SOUTHEAST CELEBRATES ARTS WITH FLORIDA EVENT

Southeast Missouri State University was promoted during "Celebration of the Arts" last month in St. Augustine, Fla.

University officials said the event was organized by Margaret Woods Allen of Sikeston, an author and major benefactor of Southeast who has ties to the St. Augustine Art Association, which helped sponsor the event.

The event, held Jan. 23, featured a book autographing party by Allen and fellow Sikeston author Robert Vaughan, and a piano concert by James Sifferman, assistant professor of music at Southeast.

The event showcased the writing of Allen, author of the book, "Widow's Might, A Survival Guide to Investing," and Vaughan, author of the series, "The American Chronicles."

Southeast President Kala M. Stroup also appeared at the event, which dually promoted and benefited the university and the St. Augustine Art Association. Mrs. Joseph Tiberio, a longtime friend of Allen's, helped organize the event, which attracted alumni of Southeast Missouri State University and benefactors of the art association.

"It was a very special event for Southeast Missouri State University," Allen said. "It was fabulous."

Money raised through the event will help fund the Margaret Woods Allen Scholarship Fund at Southeast, said Don Ford, director of development.

"This was a Margaret Woods Allen function, where she thought it was an opportunity for the university to get some visibility," he said.

He added that it was a "one-time event."

During the past decade, Allen has made a significant impact on the quality of education at Southeast, university officials said. In addition to the Margaret Woods Allen Scholarship Fund, Allen has established the "Margaret Woods Allen Piano Scholarship," which provides tuition, room and board, incidental fees and private instruction to promising and deserving piano students.

Vaughan's "The American Chronicles" is a decade by decade account of the 20th century, written in novel form. Under his own name and several pen names, Vaughan has written more than 250 books over his career of some 30 years.

Complementing the book-signing was Sifferman's concert, which included works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schonberg, Scriabin and Brahms. Sifferman, who has performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan, will be performing in Europe throughout the summer. In 1990, he released his compact disc, "Sifferman Live Vol. 1: Piano Music of Franz Liszt."