NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The combined choirs at Stephen F. Austin State University, along with the Orchestra of the Pines, will present "An SFA Christmas Garland" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

A highly anticipated holiday event, this concert will feature the choirs and orchestra performing Part 1 - often referred to as the "Christmas portion" - of George Frideric Handel's "Messiah," according to Tim King, director of choral activities for the SFA School of Music and director of the performance.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art and the Friends of the Visual Arts will present free, one-night screenings of two short documentaries Friday night, Dec. 5, in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.

The night's features include "The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life," and "A Better Me." The screenings begin at 7 p.m.

Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus as part of the College of Fine Arts' 2014-2015 University Series, "Connect."

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts will present Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano performing "Fiesta Navidad!" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, in W.M.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art has announced holiday closures for its galleries during the week of Thanksgiving.

The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House will be open during regular hours Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 25 and 26. The art center will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, and will remain closed throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. The center will reopen during regular hours beginning Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Regular hours for the art center are 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The SFA Percussion Ensemble and SFA Steel Band, both directed by Dr. Brad Meyer, will perform their annual "Percussion in the Pines" holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The Percussion Ensemble will play several holiday favorites, including "Deck the Halls," "Away in a Manger," "Carol of the Bells," "Sleigh Ride," "Oh Holy Night" and "Silent Night," according to Meyer, director of percussion studies for the SFA School of Music.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present the SFA Trombone Choir performing a program titled "Planets" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone at SFA and the choir's director, selected the theme because the choir will perform the movement "Mars: The Bringer of War" from The Planets by Gustav Holst, arranged by Randall Malmstrom.

Marty Turnage and Sharon Bradberry.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The SFA Gardens will host a seminar titled "Deck the Halls - Using Evergreens to Decorate for the Holidays" from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 6, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at Stephen F. Austin State University's Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band will present "A Holiday Concert" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

The Symphonic Band, directed by Dr. Tamey Anglley, assistant director of bands at SFA, will begin the concert with Leroy Anderson's "The Minstrel Boy," which is the second movement of his Irish Suite from 1947. The band will also perform the Alfred Reed arrangement of "Greensleeves."

NACOGOCHES, Texas - Dr. John Allen Hendricks, chair of the Department of Mass Communication at Stephen F. Austin State University, was elected president of the Broadcast Education Association at the 2014 Board of Directors meeting in Washington, D.C.

His term will begin in April 2015 at the annual conference in Las Vegas and conclude in April 2016. He will serve a final year on the BEA Board as immediate past president. Currently, he is the BEA vice president for academic relations.

Rehearsing a scene from the musical, produced by the SFA Schools of Theatre and Music, are, from left, Thomas Elam, Rosharon senior, as Patsy; Matthew Kelley, exchange student, as King Arthur; and Austin Davis, Keller junior, as Sir Galahad.

"Spamalot," the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," opens at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, and runs nightly through Saturday, Nov.