Category Archives: Pecan Campus

Hermosa collective Featured Image

Her.mosa Collective Art Exhibition

Exhibition at STC Pecan Campus explores how public art can teach community collaboration and empowerment.Her.mosa Collective Banner

Artist Talk: Sept. 23, 2024, 10 – 11 a.m. (STC Bldg. U 2.100) | Reception: Sept. 23, 2024, 5 – 7 p.m. (STC Library Bldg. F) 

The South Texas College Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery proudly presents “What If We Just Stayed Here? ¿Y Si Nos Quedamos Aqui? an exhibition by the Her.mosa Collective featuring three artists from South Texas: Alexandria Conchola, Mónica Lugo and Sam Rawls. 

This exhibition explores the realms of public art and collaboration, employing vibrant colors and intricate patterns that delve into themes of empowerment and community. The exhibit will showcase several new artworks that reflect the artists’ collective approach to muralism, while also incorporating individual styles to reveal unique identities. All three artists received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 

According to the artists, “Our art celebrates joy, optimism and the wish for a peaceful world, a safe haven. We aim to connect people to their inner child and encourage a sense of play, embracing the idea that it’s okay to be silly.” 

The artists gave atalk on September 23 from 10 – 11 a.m. at the STC Pecan Campus Bldg. U, 2.100, followed by a reception later that evening from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Pecan Library, Bldg. F. 

Alexandria Conchola, an assistant professor of Art in Graphic Design at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, creates immersive installations influenced by narrative, color and filmmaking. Mónica Lugo, a graphic designer and illustrator, explores typographic design and geometric abstraction in her work. Sam Rawls‘s art, rooted in appreciation, is a visual dialogue of self-acceptance, self-expression and the nuanced depth of personal experience. 

The exhibit opened Monday, August 26, and will be on view until December 6, 2024. 

The exhibition will be at the STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, Building F, located at 3201 Pecan Blvd. McAllen, TX. The exhibition and art talk are free and open to the public. 

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery Program organizes exhibitions and programs to engage students’ 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 details about this exhibit or additional programming, please visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryart or contact gotvos@southtexascollege.edu. 

Weren’t able to view the exhibition in person? Check it out virtually here: Virtual Tour

Art & Memory Featured Image

5th Annual Art & Memory Conference

Art & Memory Banner
Event Days: Oct. 28 – 31, 2024

South Texas College presents the 5th Annual Art & Memory Conference. This four-day event, hosted by the Division of Liberal Arts, Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences, and the Pecan Campus Library features guest speakers, a film screening, and collaborative altars created by the STC Art and World Languages Department. The conference will offer an engaging exploration of grief from a humanities perspective.

The conference will begin on October 28 with a lecture, “Art, Memory, and Grief in the Works of Kurt Vonnegut,” presented by Richard Coronado, English Instructor at South Texas College.

Throughout the week, there will be several other events, including a poetry reading with Esteban Rodriguez, a screening of “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life” hosted by Dr. Brittany Leckey, Instructor and Chair of Philosophy at South Texas College, a talk on “Art as Remembrance: Interpretation, Interruption, and the Voices of Those Departed” by Dr. Theodore George from Texas A&M, and a Public Humanities roundtable titled “Haunting Realms: The Intersection of Ghosts, Absence, and Presence.”

The conference will conclude with a Trick-or-Treat celebration at the library. Students can participate in a Día de los Muertos craft, enjoy pan de muerto provided by the STC Culinary Arts Department, and listen to Halloween classics performed by STC’s Jazz Ensemble. Following this will be poetry readings by Isaac Chavarria, Erika Garza, and McAllen Poet Laureate Daniel García Ordaz in Auditorium Building D.

The theme of this year’s conference, Art, Memory, and Death, offers a distinct platform for South Texas College and the community to engage in a thoughtful exploration of the intersections between memory, grief, and the transformative role art plays in navigating these significant human experiences.

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/5artandmemory.

