NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Finding that special gift for the person who has everything may not be as difficult as you think, especially if that certain someone likes live music.

The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and its University Series will present two concerts prior to Christmas, and purchasing tickets as gifts is as easy as going online to finearts.sfasu.edu or picking up the phone to call the Fine Arts Box Office.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Contemporary Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will perform a rhythm and blues concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in the Music Recital Hall on the SFA campus.

The program will feature R&B music from multiple decades starting with the 1960s, according to Nick Lambson, instructor in the Sound Recording Technology program in the SFA School of Music.

“A lot of music in this genre has a large instrumentation, so in addition to vocals, guitars, bass and drums, we have keys, violin, trumpet and trombones,” Lambson said.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown gallery, will be open during a portion of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, gallery officials have announced.

Cole Art Center will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 20 through 22. The gallery will be open during regular hours Friday through Sunday, Nov. 23 through 25.

Exhibitions currently showing feature artwork by Kymia Nawabi and the SFA School of Art’s biennial exhibition of jewelry and metalwork.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s Beef Research Center barn was destroyed in a fire that occurred early on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 14.

“The fire caused significant damage to the structure and contents of the building,” said Dr. Hans Williams, dean of SFA’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. “We are very thankful that no people or animals were injured.”

The Beef Farm is a part of SFA’s 726-acre Walter C. Todd Agricultural Research Center, and it is an integral part of the learning experience for SFA’s agriculture students.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The award-winning Amethyst Saxophone Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A Dec. 2 fundraiser for the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre has been canceled.

“Christmas Chronicles,” originally planned by the Friends of Theatre and slated for 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Maklemore’s Ale-House & Bistro, is canceled.

For questions, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or the School of Theatre office at (936) 468-4003.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Tickets to The Purple Xperience, the most authentic Prince tribute show in the world, are still available for the group’s Nov. 30 concert at Stephen F. Austin State University.

A special Encore Event in the College of Fine Arts’ University Series and sponsored in part by Lehmann Eye Center, The Purple Xperience is a five-piece group that transports the spirit and sound of Prince direct from Minneapolis.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House will host a holiday exhibition that provides a glimpse into the celebrations of Christmas from bygone eras.

The Christmas display, which shows Dec. 1 through Dec. 30, includes vintage and antique ornaments, decorations, dolls and toys from days gone by. The vignette will offer a glimpse into how this favorite holiday was celebrated 100 years ago, according to John Handley, director of art galleries for Stephen F. Austin State University.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The choirs at Stephen F. Austin State University, along with many guest musicians, will present SFA’s traditional holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the university campus.

The highly anticipated “Christmas Celebration” concert will feature “Lux Aeterna” (Light Eternal) by acclaimed contemporary composer Morten Lauridsen, along with other seasonal favorites, according to Dr. Michael Murphy, director of choral activities for the SFA School of Music.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University students in the School of Human Sciences wrapped up their fourth annual Cooking Matters program with a graduation ceremony and game night.

During this six-week collaborative course with the East Texas Food Bank, SFA students worked with community members to educate them on healthy eating habits and budgeting.

SFA students helped administer the program to community members connected with the Helping Other People Eat organization. This year, 18 community members graduated from the program from among 20 participants.