SFA faculty, students and alumni to be featured in spring art exhibition

NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– An ensemble of artists representing Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Art — including a faculty member, graduate students and alumni — will be featured in the spring exhibition, “Five Painters: New Myths,” on view from April 11 to May 16 with an opening reception and panel discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. April 11. The exhibition will be held at Kirk Hopper Fine Art, 1426 N. Riverfront Blvd. in Dallas.

The exhibition includes work by Shaun Roberts, associate professor of art at SFA; Alexandria Wooldridge, graduate art student; Alberto Perez, graduate art student; Dagon Blank ’25, Master of Fine Arts alumnus; and Aarionne Hobbs ’25, Bachelor of Fine Arts alumnus.

“My goal with the students and this exhibition is to bridge the gap between the Old Masters and modern painting,” Roberts said. “I am committed to reviving the rigor and work ethic that define true mastery and empower a new generation of painters with the timeless skills of the brush through refined technique and compelling storytelling.”

The exhibition reflects the artists’ shared engagement with mythology as a framework for interpreting the present moment. While each painter employs a distinct visual language and personal narrative, the exhibition reveals a cohesive dialogue rooted in contemporary reimaginations of myth.

“Every generation has new myths,” said Susie Kalil, a nationally recognized writer and exhibition curator. “These artists are returning to mythologies and bringing them forward — retelling them in ways that reflect where we are now.”

Kalil was first introduced to SFA’s School of Art during a 2025 campus visit, when she served as a juror for Texas National at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House and met with students.

According to Kalil, SFA offers a rare environment for painters — one that emphasizes rigorous studio practice, engagement with art history and sustained artistic development.

“It became clear to me very quickly that this level of consistency is something I’m not seeing anywhere else,” Kalil said. “What I’m seeing here is artists digging deeply. Learning how to paint in the old-world way — with ambition, seriousness and a solid foundation.”

Kalil was so impressed with the SFA artists' work that she connected them with Kirk Hopper Fine Art, where she has served as guest curator. In contrast to what she describes as the prevailing culture of instant gratification and art made primarily for screens, Kalil sees SFA as an oasis — one where painting is treated as a lived, physical experience.

“The work that’s being made has to be seen in person,” Kalil said. “It’s painting that’s in the room with you — not just on the wall.”

Kalil hopes visitors arrive at the exhibit curious and leave changed.

“I want people to see what’s possible again,” Kalil said. “To stand in front of a painting. To feel it. To have that communion with the work.”

For more information about SFA’s School of Art, visit sfasu.edu/art. For more information about Kirk Hopper Fine Art, visit kirkhopperfineart.com.