SFA University
July 27, 2016 - The “artful spirit” of Gary Frields will again be made available to admirers of the late Stephen F. Austin State University art professor when The Beautiful Gary Q. Frields Art Show & Sale takes place Aug. 4 through 27 in Reavley Gallery of The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
A reception is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, hosted by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts. Half of the sale proceeds will benefit the Gary Q. Frields Art Scholarship the FVA awards annually to an SFA student.
It’s been three years since Frields passed away, and his wife, Tamara Robertson, decided it was time to allow the public an opportunity to enjoy his artwork once again.
“I want Gary’s artful spirit to continue enriching other people’s lives as he did while on this earth,” she said, “making them laugh, making them stop and contemplate the incredible beauty of the world and what it means to be a sentient being.”
“I had the privilege of knowing Gary for nine years in total before he passed away, and the even greater privilege of being his wife for his last three years,” Robertson wrote in an email interview. “I have held his artworks close to me for these three years since he passed, unready to part ways with important things of his.
“It has made me sad to know so much of his work sits, unappreciated, as I have only so much room for display,” she said. “It is time to remedy this situation and release the beauty of Gary’s persona back out where it belongs – in public.”
Known among his peers as a great advocate for SFA’s art students, Frields taught courses in design, drawing and sculpture and served as graduate program coordinator for the School of Art before his retirement in 2012. He was a recipient of the SFA Fine Arts Teaching Excellence Award and was appointed to the board of directors for the Texas Association of Schools of Art. Frields’ involvement in national juried exhibitions helped in establishing the SFA Texas National, originating the concept, name and designing the logo. The event brings to Nacogdoches some of the most celebrated contemporary artists as jurors. He originated the Art Prom and was a founding member of The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, creating the logo and contributing to concept planning.
Frields’ best friend, Michael Donahue, described him as “an art evangelist,” Robertson said. “Gary was filled with gratitude to be able to live an artful life, create art and share his passion for art, UFOs, Elvis and Mr. Peanut with his friends and students,” she said.
Frields’ philosophy regarding art was “open-ended,” she explained. He did not believe there was any one “right” way to begin an artwork, or any one “right” style of art, or even that an artist was confined to creating work in one style alone.
“To me, he was a Picasso,” she said. “He began most of his art with no attempt to make any particular thing, but would proceed relentlessly, relying on intuitive reactions to his chosen material. While exploring various (and often new) materials, he would respond as unplanned things happened in his process of discovery. The forms, images, and narratives revealed would seem to invent themselves almost independently of Gary in an open-ended process that could merge any style (classical, minimal, expressive, nonobjective, naïve, abstract, etc.) with aspects connected to his life. Discoveries made during his working process built trust in creating through this working method.”
Each of Frields’ artworks has a different message, Robertson said. “Sometimes it is silly, sometimes serious, sometimes he was simply expressing his passion for life. There is certainly something in his work for everyone to connect with, regardless of their level of art education.”
Frields was “sincerely touched and proud” when the FVA announced it would honor him with a scholarship in his name, Robertson said.
“He was thrilled he would still be able to continue to encourage students of art even after he was no longer a teacher in the classroom,” she said. “Gary was always a champion of his students and took every opportunity to give back to the arts. He was an ardent believer that art would allow and encourage students to become more informed and transformed into authentically original, creative, open-minded, charitable individuals.”
“Scholarships advance a student’s self-belief and cognizance that their rigorous effort to acquire knowledge and skill is rewarding and respected,” Frields wrote. “I hope this scholarship allows someone to follow their passion and live their dream as I have been so fortunate to have done.”
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. Reavley Gallery is on the second floor. At the close of the show, the remaining artwork will be moved to the Culinary Café on the SFA campus.
For more information about the show and sale, call (936) 468-6557.
View Frields’ artwork at http://GaryQFrields.wix.com/garyqfrields.
July 27, 2016 - Members of the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents approved a Master of Arts in professional counseling program during its quarterly meeting Tuesday.
Dr. Judy Abbott, dean of the James I. Perkins College of Education, explained that this approval will meet new accreditation standards and consolidate SFA’s existing counseling programs into a required 60-hour licensure program. Three concentrations will be offered: Clinical mental health counseling, school counseling and clinical rehabilitation counseling. The program will be available this fall pending approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
“As accreditation progresses, we seek to evolve our programs to reflect the expectations of the professional organization, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs,” Abbott said. “Maintaining our program accreditation supports graduate students in completing a rigorous, current program that reflects the standards and expectations of professionals in the field of counseling.”
