Amarillo area Our Town briefs for the week of April 2, 2023

Learn about The Plains at Wildcat Bluff’s guided hike

Wildcat Bluff Nature Center invites you to learn about the plants, geology, and history of The Bluff.The center is hosting a Guided Hike on Saturday, April 8 at 10 a.m. This program will cover the plant life, geology, and animals of The Bluff.

Guided Hikes happen every other month and is included with a Wildcat Bluff Membership, Wildcat Bluff add on through The Discovery Center, or regular admission. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children over 3 and adults over 60.

Participants should be prepared to wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle.

For more information, visit DHDC.org or Wildcat Bluff’s Facebook page.

Amarillo Symphony announces first Adeline Roberta Terrell Scholarship winner

The Amarillo Symphony is proud to announce Jordyn Dunlap as the first recipient of the Adeline Roberta Terrell (ART) Scholarship for young Black and Hispanic musicians pursuing an immersive music camp in Summer 2023.

The ART scholarship was established in 2021 as a way to acknowledge the Amarillo Symphony’s immediate past conductor Jacomo Bairos’s late mother, who had a passion for providing music education to all, especially those who had limited resources. The goal of the ART Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to young Black and Hispanic musicians pursuing any summer music camp in the United States. The scholarship amount will vary depending on each recipient’s need.

The first recipient, Jordyn Dunlap, is a freshman saxophonist at Randall High School. She will be using the funds from the ART Scholarship to attend WTAMU’s Band Camp in the summer of 2023.

Amarillo Police Department taking applications for 102nd police academy

The Amarillo Police Department is taking applications for its 102nd Amarillo Police Academy, which will begin Dec. 7. The civil service test is on May 27, and deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on May 23. To apply, go to http://amarillopolice.org and click "Join the Amarillo Police Department."

DHDC’s Coffee and Cuties Program hosts an 'Egg-Stravaganza'

The Don Harrington Discovery Center’s monthly program Coffee and Cuties is Friday, April 7, with three different time slots for caregivers to choose from at 9:45, 10:45, or 11:45 a.m. This month’s theme is Egg-Stravaganza.

Following storytime, guests will do a craft, activity, or have a hands-on animal encounter with one of the DHDC’s critters. Caregivers are invited to participate with their explorers five and under or to enjoy a cup of coffee in the DHDC’s seating area.

Coffee and Cuties happens the first Friday of each month. This program is included with DHDC membership or general admission. Admission is $14 for adults, $9 for children ages 2-17, and free for children 1 and under. For more information on programs, visit DHDC.org or follow the Discovery Center on Facebook.

Breast Center of Excellence to offer free screenings at women’s health event

The Breast Center of Excellence at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center will offer no-cost women’s health screenings at Pap Smear Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 5 at the Well Health Center, located at 200 Palo Duro Drive in Cactus, Texas.

Uninsured patients can receive no-cost on-site pap exams, women’s wellness information and representatives will schedule free mammograms for patients. Services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments are necessary. Spanish speaking representatives will be available. For questions, call 806-414-9556 or 806-934-5775.

AC Mass media students capture 27 awards at state TIPA convention

Amarillo College’s student media brought home 27 awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) convention March 23-25 in Fort Worth.

TIPA is the oldest state collegiate journalism association in the nation. The group’s members include more than 60 Texas colleges and universities, two-year and four-year; private and public. In all, AC captured three first-place awards, eight second-place awards, nine third-place awards and seven honorable mentions.

Students from AC who received first-place accolades are Joe Early for General Column; Kamden Slough for Newspaper Cover Design; and Jordan Nuner for Op/editorial Spread Design.

The convention consisted of live contests and awards for previously published content from the Fall 2022 and Spring 2022 semesters. Phoebe Terry, a co-editor of The Ranger and The Current, AC’s student-run magazine, won second place in the Magazine Design live contest. In addition to workshops and contests, the convention held a career and resource fair for students to connect with media professionals and hiring managers currently in the industry.

For more information about the Matney Mass Media Program and student media, contact Maddisun Fowler at mfowler@actx.edu .

Sybil B. Harrington honored in WT student film airing on Panhandle PBS

CANYON — The lasting legacy of one of the area’s most notable philanthropists will be celebrated in a new short film by West Texas A&M University students.

“Searching for Sybil,” an examination of Sybil B. Harrington’s generous support of WT and the region at large, will air at 9:30 p.m. April 6 and 4 p.m. April 13 on Panhandle PBS. The film premiered March 30 during a special event for members of The Arts at WT: A Subscription Series.

“Searching for Sybil” follows Bryan Abanonu, a senior digital media and communication major from Plainview, as he interviews several people who knew Harrington well, including Dr. Sue Park, former dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities; Beth Duke, executive director of Center City of Amarillo; Emmanuel Lopez, Harrington String Quartet member and Harrington Lecturer in the School of Music; and Don and Dorothy Patterson, Amarillo philanthropists and friends of Harrington.According to the Amarillo Area Foundation, “the Harrington name became synonymous with every successful charitable and cultural endeavor throughout the Texas Panhandle.”Other students who took part in the making of the film include Gabriel Gonzales, a sophomore mass communication major from Amarillo; Sir’Garen Grayson, a senior marketing major from Dallas; Jacob Griffin, a senior digital media and communication major from Garden City, Kansas; Maurice Holderman, a senior digital media and communication major from Amarillo; Duncan Nues, a senior digital media and communication major from Lewisville; Cooper Rhodes, a senior digital media and communication major from Amarillo; Alexandra Rivera, a 2022 graduate in digital media and communication from Dimmitt; and Peyton Stokes, a senior digital media and communication major from Mesquite.

