NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Ten outstanding young musicians have been accepted as participants in the distinguished 2015 Schmidbauer Young Artist Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The exhibition "Vision & Substance: The Art of John Cobb" will close with a reception beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

The exhibition, which is a feature of the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts' 2014-2015 University Series, has been showing in Ledbetter Gallery in Cole Art Center since opening on Oct. 25.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University Charter School is a recipient of the Texas Comptroller's 2014 Texas Honors Circle Award, which recognizes districts and campuses that achieve academic success through cost-effective operations. Award recipients achieve strong academic performance while spending relatively less compared to their fiscal peers.

Tony Napolillo

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

Tony Napolillo from Green Mountain Energy Company will present "Why Solar is the Future of a Sustainable World."

The 2015 Mr. and Miss SFA award recipients: Chad Huckaby of Nacogdoches and Sabrina Wallace of Deer Park.

Chad Huckaby of Nacogdoches and Sabrina Wallace of Deer Park have been chosen for the 2015 Mr. and Miss SFA award. The students will be honored during halftime of the Stephen F. Austin State University men's basketball game against Houston Baptist University beginning at 6 p.m. February 7.

Bill Elliott, founder of Elliott Electric Supply, was honored for his company's contributions to Stephen F. Austin State University. Pictured are, from left, Steve McCarty, chair of the SFA Board of Regents; Dr. Baker Pattillo, SFA president; Elliott; Jill Still, vice president for university advancement; and Jimmy Mize, chair of the SFASU Foundation Board.

Outstanding donors were honored during the 26th annual SFA Gala held recently at Stephen F.

Chef Grant Achatz, working here at his Alinea restaurant in Chicago, Ill., is featured in the award-winning documentary, "Spinning Plates."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present a free, one-night screening of "Spinning Plates" at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

For many Lumberjack families, love for SFA spans generations. Members of one spirited East Texas clan have left an enduring mark on a particularly beloved and admired university tradition - the SFA Twirl-O-Jacks.

Pat (Griffin) Bridges, a 1962 SFA graduate, started it all when she came to campus in fall 1959. She was recruited by then Lumberjack Band director Jimmy Hudgins, who came to her home to ask her to help "build a great twirling line" and play the oboe in his concert band.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University will be closed for winter break beginning Saturday, Dec. 20. All university operations will resume regular hours on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.

Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. In addition, the Office of Admissions will not provide any scheduled tours of campus during the break.

In case of emergency during the break, please contact the University Police Department at (936) 468-2608.

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

Cole Art Center will be closed Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 24 through 26, and Thursday, Jan. 1. The center may close early on Wednesday, Dec. 31, if there is no traffic. Otherwise the center will be open during regular hours, which are 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.