Everything Nac

The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved a recommendation to move the dance program from the James I. Perkins College of Education to the College of Fine Arts. Dance will join the School of Theatre, and the name of the school will be changed to the School of Theatre and Dance.

“The faculty and students in the dance program asked for this move, with the belief that it will better reflect their artistry and discipline,” said Dr. Lorenzo Smith, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The College of Fine Arts leadership and faculty share this belief and will welcome the program into the newly renovated and expanded Griffith Fine Arts Building, once it is complete.”

Two new aviation courses were approved by the board as part of the degree plan for the Bachelor of Science degree in aviation sciences, which gained approval in September by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The courses, Commercial Flight I and Commercial Flight II, are offered through the Perkins College of Education’s School of Human Sciences.

Regents approved policy revisions and changes to the 2022 capital and higher education fund budget schedule. The board also approved grant awards and a Banner hardware and Oracle licensing contract to support SFA databases.

Regents approved a media buying contract with Love Advertising in Houston for a total not to exceed $250,000 in any one year, for up to five years.

Regents acknowledged receipt of a contract monitoring report, the annual audit report, the audit services report and the audit charter. They approved the minutes for meetings held in July, August and September.

Regents heard reports from SFA President Scott Gordon; Dr. Brian Uriegas, chair of the Faculty Senate; Megan Weatherly, chair of the Staff Council, and Lauren Roach, president of the Student Government Association.

Dr. I-Kuai Hung, Lacy H. Hunt Professor of geospatial sciences at Stephen F. Austin State University, was awarded the 2021 Carl Alwin Schenck Award from the Society of American Foresters during the virtual SAF National Convention held the first week of November.

The national award recognizes individuals who display a notable and sustained record of excellence in forestry education through outstanding service to the field and the development of dynamic, personal teaching methods.

“As my career developed, I discovered the most rewarding job I can possibly get — teaching,” Hung said. “Today, it is my students and my colleagues who keep me moving forward.”

Hung is one of four SFA forestry professors who have earned the prestigious award. Dr. David Kulhavy, Laurence C. Walker Distinguished Professor of forest entomology, received the award in 2010; Dr. Brian Oswald, Joe C. Denman Distinguished Professor of fire ecology, received the award in 2002; and Dr. Daniel Unger received the award in 2019.

“I would be surprised if there is another forestry program in the country that could ever claim to have four Schenck award winners on its active faculty,” said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. “It’s hard to imagine a better recognition of the innovation and effectiveness of the teaching and learning provided by our faculty members.”

Carl Alwin Schenck, the award’s namesake, was a German-born and educated forester who founded the first forestry education program in the U.S. in 1898.

Story by Sarah Fuller

Stephen F. Austin State University launched the public phase of its $100 million fundraising campaign in conjunction with Homecoming activities on Friday and announced plans to rename the College of Fine Arts in honor of a longtime Nacogdoches resident who had a deep love of the community and the arts.

The new name, the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, was approved Monday by SFA’s Board of Regents and recognizes the longtime support of the Elliott family and a recent gift of $8 million pledged to support scholarships for fine arts students.

“With this gift, Bill Elliott is honoring his late wife, providing for our current students and investing in the future of SFA,” said Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president. “We are grateful for the way the Elliott family has elevated SFA through their generosity.”

Bill Elliott graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in music. He began his career in the electrical distribution industry working for his father. With his own ideas of how a distributorship should be run, along with $20,000 of his own money and an $80,000 loan, Elliott and Micky began their first electrical supply company in Nacogdoches in 1972.

Today Elliott Electric Supply has more than 165 store locations across nine states. It has been recognized as one of the largest electrical distributors in Electrical Wholesaling Magazine, with more than 2,100 employees – 200 of those working at its Nacogdoches location.

“There are many great opportunities to help SFA build on its record of excellence,” Elliott said. “But having a degree in music, I was blown away with the quality of the students, programs and instructors in the College of Fine Arts. The college not only develops professional performers, but offers East Texas residents an opportunity to enjoy cultural opportunities that rival more metropolitan areas.”

Dr. Gary Wurtz, interim dean of fine arts, said the gift is a “game changer” for the School of Music.

“This generous gift will generate substantial scholarship dollars that will allow us to recruit more high-quality students than ever before, placing us in the position to compete against the biggest and best schools in the state and region — if not nationally — for those students,” Wurtz said. “Furthermore, there is an elevated status and pride that comes with being a named college, and we are excited about becoming the Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts.”

Other endowments that have been funded by the Elliott family include the Micky Elliott Symphony Orchestra Scholarship, Micky Elliott Computer Science Scholarship, Micky Elliott Engineering Professorship, the Gary Wurtz Jazz Scholarship and the Gene Moore Professorship.

“Bill Elliott remains an inspiration for his dedication to the East Texas community, and to his business and industry,” Gordon said. “A gift of this magnitude is monumental for SFA and allows us to boldly dream for SFA’s second century.”

Regents approved the renaming during their regular quarterly meeting, which concluded today.

