Category Archives: Pecan Campus

Nothing to Declare but the Clothes on our Backs

Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibits

collabeditSouth Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library presents “Nothing to Declare but the Clothes on our Backs,” an exhibit featuring collaborative artwork by Phyllis Evans, David Freeman and Leila Hernandez. The exhibit opens Sep. 6 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Talks with the artist will be held the same day at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room, located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. The exhibit will be on view through Dec, 2013. Admission is free and open to the public.

South Texas College art instructors Evans, Freeman and Hernandez collaborate on an art installation that focuses on the U.S. – Mexico border and the dangers and challenges that have arisen due to the building of the border wall. The installation also speaks of the blending of cultures on both sides of the border as well as the economy of selling mass-produced border kitsch items.

Through photography and Xerox transfers on fabric, Evans documents political divisions created by the border wall as it commands traffic in agriculture, industry, natural resources and international relations. Her work critiques U.S. policy and poses as a reminder that historically and universally, walls have repeatedly failed in their purpose and have only served to create divisions without solving problems.

Freeman also uses photography and transfers to create printed conceptual trophies based on situations that plague the border including drug runners, illegal immigrants and coyotes. “The trophy is a symbol of dedication and hard work in achieving a goal in life and in Mexico today the cartel are the victors, not the police or the citizens,” said Freeman.

Hernandez utilizes fabric from local ropa usada stores (second-hand clothing stores) to create dolls of Mexican and Central American influence or muñecas de trapo. Her work represents the undocumented work force crossing the border to work as maids, gardeners and pickers.

“This work manages to touch on the biggest issues that plague our area, while still maintaining an overall playful and tactile quality,” said STC Art Gallery Associate Dawn Haughey. “The printed scenes of barbed wire, labor workers and large machinery on colorful flowered bed sheets, produces a visually satisfying juxtaposition of imagery.”

STC’s Library Art Gallery exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information, contact Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488, or via email at dhaughey@southtexascollege.edu.

ceramic showdown 2013

South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Clear as Mud

Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibits,

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STC’s Library Art Gallery and the Visual Arts & Music Department present “A South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Clear as Mud.” This is the seventh year we’ve collaborated with VAM on the Ceramic Showdown, and this one is going to be great. We will be featuring ceramic works by nationally recognized and distinguished ceramicists Kirk Mangus and Billy Ritter.

Mangus earned his Master of Fine Arts from Washington State University. He has been the Head of Ceramics at Kent State University since 1985 and has taught at numerous institutions including the Cleveland Institute of Art and the University of Georgia Athens Cortona, Italy Program.

Ritter earned his Master of Fine Arts from Kent State University. He currently works as a Ceramics Instructor/Ceramic Lab Technician at the Art House Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio and as a Ceramics Instructor at the Orange Art Center in Pepper Pike, Ohio.

An exhibit reception will be held on June 6 in the Visual Arts and Music Gallery and the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery from 6 to 8 pm, respectively. A two-day ceramics workshop will be held June 7th from 9 am – 12 pm and 1:30 – 4:30 pm and June 8th at 9 am – 12 pm at STC’s Pecan Campus Art Building Ceramics Lab, Room 113. Art talks will take place Saturday, June 8 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. The exhibit will remain on display until August 12, 2013.

The Library Art Gallery is also proud to present “Machistas Y Vanidad” (“Macho and Vanity”), an exhibit featuring artwork by Noel Palmenez. This exhibit addresses a person’s exterior appearance and how we wish ourselves to be perceived. It also dissects what it means to be “macho.”

Noel Palmenez earned an MS from Texas A&M University and an MFA from The University at Texas Pan-American in painting, drawing and sculpture. He currently teaches at UTB Brownsville.

The exhibit opens Thursday, June 6 and will be on view through Friday, August 12, 2013. Artist talks will be held on the opening day at 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room. Reception will follow from 6 pm – 8 pm on the library’s 1st floor.

Lectures and receptions are always free and open to the public! Please see the flyer below and be sure to share it with your friends and family.

