NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Art will host "Refined VIII: Maker's Choice" exhibition Jan. 24 through March 29 in the Reavley Gallery of The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

"Refined" is a biennial exhibition of jewelry and metalwork hosted by the art metals program in the School of Art at SFA since 1998, according to John Handley, director of art galleries at SFA.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Dr. Peter Raven, renowned conservationist and president emeritus of the St. Louis Botanical Garden, will discuss "Conservation in a Rapidly Changing World" at the inaugural lecture in the new Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The event, hosted by SFA Gardens, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the new facility located in SFA's Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - An exhibition that runs Jan. 16 through March 7 in Griffith Gallery on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University will feature works of contemporary artist Mauro Manetti.

Presented by the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Art, "Mauro Manetti, Harmonium, Selected Works" will include prints, opaque watercolors, drawings and digital images of the artist's sculptures and mosaics. The exhibition is sponsored in part by the Friends of the Visual Arts and the Nacogdoches Junior Forum.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Art will present the exhibition "Texas Art Quilts 1993-2011," showing Jan. 14 through March 29 in Ledbetter Gallery in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House.

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. 9, in Room 110 of the Agriculture Building, 1924 Wilson Drive.

Jason McKenzie, horticulturist at The Arbor Gate Nursery in Tomball, will present "A Native Texas Cottage Garden the Arbor Gate Way."

NACOGDOCHES - When Stephen F. Austin State University student Lindsey Hall visited with representatives of Secondary Education Opportunities, she did not realize the meeting would lead to an internship of a lifetime.

"American culture is changing," Hall said. "An internship is the new pre-requisite for any job, especially in the highly competitive industries of business and finance."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and SFA Friends of the Visual Arts will present a second free screening of "Calling Home the Dead" at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.