The concept of pattern in the arts provides artists with tools that can limit creativity or suggest new avenues for exploration. They can offer a maker innovative options to explore with their accustomed materials and techniques; at times present a designer a means of control; advance a range of new ornaments and motifs to work with; and impart a new understanding of the relation between functional and decorative form. This exhibition will look at the impact of pattern in the arts using the University Art Galleries collections. 

Austin-based artist Shawn Smith merges nature and technology in his two- and three-dimensional work featuring life-size animals, insects and abstract self-portraits, exploring "how humans use data as a lens for looking at the anthropocene, species loss and habitat destruction." On view at Wright Gallery, Langford A, Room 212, from Sept. 16-Oct. 24. Artist talk: Sept. 26, 4-5 p.m.; reception from 5-6 p.m.

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The Career Center, in cooperation with GRAD Aggies, presents Networking at a Conference. Refine your networking finesse at our workshop designed for masters and doctoral students. Craft a strategic blueprint for conference networking—master the art of selecting contacts, articulate your research or professional journey adeptly, master the art of adequate follow-up, and cultivate lasting collaborations with potential partners. Attending this event and completing the reflection is worth 1 PDU towards a GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate for graduate & professional students.

Presenters:John Patrick Casellas Connors, Assistant Professor | Geography "Socio-ballistic Landscapes: How gun politics have shaped American conservation" Alyssa Carpenter, Graduate Student | Anthropology "Cannon Cluster Site: Uncovering the Historical Provenance of 20 Guns Recovered in Savannah, Georgia" Abstracts:Casellas ConnorsFirearms politics and conservation politics share a deeply intertwined, but often overlooked, history in the United States. This research explores these entanglements to understand the ways that firearms (and our relationships to them) have shaped conservation practices and the role of environmental institutions in supporting the firearms industry. I trace these interconnected histories to demonstrate how environmental agencies play a growing role in promoting firearms use – in general, not just for hunting – and how exceptions in environmental policies facilitate gun use. Meanwhile, environmental agencies are increasingly dependent on tax revenues derived specifically from firearms and ammunition. In this manner, gun policy is increasingly a matter of environmental policy.Carpenter In 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, recovered a total of 20 guns (cannons), 8 partial anchor fragments, 14 munition shot, a fragment of a ship's bell, and an anchor ring. In 2023, 17 guns were transported to the Conservation Research Lab (CRL) at Texas A&M University for conservation. Throughout the past year and a half, the guns underwent a thorough study and digital documentation, in addition to undergoing the conservation treatment plan. On-site analysis was performed on comparable guns and their markings in both Canada and England. This presentation will discuss the research findings and propose a working theory on the gun's origins.    Chair: Kim Kattari  Please note that this is not a lecture, and thus, is not suited for class attendance. The Colloquium Series is intended to provide the presenter with a forum to discuss their research and receive feedback from colleagues and peers.