Everything Nac

The Teresa Jill Adams Art Gallery in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, Stephen F. Austin State University campus, currently features a collection of works by ceramicist Piero Fenci. The exhibition features a combination of ceramics and ink drawings on paper. These works will be on view through Nov. 3 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27.

Fenci recently retired from active classroom teaching in the SFA School of Art and was promoted to professor emeritus. Joining SFA in 1975, Fenci has distinguished himself as an artist and educator, with his works being featured in American Ceramics, Clay and Glazes for the Potter and Ceramics Monthly publications.

Fenci has earned an international reputation as an artist, and he has exhibited his work in Italy, Russia and Mexico. Fenci was named “Texas Master” by the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, becoming the fourth person in the state to be honored with the award. Fenci’s work has been collected in private and public collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler; and the Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred, New York.

The reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held immediately prior to the premiere of the School of Art filmmaking program’s summer feature film “CUT!” Written, directed and starring Brad Maule, filmmaking professor at SFA, and guest directed by new filmmaking faculty member and SFA alumnus Derek Wayne Johnson, “CUT!” shows at 7 p.m. in Turner Auditorium, Griffith Fine Arts Building.

Griffith Fine Arts Building is located at 2222 Alumni Drive. For information about the School of Art, call (936) 468-4804.

The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs,” directed by filmmaker and SFA alumnus Derek Wayne Johnson, at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House.

Featuring interviews and footage of filmmaker Martin Scorsese along with Matthew McConaughey, Sylvester Stallone, Ralph Macchio and scores of other Hollywood hitmakers who starred in Avildsen’s films, the documentary is an examination of the Oscar-winning director who brought to life some of cinema’s most beloved motion pictures.

Avildsen’s films have inspired millions of ‘underdogs’ and shaped popular culture for decades, yet most people don’t even know his name. Discover the unknown legend behind “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid” in this official biography about a prolific filmmaker who directed seven actors to Academy Award nominations and earned his own Oscar for Best Director, according to IMDb.

Johnson will be available for a question-and-answer session following the film screening. Johnson is originally from Carthage and recently joined the SFA School of Art as an assistant professor of filmmaking.

The School of Art’s Friday Night Film Series is sponsored in part by filmmaking Professor William Arscott. The Cole Art Center, SFA’s historic downtown gallery, is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

The proposal submission deadline for the IMPACT national conference, scheduled for Feb. 22 to 25 at Stephen F. Austin State University, has been extended to Oct. 31.

For the first time in its 40 years, the largest annual event focused on the civic engagement of college students will take place in Texas at SFA. The conference aims to strengthen student involvement in community service, service learning, community-based research, advocacy and social justice.

According to its website, IMPACT works to broaden student experiences and expertise by connecting them with administrators, faculty, AmeriCorps members and nonprofit professionals to learn and share effective practices. These connections help students improve personal skills and organizational strategies, discover opportunities and resources, exchange stories, and be inspired and challenged to sustain IMPACT’s efforts.

The conference will feature presenters who share their extensive knowledge and experience in their work for social change. Past presentation topics include action and advocacy, community partnerships, leadership skills, service learning, social issues, and social media and technology.

The 2024 Impact Conference will offer workshops in three new 75-minute formats: interactive sessions intended to highlight the presenter’s knowledge and/or practice on a given topic; sessions with two presenters focusing on the outcomes and practical application of programs and events that relate to IMPACT’s mission, vision and values; and roundtables for attendees to have an informal conversation about a shared topic of interest.

To learn more about the workshops, visit impactconference.org/workshops. To submit workshop proposals by Oct. 31, view the 2024 workshops proposal application.

In addition to session proposals, 2024 IMPACT Conference organizers are looking for local sponsors for the event. To learn more about sponsoring the conference, email sponsorship@impactconference.org.

To learn more about the conference, visit the IMPACT website, or register to attend at givepulse.com/event/379717.

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 37 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.

By Parastoo Nikravesh, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University