March 11, 2015 - DENTON —Texas Woman’s University is joining the Denton Convention & Visitor Bureau, the University of North Texas and others from Denton in showcasing the theme “Come Innovate in Denton, TX” during the South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival March 13 – 16.
TWU will occupy part of the space in booth 529 at the Austin Convention Center. Two university “makers” will show off their innovative talent and creativity on Sunday, March 13 and Monday March 14, while admissions personnel and others will staff the booth daily to share what makes the nation’s largest, public university for women distinctive. In addition, Tina Mims, the executive director of the The Business Hub for Entrepreneurial Women, powered by Texas Woman’s University, will be at the booth. The Hub is the state’s first university center designed to position Texas as No. 1 in America for entrepreneurial women.
Colby Parsons, Sunday, March 13
Colby Parsons is a sculptor and ceramics professor living in Denton, where he runs the ceramics program at TWU. Colby’s work has been shown in a variety of places including the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in California, The International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark, the University of Pennsylvania Art Museum, and in Dallas at the Craighead Green Gallery, the Pawn Gallery and 500X. He also created a site-specific installation for the 2010 Taiwanese Ceramic Biennial at the Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum.
Parsons said about his recent works: “My work with video and ceramics creates an intersection between physicality and immateriality. I am interested in the interplay between the sensual qualities of material, and the transformative qualities of time-based digital media.
“I am currently pursuing two bodies of work: an abstract series called Materiality of Light, and a representational series called Semiotic. The color and texture of each ceramic object among this current work is designed as an ideal surface for video projection, with a gray color that gives a full range of contrast, and a microcrystalline texture that makes the imagery sparkle.”
Parsons will be showcasing ceramics combined with technology to make different forms of sculpture. For samples of his work, visit http://www.colbyparsonsart.com/.
Paola Mariscal, Monday, March 14
Paola Mariscal was born in Mexico and raised in Corsicana, Texas. She is a TWU alumna (BFA ‘15) and is a freestyle, hand-lettering chalkboard artist whose work is featured at Macaroni Grill restaurants. She will be doing freestyle lettering and drawings live at the booth, as well as displaying her drawings of Denton logos.
Paola’s life philosophy: “Enjoy life to the fullest potential and do what’s necessary to achieve that. In order for me to enjoy life, I am adamant about taking time daily to just think and be grateful for where I am and what I have. I take care of myself in order to love myself. I surround myself with inspiration people whom I can continue to learn from. I love learning and aspire to never stop growing.”
Tina Mims, March 13-16
Tina Mims is the executive director of the The Business Hub for Entrepreneurial Women, Powered by Texas Woman’s University. The Hub is the state’s first university center designed to position Texas as No. 1 in America for entrepreneurial women. In June 2015, Governor Greg Abbott, working with Senators Jane Nelson and Craig Estes, and Representative Myra Crownover, approved $2.2 million in the 2016-17 Texas budget to create this one-of-a-kind center. Since then, Mims and other TWU officials have undertaken considerable research and discussions with education, business and civic leaders nationwide. These efforts underscored the need for an “action-oriented” center focused on economic growth through building more women-owned businesses.
Other TWU representatives at the booth include: Erma Nieto-Brecht, director of admissions at TWU, who will be at the booth Sunday, March 13 and Monday, March 14; Stephanie Stephens, assistant director of admissions TWU’s Dallas campus, who will be at the booth Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16; and Amy O’Keefe, director of Commuter and Non-Traditional Student Services at TWU, who will be at the booth Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16.
For more information, visit http://www.discoverdenton.com/sxswi/.
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Texas Woman’s University (TWU) is the largest public university in the nation primarily for women and has an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students on campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston. Since its founding in 1901, TWU has produced more than 100,000 graduates in fields vital to the growth and quality of life in Texas and the nation, including nursing, health care, education and business.
TWU is:
The university also has earned an outstanding reputation for scholarship, leadership and service. TWU prides itself on offering women and men a quality education that prepares graduates for the workforce or graduate school. The university’s facilities, advanced technology and teaching tools mirror the workplace and improve learning.
TWU also continues to keep higher education accessible by offering affordable tuition and fees and awarding more than $10 million in scholarships annually. Notable TWU alumni include public officials, health care leaders, presidents and administrators in higher and secondary education, artists, musicians, actresses, writers and more, including: best-selling author Anne Rice, publishing icon Helen Gurley Brown, Olympic Gold field medalist Louise Ritter and President of Texas Harris Health Methodist Hospital Lillie Biggins.