep from within to aspire to a higher level of excellence, Himes explained. The awards were established by the Dean’s Circle, an external support organization of community members founded in 2008 and “dedicated, in part, to nurturing potential young artists within the College of Fine Arts,” Himes said.
Program sponsors were recognized at the event. Those included Cal-Tex Lumber Company, Nacogdoches Medical Center, Cecil and Gloria Settle, First Bank & Trust of East Texas, Flashback Café, Nacogdoches Memorial Health, The Sidnell Family, CBH Insurance Agency, Grogan’s Cleaners, Nacogdoches Film Festival, Regions Bank, Old Souls Food Truck and auctioneer Kent Crank.
The annual fall event serves as a membership drive and fundraiser for the Dean’s Circle. In addition to recognizing the accomplishments of students, the Dean’s Circle is also focused on enhancing instructional opportunities for fine arts faculty. The Dean’s Circle realized the College of Fine Arts’ first ever endowed professorship this year, and its recipient will be announced in the spring.
