SFA Culinary Café to host Austin artist - February 22, 2012

The Stephen F. Austin State University hospitality administration program will host a reception with Austin artist Polly McLean from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 2, in the Culinary Café, located in the James I. Perkins College of Education Annex, 1620 Raguet St.

The artist will visit with guests and light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

McLean has participated in many shows throughout the Austin community and uses a diverse mixture of media. Her jewelry has been featured in a show at Clarksville Pottery, along with paintings through the 3 Muses Studio. She has paintings in several private collections throughout Central Texas.

McLean’s newest Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired collection, “Flowers and Fashion,” will adorn the walls of the SFA Culinary Café through May 4.

Twice-weekly luncheons in the SFA Culinary Café, a student-run eatery, begin Tuesday, Feb. 28. Students in the advanced culinary planning and preparation course prepare gourmet meals, which are served by students in the customer relations for the hospitality industry class. Menu selections range from pork tenderloin medallions with chipotle coleslaw to dark chocolate and cayenne pepper ice cream.

To view the spring menu and dates, visit www.sfasu.edu/culinarycafe. For more information, call (936) 468-2060.

SFA children’s series to present ‘Are You My Mother?’ musical - February 22, 2012

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – Parents and teachers of children in kindergarten through second grade can still make reservations for the children to see “Are You My Mother?” at 9:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. The event is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts' Children's Performing Arts Series.

ArtsPower’s one-hour musical adaptation of P.D. Eastman’s well-loved picture book begins when Baby Bird hatches from her egg and finds an empty nest. Unaware that her mother has left to find food, Baby Bird leaves the nest to look for her, and along the way meets an array of colorful characters who help and advise her.

“It is a journey that overflows with courage, determination and a bit of calculated silliness,” said Diane J. Flynn, director of the children’s series.

Since Mark and Gary Blackman founded ArtsPower in 1985, it has grown into one of the largest and most active producers of professional theatre for young and family audiences in the United States. Its 26 professional touring productions have been seen by nine million people in 46 states.

Tickets are $6 for individuals and $5 each for groups of 20 or more. For tickets or more information, please call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Cutline: The SFA Children’s Performing Arts Series will present ArtsPower’s production of “Are You My Mother?” at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

Steel Band, percussion film at Cole Art Center - February 22, 2012

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – As a preview to the screening of “Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey” on Friday, March 2, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, the Stephen F. Austin State University Steel Band will perform for about 30 minutes, beginning at 7 p.m.

The performance will be followed by the screening of “Pulse” as a presentation of the SFA School of Art’s monthly independent film series.

The 40-minute, large-format film is an exploration of global rhythm, song and dance, with Stomp, the acclaimed group of percussion performers, serving as a guide in locations such as New York City, the American Southwest, Africa, South America, Asia and Europe.

Directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, the film received the Giant Screen Theater Association Film Achievement Award for Best Film in 2004 and Best Editing in 2003. It was also named Best Film at the 2003 Lo Geode Large Format Film Festival.

The film is sponsored in part by The SFA School of Music, SFA Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

Admission is free. The Cole At Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.

SFA Girl Scout STEM Day This Saturday - February 17, 2012
Submitted by Shirley Luna

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research and Learning Center will host its second annual “SFA Girl Scout STEM Day!” for regional Girl Scout troops on Saturday, Feb. 18.  Approximately 150 Girl Scouts in kindergarten through 5th grade are expected to attend.  They will participate in four different sessions doing fun learning activities in the subject areas of geology, chemistry, physics and computer science.

The sessions have been designed by SFA professors Dr. Tom Callaway (physics), Dr. Michele Harris (chemistry), Dr. Deborah Dunn (computer science), Mrs. Liz Hutchinson (computer science) and Dr. Melinda Faulkner (geology). The event is organized by Dr. Jeremy Becnel (mathematics) and Girl Scouts’ Nacogdoches area Service Unit Manager Kesha Becnel.  The sessions will be run by SFA undergraduate and graduate students from various STEM departments.

The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Math Building, Room 101, and then the participants will disperse to their activities on the second floor of the Math Building.  The event will end at 4:30 p.m.

Local Girl Scouts Sing at SFA - February 15, 2012
Submitted by Carol Chandler

On Feb 11th, ten girls from Troop 1529 and five girls from the Houston area participated in singing the National Anthem at the SFA Ladyjacks Basketball game. The girls did a wonderful job. In fact, a member of the Choral Department from the SFA School of Music was there and told director Kelsy Holt how impressed she was with the performance. This event was definitely an opportunity for the girls to build their courage, confidence, and character.