Additionally, regents heard an update on SFA’s Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building by Kirksey Architects, the Houston-based firm designing the facility. With the design and development phase now complete, the university is moving forward with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for Nov. 6 and completion in June 2018. The four-story building will feature a 50-foot dome for a new planetarium, glass atrium, labs, third-floor terrace and more.
Regents approved a $6 million capital plan budget for scheduled maintenance and renovation projects, including enhancements to the Baker Pattillo Student Center Grand Ballroom and fire safety improvements to classrooms and buildings across campus. Classrooms also will receive technology upgrades in the form of projection units, TVs and additional equipment to enhance instruction and activities.
“There are 117 classrooms on campus, and our goal is to significantly upgrade 40 percent of these rooms,” said Dr. Steve Bullard, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We are transitioning these classrooms into active-learning spaces to further engage students in the learning experience, which is an overarching goal of our strategic plan.”
In other business, the board received a report from the SFA auditor and approved the annual audit plan. Board members also heard updates on the university’s marketing campaign and new SFA website, which is scheduled to launch in September.
During its three-day meeting, the board approved the following:
• a list of firms to provide legal consulting services on an as-needed basis
• grant awards totaling $611,037
• building and grounds, financial affairs, and academic and student affairs policy revisions
• revisions to the intercollegiate athletic policies and procedures manual
• fiscal year 2016-17 institutional operating budget of more than $250 million
• submission of the 2018-19 legislative appropriation request
• information technology services capital fund
• network infrastructure upgrades and replacements to wired and wireless networks
• the refinancing of bonds if a 3-percent savings would result and
• the university’s holiday schedule.
Additionally, the board approved the minutes of the April and June meetings and heard reports from SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo, the Faculty Senate and the Student Government Association.
July 18, 2016 - The Music Preparatory Division in the School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University will offer Piano Safari Camp Monday through Friday, Aug. 1 through 5.
Taught by Dr. Mario Ajero, associate professor of piano at SFA, the class will meet for one hour each day in Room 223 of the Boynton Building on the SFA campus. The camp, which is limited to 10 participants, is for beginning students with no piano experience in the first through third grades.
“Piano Safari Camp will help students explore the wonderful world of piano,” said Pat Barnett, director of the Music Preparatory program.
The class will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuition is $80 for the week. A registration form can be downloaded from the website at www.music.sfasu.edu/outreach.php?link=prep.
For information, contact the Music Preparatory Division at (936) 468-1291 or at musicprep@sfasu.edu. Office hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
July 3, 2016 NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 14, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. Ethan Guthrie, greenhouse and nursery manager for the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Smithgall Woodland Garden in Gainesville, Georgia, will present “Yes, We Really Are the Atlanta Botanical Garden, But We Are the One in Gainesville, Georgia.”
Guthrie has worked for the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Gainesville location for the past seven years. He started as the greenhouse/nursery manager and transitioned to horticulture manager. Guthrie mainly propagates unusual species with a focus on various magnolias. He serves on the board of directors for the Magnolia Society International, and in his spare time, creates new magnolia hybrids. He also is a member of the International Plant Propagators Society.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at SFA’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held 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 nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.
For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu.
July 1, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Entering its 50th year, the High School Summer Theatre Workshop at Stephen F. Austin State University is the oldest program of its kind in Texas.
Two weeks of concentrated instruction in acting, voice and movement, or scenery, costumes, make-up, sound, lighting and stage management await sophomore, junior and senior high school students. Many workshop participants return to SFA in subsequent years to major in various aspects of theatre.
Offered in its long-standing busy format, the workshop is headed by secondary educator and longtime SFA School of Theatre faculty member Dr. Shari Ellsworth. This year’s workshop gets underway July 17.
“High School Workshop gives us an opportunity to expose our wonderful school and program to high schools all over Texas,” Ellsworth said. “Not only do the students who attend have a higher chance of returning to SFA for college, but their friends and family who come to see the final shows also share their experience with others.
We’ve always had five students or more that were campers become students at SFA per year. There are so many SFAers who have stated that camp was the reason they chose SFA, all the way back to the 1960s. This summer, we hope we will see many of those campers and former students attend this year’s 50th celebration.”
Dr. Ken Waters started the workshop in 1967 and was the director for 24 years. He established the program to help college students practice working with high school students before they began student teaching. It was also created to introduce high school students as to what college theatre is like. Allen Oster took the program over in 1991 and was the director for 20 years. In 2011, Ellsworth became the director and revised the program into what it is today.
Students live in residence halls and study at the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the beautiful SFA campus. Recreational activities such as movie night, theme parties and dances are held during the workshop.
Advanced SFA theatre majors serve as counselors, teaching high school students in all areas of theatre. SFA theatre tech students teach design skills, while acting students direct the different shows and conduct various workshops.
