Everything Nac

The College of Fine Arts and School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University will usher in February’s observance of Black History Month with three diverse performances.

The Children’s Performing Arts Series at SFA will celebrate Black History Month Thursday, Feb. 1, with performances of the Virginia Repertory Theatre’s “Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.” This stirring drama with music is a classic tribute to the great American who freed herself and hundreds of her people from the bonds of slavery. Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. Tickets are $7.50 for individuals and $6 per person for groups of 20 or more. This show targets children in second through eighth grade.

On Friday, Feb. 2, the School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a one-night screening of “I Am Not Your Negro” at 7 p.m. in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches. Written by James Baldwin, directed by Raoul Peck, and featuring the voice of Samuel L. Jackson, “I Am Not Your Negro” is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. Admission is free. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

The College of Fine Arts, in association with the Office of Multicultural Affairs at SFA, will present the L.A. Theatre Works’ production of the internationally acclaimed play “The Mountaintop,” written by Katori Hall and directed by multiple award-winner Shirley Jo Finney, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus. The performance is part of the College of Fine Arts’ University Series.

“The Office of Multicultural Affairs is excited to partner with the College of Fine Arts to bring ‘The Mountaintop’ to SFA to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Veronica Beavers, OMA director. “It is important for students to understand the impact of Dr. King’s legacy that still affects our lives today.”

The Multicultural Ensemble within the SFA School of Theatre is an organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in theater, and its president, Houston senior Terrance Simon, is equally excited about seeing “The Mountaintop.”

“I am ecstatic about L.A. Theatre Works’ production of ‘The Mountaintop’ by Katori Hall coming to SFA’s University Series,” Simon said. “It is awe inspiring to see yourself represented, and it is happening here in SFA’s largest performing arts venue. As a child who went to school, went to church and lived off of Martin Luther King Blvd., I am excited to see this giant brought to human form on a stage right before my eyes.”

Prior to the performance, Cleo House Jr., director of the School of Theatre, will present an informative talk at 7 p.m. in Griffith Gallery. The gallery is located across the hall from Turner Auditorium, which is inside the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

Single event ticket prices for the University Series are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for non-SFA students/youth. Tickets for SFA students are $3. “The Mountaintop” contains mature language and controversial themes.

For more information, visit finearts.sfasu.edu, stop by the Fine Arts Box Office in Room 211 of the Griffith Fine Arts Building, or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

The lecture series will feature Houston landscaper Cindy McClimans presenting “Creating Unique Landscapes.”

McClimans is a professional landscape designer based in The Woodlands. Her primary focus is designing landscapes that complement their natural surroundings by utilizing native and adapted plant material. In addition to natural plantings, her hardscapes artistically incorporate stone and masonry water features and other materials that blend into the environment.

She is a hands-on designer who visits each job site during every phase of construction and installation. McClimans also maintains several of the properties after installation using only organic soils, fertilizers, pests and weed controls.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare-plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.

Parking is available at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center and the nearby Raguet Elementary School, located at 2708 Raguet St.

For more information, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Stephen F. Austin State University will host its third annual Darwin Day program from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, in the Kennedy Auditorium. The featured speaker, Dr. Barbara Forrest, former professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana State University, will present “Why Academic Freedom is a Fraud: The Threat to Science Education.”

Darwin Day is an annual celebration of science that takes place on or around the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday, Feb. 12, commemorating the contributions Darwin made to the field of biology and other scientific fields.

“The mission of Darwin Day is to inspire people throughout the globe to reflect and act on the principles of intellectual bravery, perpetual curiosity, scientific thinking and hunger for truth as embodied in Charles Darwin,” said Dr. Stephen Mullin, chair of the SFA Department of Biology.

Forrest’s presentation will discuss the potential conflict in the science classroom between faith-based explanations of life’s origin and scientific truths, Mullin said.

“My presentation concerns the promotion of intelligent design creationism using the rationale of academic freedom,” Forrest said. “I will discuss the history of creationists’ use of the code phrase ‘academic freedom’ to promote legislation that undermines the teaching of evolution.”

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Mullin at (936) 468-3601 or sjmullin@sfasu.edu.

By Joanna Armstrong, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University