Holiday schedule announced for SFA art galleries

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Hours for The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University's art gallery located in downtown Nacogdoches, will be extended during the Christmas and New Year's break, according to John Handley, director of galleries for SFA.

The Cole Art Center, located at 329 E. Main St., will be open during regular hours through Saturday, Dec. 21. It will be closed Tuesday through Friday, Dec. 24 through 27, and open Saturday, Dec. 28. The center will be open during regular hours Tuesday, Dec. 31, closed Jan. 1, and open during regular hours beginning Jan. 2 and forward. Regular hours for Cole Art Center are 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Exhibitions now on display in Cole Art Center include "Día de los Muertos: Art of the Living and the Dead" showing in Ledbetter Gallery through Jan. 4 and the art of John August Swanson showing in the upstairs Reavley Gallery through Jan. 11.

These exhibitions are featured as part of the SFA College of Fine Arts' University Series, "Live Out Loud." All exhibitions are free.

The SFA School of Art and Friends of the Visual Arts will also present a second free screening of "Calling Home the Dead" at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, in Cole Art Center.

First shown on Nov. 1 in conjunction with the opening of "Día de los Muertos: Art of the Living and the Dead," this film, directed and edited by Jim Hill, tells the story of the villagers of Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico, who lovingly clean and decorate the graves of loved ones with handmade gifts, marigolds and special foods as they prepare for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. A documentary by art student Kat Garcia featuring interviews with artists who created Day of the Dead altars for the exhibition will also be premiered.

Griffith Gallery in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus will be closed during the semester break and will reopen with an exhibition featuring the work of Mauro Manetti opening at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.

For additional information, call (936) 468-1131.