SFA graduate Benn May is well versed in all aspects of the workshop. May attended as a high school student then came to SFA to major in theatre. He served as a counselor for several summers. May earned a degree in theatre performance.
“I first learned about the workshop after asking my high school teacher about opportunities for camps, and she happened to have a brochure,” he said.
Attending the workshop for three years in high school greatly influenced May’s decision to enroll at SFA.
“Attending the workshop made me comfortable with SFA, its students, and the work that was done here, so it was a huge factor for me,” he said.
May said his involvement in summer theatre workshop helped him to develop organizational and leadership skills.
“The biggest test of your leadership skills is to put you in a room full of 50 high school students and say GO!” he said. “I had more prep than that going into it, but, ultimately, we are pushed to really lead our students as directors and counselors. Many of the tools I gained during that time, I still use in my professional work.”
May just recently completed a directing and dramaturgy internship at Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine. He is currently working for The Theater at Monmouth in Monmouth, Maine, as a box office and special events assistant, and he is directing the "green shows," which are the opening acts for each of the main performances.
“My time at SFA helped to give me a well-rounded education that truly prepared me for any role in the theatre,” he said.
The 50th year of high school workshop will be celebrated during the annual awards ceremony on July 30, and the ceremony will honor the memory of the late Professor Oster “and his amazing contribution to the program,” Ellsworth said.
“All former campers and counselors have been invited to attend this event, especially those students and campers who attended workshop under Oster’s direction,” she said.
Visit theatre.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-4003 for additional information.
June 20, 2016 - Stephen F. Austin State University recently welcomed hundreds of prospective university students and their parents to the campus for orientation. Summer orientation serves as an opportunity to introduce future students to SFA and their respective colleges and also gives parents insight into their son or daughter’s home for the next few years.
During the event, Dr. Janet Tareilo, associate dean of SFA’s James I. Perkins College of Education and Office of Student Services and Advising, met with attendees and discussed how to be a successful college student and where to go if help is needed. She also highlighted the registration process and university policies.
“Orientation is our first opportunity to introduce SFA and the Perkins College of Education to future students,” Tareilo said. “It is a wonderful time to meet the next generation of Lumberjacks and help prepare them for their college journey by answering questions.”
SFA offers several freshman and transfer orientation sessions throughout the summer.
June 14, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of “This Ain’t No Mouse Music!” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 1, in The Cole Art Center at The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
“This Ain’t No Mouse Music!” tells the story of Chris Strachwitz and Arhoolie Records. In the documentary, filmmakers Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling take a hip-shaking stroll from New Orleans to Appalachia, chronicling Strachwitz’s journey to plantations and prisons, roadhouses and whorehouses, churches and bayou juke joints, to return with recordings that would revolutionize the sound of popular music, according to thisaintnomousemusic.com.
The film runs one hour, 32 minutes.
This screening is part of the School of Art’s monthly Friday Film Series and is sponsored in part by the Nacogdoches Film Festival, William Arscott, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, Main Street Nacogdoches, David Kulhavy, John and Kristen Heath, Brad Maule, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens and Jim and Mary Neal.
The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.
June 9, 2016 NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The second phase of a significant Texas Department of Transportation grant was awarded recently to Stephen F. Austin State University faculty members in the Department of Geology to support their work identifying existing geologic hazards along a roadway in Culberson County, Texas, just south of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
“It is an honor to have been asked by TxDOT to conduct research that will assist them in developing better practices for road stability within an area that is prone to significant failure,” said Dr. Kevin Stafford, project director and SFA associate professor of geology. “As oilfield activity expands throughout Culberson County, the heavy truck traffic is having a significant impact on infrastructure that was originally only intended for light/ranch traffic. As the only person who has significantly worked on the gypsum karst in this area, I have been fortunate to have been contracted by TxDOT to assess the karst phenomena associated with road failure and help them develop engineering solutions.”
The first phase of the contract was awarded to Stafford from the University of Texas – El Paso for just more than $60,000. Dr. Wesley Brown, chair of SFA’s Department of Geology, is serving as the project’s co-investigator.
“The first round of funding was an initial assessment of causes of road failure within Culberson County, which proved to be more complicated than originally suspected,” Stafford said. “The causes of failure are numerous and range from initial road construction a half century ago to variable karst manifestations. The first round of funding was very successful in that it identified the types of geohazards in the area. The second round of funding will focus on classifying and delineating the physical extent of each geohazard associated with RM652 in Culberson County.”
Upon successful completion of the project’s first phase, the second round was awarded totaling more than $705,000. The project, Stafford said, is designed to characterize and map out geologically hazardous areas along a 34-mile stretch of road in Culberson County.