More than $79 million has already been raised in conjunction with the capital campaign, including 12 donations of $1 million or more. More than 8,600 first-time donors have participated in the effort.

For more information about SFA fine arts, visit sfasu.edu/finearts. More about the campaign is available at sfasu.edu/elevate.

The Stone Fort Wind Quintet at Stephen F. Austin State University will present its fall recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The quintet is comprised of SFA School of Music faculty members Christina Guenther, flute; Graham Mackenzie, oboe; Christopher Ayer, clarinet; Andrea Denis, horn; and Margaret Fay, bassoon.

This concert of the Stone Fort Wind Quintet is the premiere performance for three new faculty members – Mackenzie, Denis and Fay.

“Dr. Ayer and I are happy to welcome them to this long-standing faculty ensemble, and the entire quintet hopes the audience enjoys our fall concert,” Guenther said.

The program features Charles Delaney’s Suite for Woodwind Quintet, “Petite Offrande Musicale” (Petite Musical Offering) by Nino Rota, Karl Jenkins’ “Chums!,” and The Suite for Wind Quintet by Amanda Harberg.

Guenther describes Delaney’s Suite for Woodwind Quintet as “a charming piece in six movements.” After the introduction, each movement features a different instrument in the quintet: March features horn; Waltz features flute; Gavotte features bassoon; Sarabande features oboe; and Gigue features clarinet. “Delaney intended this work for children’s concerts, as it displays characteristics of the various instruments,” she said. Delaney was the longtime flute professor at the Florida State University and a teacher of Dr. Guenther.

“Petite Offrande Musicale” (Petite Musical Offering) by Nino Rota is a short work alternating a contemplative slower theme and a cheerful, energetic second theme. Rota was an Italian composer, conductor and pianist.

Jenkins is a Welch multi-instrumentalist and composer. His work, “Chums!,” is a high-energy showpiece with quirky twists and turns throughout presented through meter changes, sudden key changes, and unexpected interjections of new themes, according to Guenther. “Listen for the surprise added effect performed by all quintet members at the end of this fun piece,” she said.

The Suite for Wind Quintet by Amanda Harberg is “an exquisitely-written work that requires ultimate focus from the performers,” Guenther said. Composed in four movements – Cantus, Furlana, Fantasia and Cabaletta – it features “beautiful melodies, virtuosic technical passages, and an incredible amount of mixed meter.”

“This piece requires excellent ensemble communication, presents individual and ensemble challenges, and has become a favorite of the Stone Fort Wind Quintet,” Guenther said. Harberg is an actively-performing pianist/composer and teaches at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Admission is free. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the wreath-making seminar “Deck the Halls: Using Evergreens to Decorate for the Holidays” from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 11 at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St.

Evergreen branches and garlands once served as symbols of enduring life and a fruitful year to come. Dawn Stover, SFA Gardens research associate, will teach participants how to create elegant wreaths and garlands using these and other materials from the garden.

The principles of wreath, garland and centerpiece construction will be discussed, and seminar-goers will make a wreath to take home for the holidays.

In addition to traditional wreaths and garlands, Stover will introduce new crafts using natural items from the garden and forest. All materials will be provided.

The cost is $30 for SFA Garden members and $40 for nonmembers. Class size is limited. To register in advance, call (936) 468-4129, or email romigad@sfasu.edu.

Installation students in the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art will exhibit their installation artworks starting Nov. 5 at Fire House Nac in downtown Nacogdoches. “SFA Exhibition: Installation Art” will show through Nov. 20.

An opening reception is planned for 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at Fire House Nac, located at 708 Swift St. The exhibition opening will feature the performance “Cocktails on the Veranda” by Catherine Pears with her character Virginia Lee Sutherlin at 6:30 p.m.

The exhibition features work by undergraduate students Jenna Alley of Kingwood; Samantha Altamirano of Nacogdoches; Amber Barrett of Conroe; Cameron Blankinship of Rusk; Megan Bynum of Brownwood; Armando Chavez-Garcia of Corpus Christi; Nicolas Gagne of Nacogdoches; Sarah Gharst of Cypress; Koi Johnson of Waco; Andrea Leaman of Crockett; Cherry Reyes of Leander; and Abbey Stogner of White Oak; and graduate students Catherine Pears of Alexandria. Louisiana; and Homero Gutiérrez of Cuidad de Chihuahua, Mexico. The students are in the Advanced Sculpture: Installation class in the School of Art.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to forge a relationship between the student artists at SFA and artists living and working within the community,” Assistant Professor of Sculpture Eden Collins said. “Fire House Nac opened their doors as an art studio and artist collective in September, and we are honored to share their space with them.”

Fire House Nac is comprised of artists Brigette Kozash, Britt Mitchell, Holden and Dillon Graham, and their work spans stained glass, painting, ceramics, rug making and more.

Admission to the exhibition and reception is free. Exhibition hours at Fire House Nac are 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment. For more information, contact Collins at eden.collins@sfasu.edu or Fire House Nac on their Facebook page.