Stephen F. Austin State University

The public is invited to attend the opening reception of two Stephen F.
Austin State University student art exhibitions at 6 p.m. Monday, April 16, in the SFA Art Building located off of Wilson Drive.

"Just in Case 2007: A Traveling Exhibition of Small Works" will be displayed in the showcases in the main hall of the Art Building, and the "23rd Annual Art Alliance Student Spring Show" will be exhibited in the School of Art Galleries, Rooms B141 and B143.

Winners of both exhibitions will be announced during the reception. At 6:15, Dr. David Lewis, director of the School of Art, will announce the winners of the Art Alliance show, and at 6:30, Chad Erpelding, SFA assistant professor of art and the juror for "Just in Case," will share his comments on the selected works and announce the cash winners.

"Just in Case" is now in its sixth year. Submissions can be in any medium, but the pieces are restricted to 12" x 12" x 8, " explained Anita Powell, SFA assistant professor of art and the exhibition's coordinator. "This year's show will be exhibited in four separate display cases from now until Sept. 15, and each is relatively small."

During the summer months, the show will travel to The ArtSpace at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, the Nacogdoches Public Library and the Sherry Ward Fine Arts Studio.

"The size restriction provides a challenge for the artists and also enables the three venues to display SFA students' art," Powell said.

The Art Alliance show is sponsored by the School of Art's student organization of the same name. SFA undergraduate and graduate students were invited to enter works in a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, art metal, jewelry, ceramics, prints, digital, photography and mixed media.

The show, which will run through Tuesday, April 24, provides an opportunity for SFA students to enter a juried show and for Art Alliance members to gain experience in presenting and installing an exhibition, explained Jill Carrington, SFA associate professor of art history and the club's faculty advisor.

"The annual exhibition is always juried by a well-known artist, critic or gallery director," Carrington explained. "And this year, we are pleased to have MANUAL (Ed Hill and Suzanne Bloom) serving as jurors."

An exhibition of the duo's work, "MANUAL: On the Verge," opens Saturday, April 14, at The Art Center @ The Old Opera House, as does 'TEXAS NATIONAL 2007," which MANUAL also juried.

For more information on "Just in Case," contact Powell via e-mail at apowell@sfasu.edu or by calling (936) 468-4262. For more information on the Art Alliance show, contact Carrington at jcarrington@sfasu.edu or call her at (936) 468-4351.