STC presents the 4th annual Art & Memory Conference

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:

4th Annual Art and Memory – LAG 2023em

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery has teamed up with Washed Up Texas and artist Connie Lovell to present a captivating eight-foot Great Blue Heron sculpture made from discarded plastic trash found at South Padre Island and Boca Chica beach. The artist, Connie Lovell, has utilized plastic bottles, toy brushes, phone parts, and other items to create intricate details on her approximately 300-pound sculpture. The organization collaborates with various state programs and volunteers who participate in beach cleanups to create thought-provoking artwork that promotes awareness and education. As of August 2023, approximately 3,653 pounds of trash has been picked up from the beach at South Padre Island.

The sculpture was on display at the STC Pecan Campus Library, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd Bldg. F in McAllen, TX from September 18 to November 14, 2023. 

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery organizes exhibitions and educational programs to engage students understanding of art, support the academic curriculum, and inspire continued education through direct engagement with artists, scholars, and original works of art.

For more information, call (956) 872-3488, email gotvos@southtexascollege.edu, or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryart.

Reception: October 4, 2023 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library

The STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery hosts a community art exhibition, “Ka-Ching! Art About Economics & Money,” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of E.F. Schumacher’s book “Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered.”

KaChing Exhibit Poster

The book, a New York Times bestseller, poses the question of whether it’s possible to balance economic growth with community needs and environmental sustainability. It has been listed as one of the Times Literary Supplement’s 100 Most Influential Books since World War II.

“Ka-Ching” features STC Students, Faculty and Staff, Community Members, and STC Alumni and will be on view from August 28 through December 7, 2023. The exhibition is free and open to the public and features artwork that all explore the theme of economics and incorporate the color gold. 

Missed out on the exhibit in person? View it online in our online 360 gallery tour: https://my.nicheacademy.com/stclibrarytutorials/course/66592

For more information, email gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/ka-ching.

South Texas College Library Art Gallery presents “15! Angela Dominguez Has Something To Say,” an exhibit showcasing 15 years of bilingual children’s books written and illustrated by Angela Dominguez.

Illustrator and Author Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City and earned a Master of Fine Arts at the Academy of Art University in California. She recently illustrated the New York Times Bestseller, “Just Help! How to Build a Better World,” written by Sonia Sotomayor.

South Texas College celebrates community partnerships in an arts and humanities series, She Roars.

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery and Art Department, in collaboration with community partners at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – School of Interdisciplinary Programs and Community Engagement, International Museum of Art & Science, and the McAllen Public Library, collectively present She Roars: A Series of Lectures, Workshops, and Exhibitions Celebrating Women’s Contributions to the Humanities.

This four-day program starts with a self-defense class taught by STC Kinesiology Instructor Rodrigo Martinez and includes four exhibitions, a documentary, story-time, and workshops and lectures by founding member of the 1985-present artist collective, The Guerrilla Girls and illustrator and author Angela Dominguez.

The schedule for the event is as follows:

“We’re thrilled about the community partnerships we’ve built with other organizations in the valley as we celebrate Women’s History Month at STC,” said STC Art History Faculty and Co-Organizer of ‘She Roars’ Melissa Terry. “We hope the ‘She Roars’ series of events will inspire students and community members to think deeply about collaborative and creative solutions to social issues, locally and globally.”

The Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous collective of artists who, since 1985, have utilized humor and stark visuals to spread awareness about the bias within art film, and popular culture to ignite the sparks of social change.

Illustrator and Author Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City and earned a Master of Fine Arts at the Academy of Art University in California. She recently illustrated the New York Times Bestseller, “Just Help! How to Build a Better World,” written by Sonia Sotomayor.

“When I saw the Guerrilla Girls speak years ago, while in graduate school, it struck me as an exciting example of critical thinking and performative art activism. We hope the exhibition, art talk, and workshop will do the same for our community,” said Terry.

15! Angela Dominguez Has Something to Say opens February 6 and will be on view through June 6, 2023, at the STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery Building F.

The Guerrilla Girls: The Art of Behaving Badly exhibit opens March 7 and will be on view until April 5, 2023, at the STC Art Department Gallery Building B.

There will also be a student and community poster exhibit inspired by the work of the Guerrilla Girls and civic engagement at the South Texas College Art Department.

All events are free and open to the public.

To register for this event, visit: Workshop registration link

The She Roars program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This program of exhibitions and educational programs are meant to engage student understanding of art and its role in culture, support the academic curriculum, and inspire continued education through direct engagement with artists, scholars, and original works of art.

For more information, contact gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/sheroars.