WT student veteran’s artwork to be featured in new exhibition

CANYON — Graffiti-inspired works from a military veteran-turned-artist will be on view beginning April 6 at West Texas A&M University.

Joey “Wise” Martinez’s “Overload” will hang April 6 to 23 in the Dord Fitz Formal Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall. An opening reception is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. April 6.

Martinez, a Lubbock native, started working as a graffiti artist as a young man, seeing the medium as a way to promote beauty by painting over vandalism from gangs. Martinez served in the Marine Corps after high school, allowing him the opportunity to make art in Brazil, Nicaragua, the Netherlands and Japan. After his discharge, he worked at Pantex for six years and joined the U.S. Army Reserves, where he was injured during training before he could be deployed to Afghanistan.

Martinez’s works also can be seen on his Instagram account, @wiseone1978. Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email jrevett@wtamu.edu.

Martin Road Complex Sports Field Lighting Ceremony held Thursday

A sports field lighting ceremony was held at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, March 30 at Martin Road Complex, 1374 Martin Road. Athletic fields at the Martin Road Complex are the first to have new lighting systems which will replace older lighting systems, some dating back to the 1970s.

“These new lights will replace previous lighting systems at city athletic fields that were decades old and not always dependable or cost effective due to age and use over time,” said City of Amarillo Director of Parks and Recreation Michael Kashuba. “There are so many Amarillo residents who enjoy playing sports – from softball, baseball to soccer and tennis. These new lighting systems will greatly expand and improve the opportunities for all who use outdoor city athletic facilities.”

City council approved funding for the $7.5 million athletic field lighting project in January. In addition to Martin Road, seven outdoor athletic fields at complexes throughout the city are included in the project. New lighting at Southeast Park is scheduled to be completed in about two weeks. The project also includes outdoor lighting at the Amarillo National Tennis Center.

For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

WT students, faculty to display art in annual AMoA exhibition

CANYON — Dozens of West Texas A&M University student artists will hang their works in an annual joint exhibition with Amarillo College opening April 7 at Amarillo Museum of Art. The AC/WT Student/Faculty Exhibition will hang through April 23 at the museum, 2200 S. Van Buren St. in Amarillo.

An opening reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. April 7. Jon Revett, the Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts and art program director, and Dr. Amy Von Lintel, professor of art history, will lead a gallery talk at 7 p.m. about the WT works on view, preceded by a 6:45 p.m. discussion about the AC works.

In all, 59 works by 37 students were chosen by eight WT faculty members to hang in the exhibition.

“This show is the high point of our school year because it the time when show off their students’ hard work,” said Jon Revett, art program director and Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts. “This year’s selection process was challenging due to the caliber and quality of work submitted, but the selected work is worthy of being exhibited in professional venues like the Amarillo Museum of Art. We are proud to expose our students’ artwork to a larger audience and that there are good things going on in the art program at WT.”

The AC/WT joint exhibition has been held regularly since 1972.

Some of the WT students participating in the exhibition include: Ana Briones, a junior graphic design major from Plainview; Lauren Corea, a junior graphic design major from Amarillo; Christi Dawson, a senior graphic design major from Hereford; Isabella Escobar, a sophomore art major from Borger; John Flatt, a senior studio art major from Canyon; Emily Flores, a junior graphic design major from Amarillo; Dylan Green, a junior graphic design major from Dumas; Samuel Gutierrez, a sophomore graphic design major from Lubbock; Sydnee Hendrick, a junior graphic design major from White Deer; Elvina Hernandez, a senior studio art major from Wellington; Abigail Key, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo; Caleb King, a sophomore studio art major from Canyon; Anthony Kiser, a junior art education major from Amarillo; Joey Martinez, a graduate studio art student from Lubbock; Chris Mathews, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo; McKenna McClenny, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo; Kayla Monds, a junior studio art major from Pampa; Chance Neese, a sophomore art major from Amarillo; Chit Pu, a junior studio art major from Amarillo; Ana Ramirez, a senior studio art major from Perryton; Leandra Spear, a senior psychology major from Amarillo; Kara Speedy, a sophomore studio art major from Amarillo; Briana Vigil, a freshman art major from Spearman; Anna Vongkaysone, a senior studio art major from Amarillo; Kenedy Wheeler, a senior studio art major from Flower Mound; and Victor Zafiro, a sophomore graphic design major from Canadian.

Every Drop Counts Poster Contest is underway

The City of Amarillo (COA) Every Drop Counts Poster Contest has become a summer tradition emphasizing the importance of water conservation. The contest showcases the talents of young artists while increasing awareness of water conservation.

The contest is underway and poster submissions end May 19. The contest is open to students K-12 in the Texas Panhandle. Thirteen winners will receive a prize, including a dining gift card and Amarillo Sod Poodles merchandise. This is the largest quantity of prizes in EDC history. Winners will also have their artwork featured in the next EDC calendar.

Winners and prizes will be announced during the June 27 Amarillo City Council meeting.

Entry forms, general rules, and prize information are available at water.amarillo.gov . For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for the week of April 2, 2023