SFA to open 'Fabric of African Culture'

This mask from the Guro tribe in Africa is part of the "Fabric of African Culture" exhibition that the SFA School of Art will open with a 6 p.m. reception on Friday, Nov. 19, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS -African textiles, artifacts, sculptures and ceremonial articles spanning 500 years are included in "Fabric of African Culture," which the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Art will open with a 6 p.m. reception Friday, Nov. 19, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

"This powerful exhibition celebrates the expressive quality of the work and artistic expression inherent in the cultures of Africa," said Gary Parker, SFA instructor of art and the show's curator.

While the 88 textiles included in the show are from the Kuba tribe of the Congo region, the rest of the pieces represent tribes from across the continent.

Parker said the exhibition reveals the thread that runs through all artistic expressions, from early primitive cultures to contemporary art. "It makes evident the influence the African cultures had on movements in Western art such as Impressionism and Cubism," Parker continued.

"We are proud to offer this fascinating exhibition to East Texans," said Alisa Steed, interim director of SFA galleries. "It will appeal to a wide audience."

The Nov. 19 opening reception will include a lecture by an authority on African art.

"Fabric of African Culture," which is part of the College of Fine Arts' University Series, replaces the originally scheduled "Storm Chasers" and will run through Saturday, Jan. 15. It is sponsored in part by Nacogdoches Junior Forum and the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts.

The exhibition is being displayed in the Ledbetter Gallery of The Cole Art Center, located at 329 E. Main St. Admission is free. 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.