Once upon a time, a Texas State senior stepped off the Alkek Library’s seventh floor elevators and walked ahead into the Mexican-tile foyer to get a closer look at several photographs hanging on the wall. This was his first visit to the top floor of the library.
“I had no idea this amazing place was up here,” he said, after one of the Wittliff Collections staff pointed out that the special place he’d wandered into was home to some of our region’s greatest cultural treasures—and a venue for all kinds of events.
Today, more and more students are learning early about the Wittliff Collections. They come up to see ever-changing photography and literary exhibitions. They listen to prize-winning authors read from their work. Hundreds show up for panel discussions on everything from film writing to investigative journalism, or to listen to live music (yes—live music). And faculty and students alike are discovering the Wittliff’s seemingly endless number of research opportunities, on topics as far ranging as King of the Hill, Willie Nelson, and documentary photography from Mexico.
At the moment, the buzz is spreading about the Wittliff’s first-ever exhibition from the papers of Cormac McCarthy, the author of No Country for Old Men, The Road, and other critically acclaimed novels of our time. The new exhibition of luminous hand-colored photographs by Kate Breakey, called Painted Light, is also drawing crowds, which will increase when the second half of the show goes up on September 16.
Texas State’s own Tom Grimes, director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, is first in a line-up of prestigious authors reading at the Wittliff Collections. Grimes will talk about his memoir, Mentor, on Wednesday, September 15 at 3:30 p.m.
“I had no idea this amazing place was up here,” he said, after one of the Wittliff Collections staff pointed out that the special place he’d wandered into was home to some of our region’s greatest cultural treasures—and a venue for all kinds of events.
Today, more and more students are learning early about the Wittliff Collections. They come up to see ever-changing photography and literary exhibitions. They listen to prize-winning authors read from their work. Hundreds show up for panel discussions on everything from film writing to investigative journalism, or to listen to live music (yes—live music). And faculty and students alike are discovering the Wittliff’s seemingly endless number of research opportunities, on topics as far ranging as King of the Hill, Willie Nelson, and documentary photography from Mexico.
At the moment, the buzz is spreading about the Wittliff’s first-ever exhibition from the papers of Cormac McCarthy, the author of No Country for Old Men, The Road, and other critically acclaimed novels of our time. The new exhibition of luminous hand-colored photographs by Kate Breakey, called Painted Light, is also drawing crowds, which will increase when the second half of the show goes up on September 16.
Texas State’s own Tom Grimes, director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, is first in a line-up of prestigious authors reading at the Wittliff Collections. Grimes will talk about his memoir, Mentor, on Wednesday, September 15 at 3:30 p.m.
Exhibition and event details, hours, research ideas, slideshows… all this and so much more is online at www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu. And in the last week alone, more than 500 people have joined the Wittliff Collections on Facebook. The biggest draw: admission to everything is free. Come up and see this exciting place for yourself.
Michele M. Miller
The Wittliff Collections