Included in the picture are JerrieLynn Hernandez, Melin Hernandez, Jada Moore, Damaris Hernandez, Alexandria Johnson, Charity Lee, Michaela Garrett, CiCi Gibson, Hannah Chandler, Christina Patterson, troop leader Carol Chandler and director Kelsy Holt.

Trio Solari to perform at SFA - February 15, 2012

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present Trio Solari in a guest artist recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The trio, composed of clarinetist Chad Burrow, violinist Sean Wang and pianist Amy Cheng, will perform Paul Schoenfield’s “Trio.” Barrett Sills, principal cellist for the Houston Ballet Orchestra and the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, will then join the trio in performing Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time.”

Both of these 20th-century compositions are “among the best chamber works written for the relatively uncommon combination of clarinet, string instruments and piano,” said Wang.

Schoenfield’s four-movement work, which combines music appropriate for both Hassidic gatherings and chamber music concerts, employs the clarinet, violin and piano. It was written in 1990.

Messiaen wrote his piece while interred in a German prisoner-of-war camp along with three professional musicians. The quartet (with Messiaen playing piano) was premiered at the prison camp on Jan. 15, 1941.

The members of Trio Solari have each performed as soloists and chambers musicians across the United States, East Asia, South America and Europe. As the trio, they have performed at universities throughout the United States and in the Oklahoma Mozart International Music Festival, University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium and the Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark.

The recital is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music and is part of the Cole Performing Arts Series. Cole Concert Hall is located in the Wright Music Building, 2210 Alumni Drive.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, please go to www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

SFA announces ‘Refined VII’ winners - February 15, 2012

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – At the recent opening of “Refined VII: Inspiration,” juror Jennifer Crupi announced the winners of the biennial art metals and jewelry competition and exhibition presented by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art.

Becky McDonah of Tempe, Ariz., received the $750 first place for “Inspirational Ashes”; Yuri Tozuka of Boston received the $500 second place for “Twins”; and Chris Irick of Utica, N.Y., received the $250 third place for “Fountain Elms.”

Crupi, who is an associate professor of art at Kean University in New Jersey, said in choosing the award winners she put special emphasis on works “that clearly reflected the artists’ creative spark for inspiration.”

From the 300 submissions for the show, Crupi chose 72 works by 44 artists representing four countries. “Refined VII: Inspiration” will be on view in the Reavley Gallery of The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House through Saturday, March 24.

The show, which is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Art, is sponsored in part by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches. Regular gallery hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.

SFA to host Showcase Saturdays for prospective students - February 9, 2012

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Future college students will have the opportunity to experience a taste of campus life during two free, action-packed open-house Saturdays at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches on Feb. 25 and March 31.

Prospective students will get to visit with university faculty and staff, tour the campus and residence halls, and preview academic programs during the two SFA Showcase Saturday events.

“There is no better time than Showcase Saturday to visit the beautiful SFA campus and enjoy the Lumberjack Experience,” said Ryan Horne, assistant director of the Office of Admissions.

“Guests are encouraged to visit one-on-one with our faculty to learn more about our quality, personalized academic programs, and our staff will be available to answer questions about everything from admission requirements to financial aid to residence life.”

SFA is a comprehensive, residential university located in the heart of Texas Forest Country in Nacogdoches. Nearly 13,000 students attend SFA, which is within a few hours’ drive of Texas’ major metropolitan areas.

Showcase Saturday event registration will begin at noon on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center and will remain open until 1 p.m. Each person who registers will receive an information packet. The opening program begins at 1 p.m. and will provide an overview of the day’s events.

Guests will then be able to visit with representatives of the academic departments until 4 p.m. at the Academic Fair in the Student Recreation Center. Student service department representatives also will be on hand to provide information about campus life from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Student Center.

Campus and residence hall tours will begin at 1:45 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Campus tours will take students on a guided walk of the SFA campus, while the residence hall tour will showcase several halls on both the north and south ends of campus.

Admissions counselors will be available to discuss admission procedures and requirements in the Rusk Building, Room 206, from 1:45 to 5 p.m.

Financial aid information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Kennedy Auditorium, Room 101. Residence Life information sessions will be held at 2:30, 3:15 and 4 p.m. in the Baker Pattillo Student Center movie theater on the second floor.

Participating students will receive a free SFA T-shirt after turning in a completed evaluation form in the Grand Ballroom of the student center from 4 to 5 p.m.

For more information about SFA’s Showcase Saturday, contact the SFA Office of Admissions at (936) 468-2504, or visit admissions@sfasu.edu.