(HARLINGEN) – The Third Annual Humanities and Arts Symposium at Texas State Technical College will be a week-long event celebrating cross-cultural writers and artists.

The symposium begins October 23 and runs through October 26 with all events being coordinated by college faculty and staff.

Dr. Richard Kirk, TSTC Social and Behavioral Science and Humanities professor said the symposium serves as a way of generating awareness on the impact the Arts and Humanities and the artists and writers who contribute to the field have on our lives.

“The purpose of the symposium is to provide awareness and appreciation for the contributions that the Arts and Humanities have made to learning, especially in the areas of creative thinking and action,” said Kirk.

Events throughout the week consist of hands-on workshops such as Frida Fest, Retablo Workshop, Papel Picado Workshop and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altar setup, where students will have the opportunity of creating a Frida art image, painting devotional Mexican folk art, crafting paper into elaborate designs or designing an altar in honor of someone who has passed, respectively.

The workshops will be conducted by Jennifer Rodriguez and Rene Garza, instructors in the TSTC Humanities Department.  Workshops are open to the public, but may be limited due to space and availability of supplies.

“I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the activities we’ll be hosting,” said Kirk. “It’s a great way of gaining a better understanding of cultures and traditions. And I’m glad we have the opportunity to do that here at TSTC.”

And for the first time at TSTC and in the Rio Grande Valley, the Texas Writers Exhibition will be on display during the symposium, until November 17, at the TSTC Learning Resource Center.

The exhibit, made possible by a $1,000 Humanities of Texas grant awarded to TSTC, will survey the vitality and breadth of creative writing in Texas from the mid-twentieth century to the turn of the twenty-first century.

The exhibit will kick off October 23 with an opening reception and panel presentations made up of local writers and poets and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Arts and Humanities faculty, which are open to the public.

“We are so excited to share this experience with our students and community,” said Kirk. “This type of event allows us to expand our resources and promote Texas writers in our community and sustain the work our city already does in promoting the humanities and arts.”

For more information on the Humanities and Arts Symposium, the Texas Writers Exhibit or for a schedule of events call 956-364-4758.