Our faculty are sharing their work with broader audiences
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The holiday season started early for me this year with a visit to East Texas. I traveled to Lufkin to visit the I D & Marguerite Fairchild Foundation, and while I was in town, I made a stop at the Museum of East Texas, which had been taken over by their annual Christmas tree exhibition. In a rural environment, this creative holiday ritual for the community was anchored in an arts space, and we found the Longhorn-themed tree among the 148 submissions from families, businesses and religious and community organizations in town.
I enjoyed visiting with I D & Marguerite Fairchild Foundation, which is a longtime supporter of the college. They’ve created seven endowments in the college since 1992 and continue to support the operations of our college annually.
I was also recently in Puerto Rico, a country that is proud to host the longest holiday season in the world with a Navidad that lasts 45 days. I was in San Juan to advance my research related to the Puerto Rican Arts Initiative and to prepare for our upcoming Fine Arts Advisory Council meeting in San Juan this coming February. While I was there, I also attended a festive gathering of UT Austin alumni who live in Puerto Rico as we work to strengthen our Longhorn network on the island.
On the home front, the arts continue to anchor our holiday experiences and provide spaces of gathering. After a hiatus, the beloved Butler Holiday Concert returned to Bates Recital Hall this month and filled the venue with festive cheer. Texas Performing Arts has been similarly busy with holiday programming, including the Salsa Navidad concert by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra (co-hosted in Studio A at Austin’s PBS station) and the upcoming Ballet Afrique performance to Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite at Bass Concert Hall.
As everyone prepares for the holiday season, I can’t help but notice how many rituals and festivities are anchored in creativity. The arts bring us together and ground our social fabric as a community.
I’m grateful to my colleagues, our students and friends of our college, and I wish you a happy and joyful holiday season.
Sincerely,
Ramón H. Rivera-Servera Dean, College of Fine Arts
This communication is from College of Fine Arts — Official. View this email online.