For more information contact Gina Otvos at 956-872-3488 or libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit the Library Art Gallery website.

wildlife photography collection

Wildlife Photography

Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibits

lag-wildlife South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library proudly presents its newly acquired collection of wildlife photography. This large-scale photo display will be unveiled before the library open house events on Thursday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m. in the library foyer. The STC Pecan Campus Library is located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Library Art Gallery’s permanent installation of local wildlife photography features bright and vivid images taken right here in the Rio Grande Valley by photographers Steve Bentsen, Kaitlyn Ciomperlik, Dennis Erhart, Cody Gregg, Ruth Hoyt, Seth Patterson, James Nabours, Rolf Nussbaumer, John Pickles, and Daniela Setien.

Smaller scale photos have been installed in the information commons room in the new West Academic Building, while larger photos will grace the walls of the library foyer.

“We’re very proud to be able to display these photos as a permanent exhibit at STC’s library,” said Cody Gregg, STC director of instructional technologies. “Many people are unaware of the incredible diversity of wildlife in the Rio Grande Valley. These photos highlight the beauty of our wildlife and the works of talented photographers.”

STC’s Library Art Gallery exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at 956-872-3488, libraryart@southtexascollege.edu or visit the Library Art Gallery Website.

Reknowned Poet, Kevin Prufer to Visit STC Library

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

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Reknowned poet, Kevin Prufer will visit the STC Pecan Campus Library on April 4th at 4:00 pm to celebrate National Poetry Month.

He is the author of five books of poetry and the editor of four anthologies.  Mr. Prufer is also Editor-at-Large of Pleiades: A Journal of New Writingand Professor in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston.

Among his awards and honors are three Pushcart prizes, two Best American Poetry selections, numerous awards from the Poetry Society of America, the Prairie Schooner/Strousse Award, two William Rockhill Nelson awards, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Lannan Foundation.

For more information about his visit, please contact Joseph Haske at 872-8352 or Esther Garcia at 872-6485 (egarcia10@southtexascollege.edu).

Jan Seale, Texas Poet Laureate, to visit STC Libraries

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Mid-Valley Campus, Pecan Campus, Previous Events, Starr County Campus

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The STC Libraries are proud to host our 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, Ms. Jan Seale.  She will visit the libraries at the MidValley Campus, Starr County Campus, and Pecan Campus.

Ms. Seale is the author of seven volumes of poetry, the latest being Nape, published by Ink Brush Press. She has also authored two books of short fiction, three volumes of nonfiction, and nine children’s books. Her work is published nationally in such venues as The Yale Review, Texas Monthly, and Newsday. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing.

Her visit will be free to attend and open to the public.

See the schedule below:

Tues, Nov. 27 1 PM Mid-Valley Library (Weslaco)
Wed, Nov. 28 1 PM Starr Co. Auditorium (Rio Grande City)
Thurs, Nov. 29 1 PM Pecan Library Rainbow Room (McAllen)

 

 

For more information contact Esther Garcia at (956) 872-6485 or egarcia10@southtexascollege.edu.

Julia Camacho’s talk “Mujeres Chineras” to conclude Jovita Gonzalez 2012 Lectures

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Mid-Valley Campus, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

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Historian Julia Camacho will wrap up the Jovita Gonzalez Lecture Series with her talk “Mujeres Chineras: The Tanspacific Journeys of Mexican Women and Chinese Mexican Families 1910-1960.” On Thursday, March 22 Dr. Camacho will lecture at STC’s Mid-Valley Campus Building G Auditorium at 1 p.m. and at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room at 6 p.m.

For more information about the Jovita Gonzalez Lecture Series contact Victor Gomez at 956-872-2070.

For more information about the Center for Mexican American Studies visit the website at http://lass.southtexascollege.edu/hist_phil/mas/index.html.

Barbara Renaud Gonzalez reading – Feb 23 @ 5:30 pm at Pecan Campus Rainbow Room

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

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We regret that Dagoberto Gilb will be unable to attend the scheduled reading on Thursday.  Award winning author Barbara Renaud Gonzalez has generously agreed to take his place.  She will be accompanied by STC music instructor Jaime Garcia.

Ms. Renaud Gonzalez will be talking about her book Golondrina, why did you leave me? and her other writings.  The novel Golondrina, why did you leave me? is part of the Chicana Matters Series from the University of Texas Press.  Scholar Irma Mayorga has said that her writing “triumphs even more so due to her deft, exhilarating, and virtuosic command of written language.”

She will be speaking at the same schedule date and time – February 23rd at 5:30 pm in the Pecan Campus Rainbow Room.

