The Skyline Newspaper

A smiling, wheeled armadillo by Gary Huntoon. Photo by MaryAshley P. Gredell

Ceramic Invitational

Today and tomorrow are the last two days to explore the Seventh Annual Sul Ross State University Ceramic Invitational. The Francois Fine Art Gallery, which currently houses the show, is open for visitation through this Friday.

From smiling, wheeled armadillos to brilliant red and turquoise bowls with fish and Chinese caligraphy printed on them, the eight potters featured in the exhibition, entitled “ From Texas: In One Form or Another,” are obviously quite diverse. Functional pieces are paired alongside whimsical creations of imagination and practiced handcrafting.

Artists include Alejandra Almuelle, Gary Huntoon, Stan Irvin, Ryan McKerley, Lisa Orr, Charlie Pritchard, Diana Seidel, and Patrick Veerkamp. Among them are a Fulbright grant winner, an alumnus from Duke University, a native of Peru, teachers, professors, professionals, and more.

A closing reception will be hosted by the Sul Ross Art Club this Friday, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Museum Director to Receive THC Award

Museum of the Big Bend director Larry Francell will receive a prestigious award from the Texas Historical Commission (THC).

Francell will receive the John L. Nau, III Award of Excellence in Museums, to be presented at the annual Historic Preservation Conference, scheduled May 1-3 in Corpus Christi.

Francell will be recognized for significant achievement in the areas of historical interpretation, museum education, conservation of collections and/or community involvement.

He was nominated by the Texas Mountain Trail Board of Directors.

“The Board...was very happy to nominate Larry for this award and bring statewide recognition to the Museum of the Big Bend,” said Beth Nobles, Texas Mountain Trail coordinator. “Through Larry’s leadership and hard work of the museum’s staff, volunteers and partners, the region now has a strong anchor attraction for tourists.”

Since becoming director in 2000, Francell spearheaded a $4.4 million renovation/relocation campaign that resulted in the return of the Museum to its original location, a building constructed in 1936 during the Texas Centennial.

The renovation also included new and expanded exhibits and a curator of education will be added to the staff.

“The vision that has brought us the new Museum of the Big Bend belongs to our director, Larry Francell,” noted Sul Ross President R. Vic Morgan. “He has provided the motivation for the creation and continuance of this project. By developing the plan for the funding of the building renovation and exhibits, and now for the operation, has been achieved by his commitment to create a facility that will serve the region far into the future.

“The museum, and its collections and exhibits, will attract visitors and scholars from all over the world who seek to better understand the culture and heritage of our region that is preserved and exhibited here,” said Morgan. “We have already begun to see an increase in visitors and requests for research opportunities as the reputation and information about the facility is spreading. Larry’s vision for the education component will add to the attraction and bring to life the culture and heritage of this region, particularly for our youth.”

Francell praised his staff, as well as Sul Ross’ administration and supporters.

“Without the commitment of the staff, the help of Museumscapes and all the people who had a hand in actually fabricating and installing our exhibits, the support of Dr. Morgan and the belief in the importance of preserving the history of the Big Bend expressed by the generous financial support of donors over the years, today’s facilities would still be in the planning stage,” Francell said.

For more information, contact Francell, (432) 837-8145 or francell@sulross.edu

Theatre Dept. presents One-Act Plays

This weekend the students of Sul Ross State University’s Directing II class will be presenting two sets of one-act plays over four days. The students are directing the plays as part of their class final. 

Each night of performances will be followed by a critique session, open to the public, in which a panel of Sul Ross professors will discuss each student’s work.

“The Spotted Man” by Walter Wykes, “The Diary of Adam and Eve” by Mark Bucci and “The Tiger” by Murray Schisgal will be presented Friday, March 28 at 8:15 P.M. and Sunday, March 30 at 2:00 P.M.

“Next” by Terrence McNally, “The Rising of the Moon” by Lady Gregory, “Single and Proud” by Frederick Stroppel and “The Little Prince” by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar will be presented Saturday, March 29 and Monday, March 31 at 8:15 P.M.

“The Spotted Man,” directed by Corazon Maxwell, is about a man who decides to visit a specialist because his entire body is covered with spots – one has taken the shape of Italy – but the specialist turns out to be a little less than professional.

“The Diary of Adam and Eve,” directed by Rebecca Benson, presents Adam, Eve and the infamous snake, telling their version of the story.

“The Tiger,” directed by Caroline Crawley, begins with a kidnapping and ends with the beginning of a quirky relationship between captive and captor.

“Next,” directed by Amber Bowman, follows a man who has been drafted during the Vietnam War as he tries every trick in the book to avoid the army.

“The Rising of the Moon,” directed by David Thomas, follows an Irish Freedom Fighter as he schemes to avoid capture.

“Single and Proud,” directed by Pedro Alcario-Garcia, makes light of all those self-help books and dating seminars of the 90’s.

“The Little Prince,” directed by Angel Navarette, is a fantastic tale of a little prince who dreams of something much bigger than himself.

Ticket prices for all shows are $6.50 for General Admission, $4.00 for Senior Citizens and Students, and FREE for all Sul Ross Students, Faculty and Staff with ID.

Note that some shows do contain adult language and themes and may be not suitable for younger audiences. For more information, contact the Fine Arts and Communication Department at (432) 837-8218.