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The School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the exhibition “Denali: Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness” Sept. 17 through Nov. 21 in Griffith Fine Arts Gallery, located on the SFA campus.

Two languages – music and visual art – combine to create works of art made in response to chamber music composed in Denali National Park. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Elements Artist Group and composers from the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival’s Composing in the Wilderness Program, directed by SFA composing professor Dr. Stephen Lias. The Elements Artists Group is made up of six artists anchored in Alaska: Charlotte Bird, Susan Campbell, Nancy Hausle-Johnson, Marybee Kaufman, Margo Klass and Ree Nancarrow.

SFA senior composition student Corinna Hogan of Gatesville is among the collaborating composers. Other composers included Jesse Budel, Christian Dubeau, Aaron Keyt, Brent Lawrence, Libby Meyer, Christina Rusnak, Dawn Sonntag and Jennifer Wright.

The idea for the project was originally sparked by a painting Elements artist Marybee Kaufman rendered while listening to music written by Christina Rusnak in 2012, according to Nancarrow.

“Their successful collaboration resonated with other Elements artists who were eager to explore a new challenge – making visual art in response to music inspired by a place they all love, Denali National Park,” she said. Lias shared the proposal with his Composing in the Wilderness musicians, and they enthusiastically agreed to the project.

In 2017, Lias led nine experienced composers into the backcountry of Denali National Park where they composed original chamber music inspired by their wilderness experiences and shared recordings of their compositions, musical scores, ideas and inspiration with the Elements artists. The artists worked in a variety of media including fiber art, ceramic tiles, painting, poetry, and artist books to create 18 works of visual art, each one a personal response to a musical composition.

“This was an incredible experience that I feel inclined to repeat,” Hogan said. “I saw views no photo can adequately capture, discovered a love of hiking, made lasting friends from around the world, and wrote some of my best music. I recommend all composers do their best to be a part of Composing in the Wilderness.

“Two years ago I never would have guessed I’d be part of such a unique and fruitful collaboration, but here we are,” she added of the collaboration with the Elements group. “This artwork gave me a surprising and exciting new lens through which to see my own work, which is a very thought-provoking and enjoyable experience. Plus, it’s gorgeous.”

“Denali: Artists Respond to Music inspired by Wilderness” has been one of the most rewarding and inspiring exhibition collaborations in which Elements artists have participated, according to member Margo Klass.

“Denali: Artists Respond to Music in the Wilderness” represents “a fruitful collaboration of visual artists and musicians,” Klass said. “Composers we worked with said, ‘We have often responded to visual art, but no artist has ever responded to our compositions.'”

In experiencing the exhibition, a smart phone enables access to the music that inspired each artistic response. QR codes, posted throughout the exhibition, provide links to the music so that the music and art it inspired can be experienced at the same time. Binders of the musical scores and program notes are also on display as part of the exhibition. Catalogs of the exhibition include images, artist statements and biographies of artists and composers.

Support of a Community Arts Development Grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts helped fund the project along with sponsorship by The National Park Service, Alaska Geographic, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival and Composers in the Wilderness. For more information about the project, visit https://www.composinginthewilderness.com/elements.

A reception with performance is planned for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in the gallery. Griffith Gallery is located inside Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Drive.

This exhibition and reception is sponsored in part by William Arscott, The Flower Shop and the Friends of the Visual Arts. Admission is free. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

Area elementary students explored fire trucks and ambulances, interacted with snakes and tarantulas, and built gliders out of straws and notecards during Stephen F. Austin State University’s Little STEM Jacks.

Hosted by the STEM Research and Learning Center, the program provided an immersive learning experience for students entering kindergarten through fifth grade. Students rotated between classrooms, learning physics, biology and nursing concepts.

“With its hands-on learning approach, each student who attends Little STEM Jacks is able to interact with STEM professionals to learn more about different disciplines within STEM and potential career options,” said Adrienne Aul, STEM Research and Learning Center programs coordinator.

Suddenlink by Altice is the official partner of Little STEM Jacks.

“I am so thankful Suddenlink was able to play a small role in helping students experience the incredible STEM opportunities at SFA,” said Curt Allison, community specialist with Suddenlink. “It was really exciting to see the young students excited about STEM.”

To learn more about the STEM Research and Learning Center, visit sfasu.edu/stem.

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

Stephen F. Austin State University alumnus George Bedar, chief information officer for LA Fitness International, will share practical lessons learned working in the STEM industry at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in the Cole STEM Building, Room 401.

Bedar will describe many personal experiences and observations he has made over the course of his career.

“The goal of the presentation is to encourage the audience to consider these lessons now and in the future to help them apply them in their own way to be better leaders,” Bedar said.

He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in computer science from SFA. Serving in his current role with LA Fitness for 14 years, he leverages technology to improve efficiency and accuracy of business processes, simplify administrative activities, increase membership skills, enhance member experience and reduce operating costs.

“My experience and education at the university as a graduate student undoubtedly enabled a gratifying career in technology leadership,” Bedar said. “I hope, in some humble way, that I can return the favor by sharing some of my experiences with other students.”

The presentation is free and open to the public.

For more information about SFA’s College of Sciences and Mathematics, visit sfasu.edu/cosm.

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