Released September 19, 2003

SEPTEMBER 19, 2003

GRAND OPENING SCHEDULED FOR NEW ART FACILITY

HATTIESBURG - The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Art will host a grand opening celebration at 2 p.m. Sept. 26 for the new Structural Steel Services 3D Art Building and the Price Sculpture Studio, located at 2905 West Fourth Street (adjacent to the Pat Ferlise Center) in Hattiesburg. Southern Miss President Shelby Thames and Dr. Elliott Pood, dean of the Southern Miss College of Arts and Letters, will officially open the facility. Touted as one of the best sculpture-making facilities in the southeast, the 5,790-square-foot building will serve as studio classrooms for all functions of the 3-D art program and will be equipped with high quality tools and work stations. The department will offer building tours, demonstrations, and more during the opening. For more information, contact the department of art at (601) 266-4972.

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SYMPHONY OPENS 83RD SEASON WITH RENOWNED GUITARIST

HATTIESBURG - The Symphony Orchestra at The University of Southern Mississippi will open its 83rd season at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 with one of the world's preeminent virtuosos of classical guitar, Christopher Parkening. Under the baton of musical director, Dr. Jay Dean, the evening's program will feature John Corigliano's "For Music," Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring," Elmer Bernstein's "Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra," and John Williams' "The Days Between" for guitar and orchestra. Parkening is the recognized heir to the Segovia tradition - for those unfamiliar with that tradition, Andrés Segovia is the preeminent classical guitarist of the 20th-century. John DeChiaro, professor of classical guitar at Southern Miss, credits Segovia for "making the guitar a classical instrument and bringing it to the concert stage." Parkening's concerts and recordings span a period of two decades and have received the highest acclaim. His rare combination of dramatic virtuosity and eloquent musicianship has held his audiences captive from New York to Washington, D.C., from London to Tokyo. The BancorpSouth-sponsored season concert will be held at Bennett Auditorium. Tickets are $18, $16 and $14 and may be purchased through the Southern Miss Ticket Office. Call (601) 266-5418 or 800-844-8425 or order online at www.usm.edu/tickets.

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ART ALUMNUS PRESENTS ART EDUCATORS WORKSHOP

HATTIEBSURG - The department of art's art education program at The University of Southern Mississippi will present a workshop for art educators Oct. 7, featuring visual artist and alumnus Ed McGowin. Focusing on aspects of K-12 art instruction, the workshop is presented in conjunction with the Museum of Art and supported by a partial grant awarded by the Mississippi Arts Commission. McGowin, a native of Hattiesburg and 1961 Southern Miss graduate, is best known for his storytelling techniques in his paintings and sculptures. He has created major outdoor commissions for public and private organizations and has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and abroad. The recipient of numerous grants and awards in his career, McGowin is a professor of art at the State University of New York in Old Westbury. The workshop will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the George Hurst Building, rooms 119 and 113, on the Southern Miss campus in Hattiesburg. For more information contact art educator Elizabeth Leal at (601) 266-5815 or e-mail elizabeth.leal@usm.edu or museum director Tony Lewis at (601) 266-5200.

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PARENTING GIFTED CHILDREN CONFERENCE SET FOR OCT. 4

HATTIESBURG - The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi will hold its 20th annual Parenting Gifted Children Conference Oct. 4. The conference is offered to assist parents and other concerned adults to better understand the unique intellectual, academic, and social-emotional needs of the gifted and talented. It will be held on the campus of Southern Miss in Joseph Greene Hall and the cost of attendance is $15. Dr. Conrad Castle, state consultant for Gifted Education, will be the keynote speaker. He will present "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gifted Education in Mississippi." Sessions will also be held on study skills for gifted students, national standards in gifted education, science activities, technology, young gifted children, leadership, and multiple intelligences. For more information please e-mail gifted.studies@usm.edu, or call (601) 266-5236.

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DAY OF SHARING FOR TEACHERS OF GIFTED SET AT SOUTHERN MISS

HATTIESBURG - The Day of Sharing for Teachers of the Gifted will be held Oct. 3 on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. This conference, sponsored by the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies, is designed to educate teachers on current curriculum and instructional issues in gifted education. Teachers of the gifted, regular education teachers, and administrators are encouraged to attend. There is no cost for attendance. Three speakers will be featured, including Kevin Besnoy, a doctoral student in curriculum, instruction, and special education with an emphasis in gifted education at Southern Miss, who will present "Technology Use with Gifted Children and Youth;" Dr. Lawrence Bellipanni, associate professor of science education and biology at The University of Southern Mississippi, who will present "Fun Hands-On Ideas for Integrating Science into the Gifted Curriculum;" and Janet Wade, teacher of the gifted in Lamar County Schools, who will present "Designing a Unit on Geology for the Gifted Classroom." Dr. Conrad Castle, state consultant for Gifted Education, will also be present to give an update on gifted education in Mississippi. Teachers will be given time to share activities and ideas. For more information, contact the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at (601) 266-5236 or gifted.studies@usm.edu.

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SCOTT AQUARIUM WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON DEEP-SEA RESEARCH

BILOXI - The University of Southern Mississippi's Scott Aquarium invites teachers to register for an Ocean Exploration workshop focusing on cold seeps, methane habitats and other unusual features found deep in the Gulf of Mexico. Offered in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the one-day event spotlights NOAA deep-sea research. The workshop will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium here. It carries 0.5 continuing education units. Cost is a $25 nonrefundable registration fee. Teachers will also have an opportunity to follow up the workshop with an Oct. 3 tour for their students of the NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown. The 274-foot ship is the largest oceanographic and research platform in the NOAA fleet. Designed and constructed in a Moss Point shipyard, the vessel will be in port at Gulfport following a cruise to study deep sea habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information on the workshop or a ship tour, teachers may contact Dr. Shelia Brown or Kay Baggett at (228) 374-5550 or scott.aquarium@usm.edu.

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