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4th Art & Memory Conference

STC presents the 4th annual Art & Memory Conference
Art & Mem
Event Days: April 1 – 4, 2024 at the STC Pecan Campus

The South Texas College Liberal Arts division, in conjunction with Library Services, presents the 4th Annual Art & Memory Conference with four days of lectures, a roundtable, film viewing, a reception and a two-part exhibition. This interdisciplinary collaboration will highlight aspects of memory through a humanities lens in the theme of “youth and memory.”

Starting on April 1, the four-day conference will kick off with a lecture titled, “Immigration and Childhood Trauma: The Case of Family Separation,” presented by Efrén Olivares, author and deputy legal director at Southern Poverty Law.

Throughout the week, there will be several other events, such as a release party for the yearly magazine Tierra Firme, with local high school students reading their published entries, an art workshop where participants will create art based on their memories and other interactive events sponsored by the STC English and Philosophy departments.

“The Art and Memory sessions serve as a unique platform for the community and South Texas College to explore memory’s significance through art. This year, our focus is on childhood. Youth will engage with STC’s instructors and express memories through the visual arts, poetry and storytelling,” said Andrés Molina Ochoa, Ph.D., conference organizer & STC assistant professor of Philosophy. “Parents can also refine artistic skills through workshops, films and expert-led conferences. Our goal is to nurture creativity, deepen understanding and foster connections within our community. Join us for an enriching experience where memories come to life through art.”

The Art & Memory Conference and Exhibition Reception will take place April 2, from 5 to 6 p.m. to celebrate continued collaborative efforts and events as well as two exhibitions. One exhibit features artwork from youth ages 6-18 and the other, curated by Melissa Terry and Andrés Molina Ochoa, showcases the works of five professional artists, including Conrado Gonzalez Brownsville elementary school teacher, Adriana Gordillo from the University of Minnesota, Leila Hernandez STC Art Instructor, Lisa Irby local artist and retired educator, and Carl Vestweber from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Both exhibitions explore memory, experiences and emotions in and about childhood and adolescence.

The Art & Memory Conference exhibition will be on view from April 2 – May 15, 2024, at the STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, Building F.

All events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Brittany Leckey at 956-872-5528, email bleckey@southtexascollege.edu, or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/3artandmemory.

The schedule for the conference is as follows:

DAY 1 | Monday, April 1 Location: STC Pecan Building D, Auditorium 4 p.m. Efrén Olivares Immigration and Childhood Trauma: The Case of Family Separation DAY 2 | Tuesday, April 2 Location: STC Pecan Building U 2.100 9:30 a.m. Tierra Firme Release with readings in Spanish from the Authors 1 p.m. Art Workshop: Creating with Memories led by Gina Otvos and Melissa Terry 5 p.m. 4th Annual Art & Memory Conference Reception (STC Pecan Campus Library) 6 p.m. Coco Screening DAY 3 | Wednesday, April 3 Location: STC Pecan Building D, Auditorium 1 p.m. Dr. Liana Anderson Literary Journal Alecart: Where the Youth of Romania takes the Pulse of Regime Change 6 p.m. Panel: Constant Change: Memory, History, and Art Dr. Andres Molina Ochoa, Dr. Trinidad Gonzales, Dr. Sarah Rowe, Andres Sanchez (The Gremlin, Downtown, McAllen) DAY 4 | Thursday, April 4 Location: STC Pecan Building D Auditorium 1 p.m. Art & Memory Fiction Reading: Life and the Craft of Literary Fiction Dr. Charles Alcorn and Joseph D. Haske 4 p.m. Dr. Claire Katz Professor of Education, Texas A&M University 5 p.m. Philosophy for Children Demo Led by Dr. Katz, Texas A&M University
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4th Annual Art and Memory – LAG 2023em