Vietnam: 50 Years Later Film Series (Fall 2024)


STC Library is thrilled to work with the STC History Department and the Liberal Arts Division to present a film and lecture series focused on the fiftieth anniversary of the Vietnam War. All screenings listed below will take place at 5:30PM in the Building D Auditorium on Pecan Campus.

Wednesday, September 25
Dr. Annie Liss – “The Impossibility of Reason”: Platoon’s Portrayal of VietnamPlatoon (1986)

Wednesday, October 16
Martha Cantu – The Vietnam War and The Post:  “You lied to me: Propaganda, Paranoia, and the Pentagon Papers.”The Post (2017)

Wednesday, November 13
Dr. Jaclyn Miller – “We Had No Homefront”: The Reintegration of Vietnam Veterans in American SocietyBorn on the Fourth of July (1989)

Wednesday, December 4
Carissa Hayden – “No Time for Your Mickey Mouse BS”Full Metal Jacket (1987)


 

South Texas College’s 15th Annual Ceramic Showdown – Luck and Skill: Collaborations over Space and Time

The South Texas Ceramic Showdown, a two-day event featuring three artists, is celebrating its 15th year at STC.

South Texas College is hosting its 15th Annual South Texas Ceramic Showdown, titled “Luck and Skill: Collaborations Over Space and Time.” The event will feature two days of demonstrations, art talks, a reception and two exhibitions. The exhibit will be displayed at the STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery from June 5 to July 31, 2024.

Collaborative works from universities and community colleges will also be displayed at the Art Department Gallery in Building B from June 5 to September 6, 2024. The galleries and ceramic studio are located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd, Building F and B in McAllen.

The schedule for the event is as follows:
Wednesday, June 5, 2024—
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Clay Demonstration at STC’s Ceramic Studio, Bldg. B115
1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Photography Artist Talk – Gordon Fong, Bldg. F102
2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Clay Demonstration at STC’s Ceramic Studio, Bldg. B115
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Opening Exhibition Reception, STC Bldg. F & Bldg. B
Thursday, June 6, 2024—
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Clay Demonstrations at Ceramic Studio, Bldg. B115
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Ceramic Art Talk with Larry Yáñez and Angelina Aispuro, Bldg. B115

The event will showcase a collection of artworks by Arizona-based ceramicists Alma Aispuro, Larry M. Yáñez and photographer Gordon Fong. The exhibition will also feature ceramic pieces from nine universities and community colleges from across the United States, including works by students from STC.

“After a one-year layoff, we are back in action for another round of ceramic collaboration,” said Chris Leonard, STC ceramics instructor and exhibit/workshop co-organizer. “Some jaguar-inspired work is still being glazed and fired and pieces are arriving from Utah and Wisconsin to Pennsylvania.”

Participating institutions in the collaborative ceramic constructions include College of the Sequoias, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence University, Southeast Missouri State University, Texas A&M-Kingsville, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, University of San Antonio, Weber State University and STC.

“We are excited to have a pair of ceramic artists join us. These folks are genuine story tellers, and it is our pleasure to share in their stories and the experience of their long and winding road though more than a half century of connected art making,” said Leonard.

About the artists:
Alma Aispuro is a ceramic artist who works with bronze and jewelry, living and working in Yuma, AZ. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Northern Arizona University. Aispuro has been featured at the Yuma Art Center and the Museum of Northern Arizona. She has also participated in the Flagstaff Open Studios, an annual event where many area artists open their homes and studios to the public, offering demonstrations and selling their art.

Larry M. Yáñez is an accomplished ceramic artist who draws inspiration from his Mexican-American heritage. Born in Yuma, Arizona, his diverse use of mediums allows him to offer a profound interpretation of the daily experiences within a society shaped by a blend of cultural influences.  Through his art, he invites viewers to glimpse into tradition meeting modernity, and heritage intertwining with contemporary life.

Gordon Fong is a photographer who received his BFA from Arizona State University. Now retired, Fong has a long history in marketing and creating artistic campaigns for industry. Among many accomplishments, he served as the manager for art direction at Rio Salado College for twenty years. Fong also served in the US Army, where he worked as a drafter, photographer, map designer, and graphic artist
The South Texas College Library Art Gallery Program organizes exhibitions and programs to engage students’ 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 956-872-3488, gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryartgallery/.