“We will be utilizing various techniques to accomplish this, including geophysical surveys, remote sensing, karst surveys and traditional geologic field assessment,” he added. “Geophysical surveys include: high-resolution imaging to depths of 10 meters for sites that have continuously required road repairs; collection of continuous resistivity profiles along the entire stretch of road; and interpretation of shallow ground-penetrating radar throughout the study area for characterization of road-base conditions.
“Karst surveys and geologic field assessment will be carried out in the field with traverse-based field mapping adjacent to RM652, while caves discovered within 100 meters of the right-of-way will be entered and mapped to delineate their spatial extent and determine if they cross beneath RM652.”
Five SFA geology graduate students will be hired for the project this summer. An additional two to three undergraduates will be hired in the latter part of the summer to assist with field mapping and cave exploration. Stafford expects several undergraduate research projects and master’s theses will evolve from the TxDOT grant project.
“Effectively, this contracted research evolved from previous research I conducted prior to joining SFA and has turned out to be a great opportunity to continue work in the region,” Stafford said, “while providing funding to enable students to work in an area and environment that has been cost-prohibitive in previous years because of the distance away from Nacogdoches.”
June 8, 2016 - NACOGDOCHES, Texas — A limited number of students can still enroll in a weeklong science, technology, engineering and mathematics camp hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University’s STEM Research and Learning Center aimed at engaging East Texas students entering the seventh or eighth grade in hands-on STEM activities.
“The goal is to expose students to STEM disciplines in a way that excites them about the many possibilities in math and science,” said Dr. Jana Redfield, assistant director of the SFA STEM Research and Learning Center, which is part of the College of Sciences and Mathematics. “Each module is about two hours and 45 minutes of hands-on learning, allowing students to not only be exposed to math and science concepts, but to create a spark of interest in a possible future STEM career.”
What math concepts go into the construction of a rollercoaster? Who is the criminal behind a messy crime scene? Investigations in Math and Science, or iMAS, Academy answers these and similar questions during the course of five days. The camp consists of modules that cover chemistry, biology, nursing, engineering, mathematics and physics basics.
In one module, students engage in a crime scene investigation lab designed to simulate activities that take place in a forensic laboratory setting, including DNA glass fragment and chemical analyses. In another, students are exposed to the high-energy bustle of a hospital emergency room and learn four of many skills—blood loss estimation, aseptic techniques, cardiovascular and respiratory assessments, and virtual intravenous infusion. Students also will investigate effects of acid on eggshells using flat and carbonated root beer during the “Acid Attacks!” activity.
“So much goes in to the development of the curriculum for iMAS. The iMAS modules are designed to be student centered, hands-on and fun. They are initially written by STEM faculty members and area master teachers,” Redfield said. “Once written, modules are reviewed for accuracy and science/math appropriateness for the grade level, then piloted during the school year to insure student engagement. Several of the modules created for this year’s iMAS are brand new, such as the 3-D printing/engineering and rollercoasters. Others have been proven successful in past summer iMAS Academies.”
New to iMAS camp is a rollercoaster module inviting participants to explore mathematical concepts as they design and build paper rollercoasters from cardstock. The science of motion and the financial literacy component of budgeting and cost analysis also will be explored.
A second new module will utilize state-of-the-art 3D printers acquired by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. In the module, students will create and build a pair of interlocking rings using a computer-aided design program.
The 2016 iMAS Academy will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, June 20-24, on the SFA campus. The cost is $100 per attendee and includes the price of materials, snacks, prizes and a T-shirt. Visit cosm.sfasu.edu/stem/imas-academy to register.
June 7, 2016 - The following student(s) has/have been named to the President's List at Stephen F. Austin State University for the spring semester.
To be eligible for this honor, a student must be enrolled in 12 or more semester hours and maintain a grade-point average of 4.0.
HOMETOWN, STATE; NAME, MAJOR, DEPARTMENT
Center, TX
Lesley Cockrell, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Erika Figueroa-Franco, Pre-Nursing, School of Nursing
Whitney Haddox, Communication Disorders, Human Services
Aaron Liker, Accounting, Accounting
Jessica Massey, Art, School of Art
Chelsea McDaniel, Music, School of Music
Carsen McFarland, Social Work, School of Social Work
Julie McSwain, Undecided, Special Advising
Lindsey Snell, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Joaquin, TX
Bailee McSwain, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Shelbyville, TX
Tiffanee Vaughn, Interdisciplinary Studies, Elementary Education
Timpson, TX
Ian Angelo, Kinesiology, Kinesiology & Health Science
Kaela Hudman, Pre-Nursing, School of Nursing
Madilyn Sanford, Communication Disorders, Human Services
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