NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - An art opening and free film should bring a large crowd to The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House on the evening of Friday, June 4, according to Christian Cutler, director of galleries at Stephen F. Austin State University.

"At 5:30 p.m. the School of Art will open 'Nac Collects,' which offers a fascinating glimpse inside the homes of Nacogdoches art collectors who have graciously agreed to share their art works with us," Cutler continued.

The exhibition includes a wide variety of pieces, including a bronze sculpture, oil paintings, drawings and prints. Of special note are three works by folk artist Clementine Hunter of Louisiana, whose paintings reveal everyday life in and around a plantation.

During the opening, Mike Bay, longtime board member of the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts, will introduce the exhibition, which will run through Saturday, June 26.

By 7:15, the Ledbetter Gallery will be transformed into a screening room for "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." The 90-minute film by Ken Burns traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years, chronicling the addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them.

"Because many people will frequent these American treasures during the summer months, we thought it would be appropriate to show this film at the beginning of June as a part of our First Friday Film Series," Cutler said. "We are grateful for the generous support we have received from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture for the screening."

The film and "Nac Collects" are sponsored in part by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts and Nacogdoches Junior Forum. Admission to both events is free and open to the public.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches. For more information, please call (936) 468-1131.