Below is a link to the first chapter of the book:

http://books.google.com/books?id=T8Nbcm-aqZEC&lpg=PP1&dq=golondrina&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=golondrina&f=false

And note this video of one of her readings:

http://youtu.be/mu7aR3p6Kd8

Event: “El Primer Congreso Mexicanista” a Centennial Commemoration

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

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This event will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of El Primer Congreso Mexicanista, the first Civil Rights meeting for Mexican Americans.  CMAS STC Welcomes Dr. Jose Limon, Notre Dame, Dr. Cynthia Orozco, Eastern New Mexico State University, and Dr. Roberto Caldreon, University of North Texas as roundtable panelists.

Panel will take place on Monday, November 21 at 6:00 PM, at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room.

To find out more about STC’s Mexican American Studies Program click here.

Jose de la Luz Saenz Veterans Lecture Series

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Mid-Valley Campus, Movies, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

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In the week leading up to Veteran’s Day, the Center for Mexican American Studies at South Texas College will inaugurate the José de la Luz Saenz Veteran’s Lecture Series.  The week will feature lectures, documentaries, and photo exhibit that all take a historical look at the Latina/o Experience in the Armed Forces.

The week will start out with author and historian Emilio Zamora, UT-Austin and co-editor and contributor to Beyond the Latino World War II Hero among other publications.  Dr. Zamora will speak on November 7th at 6:00 PM at the South Texas College Pecan Campus at the Rainbow Room.  His talk “Fighting for Equal Rights at Home and Abroad” will focus on the life and work of Jose de la Luz Saenz, the namesake of the speaker series.  Following the talk will be a book signing session.

Documentary filmmaker, John Valadez, will introduce and screen his award winning documentary “The Longoria Affair.”  The film will be shown on November 8th at the Pecan Campus Library, on November 9th at the STARR County Campus in Auditorium E, and on November 10th at the Mid-Valley Campus in Auditorium G.  All viewings will start at 6:00 PM.

On Thursday, November 10th at 6:00 PM, Dr. Joanne Rao Sanchez or St. Edward’s University will be giving a talk entitled “The Latinas of World War II” based on her writing for the book Beyond the Latino World War II Hero.  The event will take place at the Pecan Campus Library’s Rainbow Room.  Following the talk will be a book signing session and a reception.

In addition, the Humanities Texas photo exhibit Images of Valor: U.S. Latinas and Latinos in WWII, will be displaying at the Pecan Campus Library’s Rainbow Room throughout the month of November.  That week will also feature flag raisings throughout the STC campuses, celebrating all who have served.

José de la Luz Saenz was a veteran of World War I.  He was raised in South Texas and was a lifelong teacher, educator, and civil rights advocate.  Saenz published the diary he kept during his time in the war entitled “The Mexican Americans in the Great War and their Work in Favor of Democracy, Humanity, and Justice” in 1933.

Cosponsoring the event are the Office of Student Life, the Office of Library Services, and the Library Art Gallery.  For more information, please contact Victor Gomez at 956-872-6485 or vgomez@southtexascollege.edu.

Banned Books Week

Book Displays, Mid-Valley Campus, Our Collections, Pecan Campus

Wow. Doesn’t time just fly, Readers?

Before we knew it, September started its last week. Do you know what that means? …

BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

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That’s right! Every year, around the country, we like to draw attention to a cause that is near and dear to libraries everywhere.

Censorship versus the Freedom to Read

Every year, in every library, people fight to have books pulled off the shelf and made unavailable for others to read. This happens for various reasons including religious differences, political ideology, language, sexual connotations, etc.

Some of these books include those that have been made popular worldwide such as Stephanie Myers’ Twighlight Series, JK Rowlings’ Harry Potter series, and even (especially!) classics such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Anne Frank: A Diary of a Young Girl. You can find more about the banned and challenged books of 2010-2011 through the American Library Association’s report here.

You can find some of these banned books, and others from past years, in our Libraries!

That’s right readers, let’s live on the WILD SIDE!

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(above: book display at the Pecan Campus Library / below: book display at the MidValley Campus Library)

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So come one, come all, to our STC Libraries, and explore a little.

And as always, if you have any questions, comments or observations, we’d love to hear from you through the comments!