NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. The competition provides an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.

The artwork submitted for the competition by students living within U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert’s congressional district will be displayed in Griffith Gallery on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present guest artist Sidney A. King performing a double bass recital at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

King, who is associate professor of double bass and music education in the University of Louisville School of Music, will present a recital that he describes as “a model of a personal statement about what an artist has to offer, much like an exhibition by a visual artist or painter.”

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Local teachers took a bite out of education recently as they participated in “Book Bites,” a collaborative event organized by Stephen F. Austin State University elementary education and hospitality administration students.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The SFA Percussion Ensemble and Steel Band, both directed by Dr. Brad Meyer, will perform their annual “Percussion in the Pines” holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The Percussion Ensemble will play several holiday favorites, including “Deck the Halls,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Oh Holy Night” and “Silent Night,” according to Meyer, director of percussion studies for the SFA School of Music.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — State Sen. Bryan Hughes will offer Stephen F. Austin State University’s commencement address during SFA’s fall graduation ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 16, in Johnson Coliseum.

Hughes is serving his first term in the Texas Senate, representing the 16 counties of Senate District One in Northeast Texas. Previously, he represented District Five in the Texas House of Representatives for seven terms.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — A pair of Stephen F. Austin State University public history graduate students have joined with NIBCO, a 111-year-old valve, fittings and flow control products company with 10 manufacturing plants throughout the U.S., Mexico and Poland, to research, design and create an exhibit to celebrate the 75th anniversary of NIBCO’s Nacogdoches plant.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present the Rockin’ Axes performing “The ’90s and Early, New Millennium Concert” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present “A Night of Song,” featuring music faculty members Kayla Roth, Dr. Danny Chapa and Dr. J.D. Salas, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, in the Music Recital Hall in Wright Music Building on the SFA campus.

The concert, which is part of the School of Music’s Calliope Series, will include German art songs, or lieder, from the Romantic era, or the mid to late 1800s.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Joshua Chavira, Houston graduate vocal performance student at Stephen F. Austin State University, traveled extensively this past summer to study Baroque singing at a prestigious and historic early music program in Urbino, Italy.

The program, Musica Antica, housed more than 400 participants, including dancers, instrumentalists and singers. Participants traveled from Japan, Russia, Jerusalem, France, Spain, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy to take part in the acclaimed program. Chavira was one of only four Americans to participate.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The Stephen F. Austin State University Office of Multicultural Affairs encourages the campus and Nacogdoches communities to submit community work projects for the eighth annual MLK Day of Service scheduled for Jan. 15.

The deadline to submit a project is Friday, Dec. 15. Volunteers are needed and can sign up to work now through the morning of the event.