Art and Memory featured image

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

Juan Ochoa Author Talk

Juan Ochoa Author Reading

Juan Ochoa Author Reading

Author Juan Ochoa

Author Juan Ochoa

Join us in-person in F102 or online through Zoom Webinar for this reading by STC faculty and author Juan Ochoa from his newest book. Pa’l Otro Lado, a prequel to Mariguano, spans five generations of violence and tragedy in the Cortina family while narrating their forced migration to the United States from Northern Mexico. It is the tale of every working-class family who has come to realize that “you just can’t win.” Hunger and poverty drive the characters in this novel to abandon all hopes of attaining the American Dream and to resign themselves simply to survive. P’al Otro Lado is full of the baddest hombres and the nastiest women we all know, love, and call family.

Event Title: “Juan Ochoa Author Reading”
Speaker: Professor Juan Ochoa
Date: Thursday, January 25th 2024
Time: 5PM CST
Register here: Link


 

Cold War Retrospective Film Series (Spring 2024)

The Cold War Retrospective Film Series
STC Library is thrilled to work with the STC History Department and the Liberal Arts Division to present a film series focused on The Cold War and sentiments at that time. All screenings listed below will take place in the Building D Auditorium on Pecan Campus.

Tuesday, January 30 @ 5:30PM
Dr. Christopher Davis – “Atomic Anxieties and Mutually Assured Destruction”
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Tuesday, February 13 @ 5:30PM
Martha Cantu – “McCarthyism and the Red Scare”
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Tuesday, March 5 @ 2:30PM
Dr. Kevin Holton – “Set My People Free!: Religion and Politics in Cold War America”
The Ten Commandments (1956)

Tuesday, April 9 @ 3:30PM
Dr. Jeff Justice – “Bureaucracy, McCarthyism, and the Red Scare”
Oppenheimer (2023)

Wednesday, May 1 @ 5:30PM
Presenters Dr. Jaclyn Miller, Dr. Mark Allen, and Jason Chapa – “Atomic War”
The Twilight Zone Block 2
“Third from the Sun” (Season 1, Episode 14), “Two” (Season 3, Episode 1), and “The Shelter” (Season 3, Episode 3)


 

Washed Up Texas: Saving the Ocean One Sculpture at a Time

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.

Don’t Be Hasty: Large-scale Landscape Paintings Give Local Surroundings a Fresh Look


Artist Talk: Oct. 4, 10 – 11 a.m.  |  Exhibit Reception: Oct. 4, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

South Texas College Library Art Gallery presents “Don’t Be Hasty,” a new exhibition by Tenured Associate Professor of Art at UTRGV, Jerry Lyles. The exhibition begins on August 28 through December 7, 2023, on the first floor of the STC Pecan Library Art Gallery located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd., Bldg. F, in McAllen, TX. 

 Jerry Lyles received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the American University in Washington, D.C. This body of work includes large-scale paintings, which include outdoor observational or plein air pieces.  Lyles explores the relationships between space, forms in the given space, and our reaction to them. He poses the question, “How does space impact our sense of identity, and when that space is altered, what is negotiated in order to retain a sense of self?” Through his skilled still-life paintings incorporating color, form, value, shape, and space, Lyles searches for visual metaphors that discuss these relationships. 

The LAG will host an art talk on October 4 from 10 – 11 a.m. in the Student Union in U 2.100 and an exhibition reception the same day from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Pecan Library Bldg. F. This exhibit is shown concurrently with the community exhibit, “Ka-Ching! Art About Economics & Money” and will share the reception.

Couldn’t join us in person? View the art talk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/85W9vok_p70?feature=shared

 Admission is free and open to the public. 

STC’s Library Art Gallery Program organizes exhibitions and educational programs to engage student’s 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, call 956-447-6663, email gotvos@southtexascollege.edu, or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryart.

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Ka-Ching! Community Artwork About Economics & Money

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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.”

Ka-Ching

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 here:
Virtual Tour

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